Tell us about Brunches of Boston and how you got started. I came up with the idea of Brunches of Boston after moving to a new neighborhood and never knowing where to go to brunch. I would search Yelp and other online resources but I could never find credible recommendations based on what I was looking for. So, I took it upon myself to chronicle my brunch adventures in Boston and write honest reviews on an Instagram account (@BrunchesofBoston). Eventually, my following caught on and thousands of people were looking to me as their go-to brunch resource; I knew Brunches of Boston needed to expand. Last summer/fall I came up with the business model for what is now Brunches of Boston.
How did you come up with the 1-5 rating system and what are some of the qualities of the brunch that are factored into each rating? So the rating system is entirely scientific. No, I'm just kidding with you! It's based on six criteria, which each get a score 1-5. We then take the average of all of the scores and get the overall rating. The criteria we consider are: Breadth of menu, food taste, food quality, portion size, price, and atmosphere.
What are some lessons you've learned along the way of getting Brunches of Boston off the ground? Oh boy, so many lessons! I think the most important lesson I've learned is to listen to the market place because they will tell you what they want. Sometimes you'll think you have a great idea or that you know what everyone wants and it turns out you couldn't be further from right!
I love your logo. Tell us how the branding came together. Thanks! I had been playing around with a bunch of ideas and trying to come up with a way to make it obvious to the consumer that we are a brunch culture brand in Boston without being corny. I paired with an awesome designer out of NYC who had been recommended by a close friend, so I had hope she could take my brain child and turn it into something perfect. The first few iterations came back and were missing that "oomph" that was needed to show we are a Boston brand that's legit but not too serious. So back to the drawing board we went and after much idea sharing and fiddling around my designer and I came up with the two logos that we have now. The colors were chosen after I hosted several focus groups and some very on-trend college students informed me that my planned pastel colors were"stupid", so we went for modern and sleek with the black and white (and pop of yellow)!
You are partnering with some great restaurants and companies in the Boston area for the events. Where would be your dream restaurant to host a Brunches of Boston event? Ooh this is a tough one! I've been fortunate to connect with some of Boston's best restaurants as well as local businesses and I'm truly excited for each event, as they all bring something different to the table. As a sun-lover and July birthday girl, it's my dream to do a big pool party brunch, which is something I am in the process of planning now for this summer. Stay tuned to for an announcement about this and you'll have the answer to the question ;)
Top 5 brunch spots in Boston... go! Cafe Luna, Zaftigs, Brownstone, Mistral and Thorton's (Back Bay not Fenway)
Where do you see Brunches of Boston in 1 year? 5 years? Brunches of Boston is actually a part of a larger company called Brunches International, which is expanding the Brunches brand to other cities throughout the country. We will be launching our next city in about a year from now and should have multiple Brunches Cities launched in 5 years! Specifically for Brunches of Boston we're doing a huge push for our events and looking to do some larger-scale events (like a big Brunch Fest) in the upcoming year and years. We also have a VIP Brunch Royalty Pass in our 5 year plan, which will include special events and perks for our members. We can't give away too many details yet, but we'll say this, you'll want to be brunch royalty with us!
If it was your last day on Earth, what would you want your "final brunch" to be? If it were my last day on Earth my final brunch would include a massive short stack of dense, moist, chocolate chip pancakes dripping in maple syrup, an entire plate of crispy, well seasoned and slightly puffy homefries AND a lobster and goat cheese omelette. And about 3 bloody Marys!
this is awesome, great interview! congrats, Alie!!
ReplyDeletewhat a great idea for an instagram page! I mean, who doesn't love the **** outta brunch?? Love all of these pics.
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