May 1, 2017

Meet Michael Coen of The Gaff in Waltham

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Coen.

Michael, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My first restaurant job was working as a singing waiter at an ice cream parlor called Chadwick’s in Lexington, MA. I was 17 years old and I have such fond memories of that place! SNL alumna Amy Poehler and Rachel Dratch use to work there and my older sister got me the job. I was hired as a dishwasher but immediately became a waiter and within months a manager on duty. After a couple of years of doing that part time while attending college, I got a job working at a pub in Kenmore Sq. I started as a door man, then became a bar back and finally got a position as a bartender after a year or so. That is where I met my business partner, Stephen Murphy, whom was the general manager at the time.

Stephen who hails from Ireland had expressed interest in opening his own spot and I was equally enthused when he asked me to team up with him. I had an opportunity to visit Ireland on multiple occasions touring as a musician and became found of its pub culture and slang sayings. One in particular, “The Gaff” (which in Ireland is slang for home) stuck out to me. I said to Steve that we should open a pub called The Gaff and he was on board. With Steve’s mastery in Irish hospitality and my interest in European beer and American craft beer, we opened The Gaff on historic Moody Street in Waltham, MA in 2009. Though today, the American Craft Beer bar is ubiquitous, it was very new back then and there were only a handful of bars like that to choose from in Massachusetts. We really wanted to bring something new and exciting to the city of Waltham without taking away or competing with our neighbors, whom we’ve become great friends with.

We went on to open up a sister pub in 2014 in Beverly MA called the Indo. In our first year we won “Best Pub” in the north shore by Northshore Magazine. We are very happy owning the two pubs and we’ve decided not to continue expanding so we can concentrate on the success of the two bars and continue the personal relationships with our customers and staff each and every day.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with The Gaff – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Both Stephen and a deep fondness for what we think of as a “timeless” neighborhood pubs. That’s really what we specialize in and what we know best! We really love smaller places that are filled with character and feel that it’s getting harder and harder to find these types of places these days.

Stephen brings his warm Irish hospitality and managing skills, while I bring in my passion for all things in music, beer and food. Our whole concept is extremely approachable and we are very proud of that. We do not take reservations which I think is beneficial to our patrons due to the fact when other places are booked for the night and turning people away, you will always (eventually on really busy nights) get a seat by one of the members of our amazing staff.

We are proud that we are completely independent and have been able to thrive in two completely different cities that have multi-million dollar restaurants and chains. Unlike a majority of restaurants, we don’t have investors. We put up our own money, houses and everything on the line. It can be scary at times but we’re able to conduct business on our own terms and its worked out so far. We have always put our customers and employees first, before profits, and haven’t changed our business structure or cut corners, even during difficult times, which is what sets us apart from these larger chains.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love the amount of diversity in our city, there are so many ethnic stores and eateries that we’re really spoiled with all these hidden gems. That’s really a big part of what drew us to open up a bar on Moody Street. I also grew up (and still live) in the area and have had many remarkable experiences at so many of these local establishments for a good part of my life.

What I like least is the amount of high priced housing and developments being built in the city. We’ve seen and heard from so many of our customers and fellow business owners that they no longer can afford to live or afford to run their business in this city due to the rising cost of rents.

Contact Info: