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 it was a great place to work! 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 Square. 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 ran it by Steve that we should open a pub called The Gaff and he was on board (plus Cheers was already taken). 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 back 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.
In 2014 we opened up The Indo in Beverly MA. The Indo, is short/slang for Irelands daily newspaper, “The Independent”. The word independent kept coming up when we were building the pub and partnering with independent breweries and local independent food distributors. Unlike a majority of restaurants, we don’t have investors, we are completely independent. We put up our own money, houses and everything on the line to open up our pubs. 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. It’s hard to do that with investors because its important for them to see a return on their investments. So, The Indo seemed like the perfect name.
In our first year of business, we won “Best Irish Pub” in the north shore by Northshore Magazine.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Smooth roads in the bar/restaurant industry just don’t exist. We always try our best think positively so that really helps. We’ve been blessed with some of the best staff and a general manager that is above and beyond amazing. However, the rebranding of an established Irish pub, which had a loyal following was very difficult and took some time. Fixing up the building, which is over 200 years old had its issues and particularly when we didn’t budget for it. But, the hardest thing at the moment for every restaurant is staffing. There is a staffing crisis that has never existed before and no restaurant or bar is immune to it. There has been a major decline in retail, primarily due to online shopping. So, cities and towns are replacing shuttered retail stores and trying to revitalize run down areas with an unprecedented amount of new restaurants, eateries which are also being promised to developers building new residential units. Everyone wants a restaurant or a bar because it sounds like a good idea however, there’s just not enough staffing for everyone. So, this will be a huge issue if it continues without being addressed.
The Indo – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Both Stephen and I are only interested in neighborhood pubs. That’s what we are, that’s what we know! We really love smaller places that are filled with character. It’s important to us that we bring something new and original through our pubs, with our personal stamp on it, without taking away or competing with our neighboring businesses. We really want to cater to the neighborhood and understand what the neighborhood wants and needs. We understand that trends come and go but we both agree that friendly service and quality products will never go out of style. You can always expect great service and a well-curated beer and cocktail menu while enjoying some delicious and freshly made pub fare from our talented kitchen staff. If you have any issues ever, we want to be there to help you leave satisfied and looking forward to your next visit. We are extremely happy just owning the two pubs and we’ve decided not to continue expanding so we can concentrate on the success of the two pubs while continuing the personal relationships with our customers and staff each and every day.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on? In this business its all the amazing people you meet. I met my wife while working. I met my business partner, who’s not only a great partner but also an amazing friend. You hear so many amazing stories from new customers and regulars. Even the ones you’ve heard a thousand times are still very humbling. I always enjoy the fun and the banter that exists in this type of business. I am very fond of my job on a daily basis and will never take it for granted as long as our doors remain open.
Contact Info:
- Address: 298 Cabot Street
Beverly, MA 01915 - Website: www.theindopub.com
- Phone: 978-969-2008
- Email: info@theindopub.com
- Instagram: theindopub
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theindopub
Image Credit:
Michael Coen and Stephen Murphy
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