Today we’d like to introduce you to John and Laura Wolfe.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My husband and I both grew up in the restaurant business. He is from Southern California so he needed a job that allowed him to work only at nights basically so he could surf during the days and I needed a job to help put me through school We started our first Cottage in San Diego back in 1992. We had worked for a corporate restaurant chain and decided we wanted to try it on our own. In November of 1992 our La Jolla Cottage became a reality. As our family grew, I wanted to return to my roots of the East Coast. We came back in the summer of 1999 and quickly found a home on the North Shore and started our life here. Being from Wellesley and still having family in Wellesley we visited often. We couldn’t find a restaurant that served the type of Southern California cuisine we liked to eat. That is when we thought maybe other people would appreciate our type of southern California food-light, fresh, full of color, flavor and produce. That is when we decided to open an East Coast version of The Cottage.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
We have been very well received by the town. I think we came along when the town locals were looking for a different choice in the community. It had been a while since a full service dinner house had opened in Wellesley and being a local myself, it was an easier transition with so much of the community behind us. I was the third generation of my family to open a business in town, had grown up here and graduated WHS in the 70’s and the developer of Linden Square had thought The Cottage would be a good fit for the development for the project and town.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about The Cottage, Wellesley – what should we know?
We are a full service American restaurant specializing in delicious, homemade food. Our reputation has been built on fresh, healthy, farm fresh food with a Southern California influence we are especially proud of the dedicated regulars that frequent our restaurant weekly. We are nothing without the town’s people. In all our communities it is the locals that make our business. We try to give back to the community as much as possible.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Internally our success has been because of the great chefs, cooks, managers front of house staff, bartenders we have had over the years, our team in general. We are very proud of the fact that we still have many of the same crew members we opened the restaurant with. With their outstanding dedication and help every day to keep up our standards. We have remained a favorite in the community with regulars knowing the front of house staff and our staff accommodating the needs of the guest.
Secondly our success is from the community and guests that visit us daily. Without them, we are nothing.
Contact Info:
- Address: 190 Linden Street, Wellesley
- Website: www.cottagewellesley.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook
.com/thecottagewellesley/ - Twitter: https://twitter.com/C
ottWells - Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz
/the-cottage-wellesley-4 -
Instagram: https://www.instagr
am.com/cottagewellesley/ - Phone: 781-239-1100
- Email: cottagewellesley@gmail.com
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
