Boston Tea Party is all about "scale versus soul", according to owner and forward-thinking entrepreneur Sam Roberts. It's an interesting concept and not an ethos you'd associate with a chain of restaurants, says Louise Daniel
I'm here on the second floor of the sympathetically-restored building on Notte Street to talk with marketing manager Ben Hibbard about what drives the Boston Tea Party business and why people see their collection of chic cafes as a "home away from home". It's about ensuring each new opening has quality at it's heart, says Ben.
"If we wanted to open 15 cafes a year we could do, but they would all be the same. We look for interesting buildings with character which are not always easy to build in, and we take the time and effort to do it right."
To say he's evangelical about the brand would be a slight overstatement, but Ben – who cut his teeth with global chain Nandos – comes very close.
It's easy to see why. Here, there are booths, banquettes, scrubbed tables, and chairs which look suspiciously like they've come from a school – it's all rather charming and comfortable.
Ben and I chat over a table full of goodies; eggs Benedict with a delicious piquant hollandaise and runny poached eggs, scotch pancakes with maple syrup and smoked bacon, salty and smokey chorizo hash and sourdough eggy bread with smoked bacon and avocado.
The food is fresh, hearty and delicious – not the cheapest in town, but it's reasonably priced. It's reassuring when presented with plates laden with the promised menu items. The ingredients aren't factory produced and this 'proper' bacon, the organic eggs rich in colour and flavour.
These guys don't mess around when it comes to sourcing great produce. They visit pigs on the farm, personally call on salad-growers and only use award-winning bread.
This attention to detail is fundamental to the success of the chain and proves they don't underestimate savvy customers' food sense.
Ben clearly revels in working for a chain which understands the customer is at the centre of the experience. He explains the business began life with a core of strong ethics which they continue to adhere to today.
"This year is the 20th year of operations. Sam and Mel took it over ten years ago. Back then it was five cafes and it was set up as a vegan café. The ethics have remained the same – everything is free range and organic, we recycle all our food waste, and wherever we can source a quality product, we do and we don't mind paying extra for it."
It's good to know the business has an eye on sustainability but it doesn't begin and end with the food, says Ben.
"All our energy is green and our customers agree with that philosophy. We're also members of the SRA (Sustainable Restaurant Association) of which we are full three-star members."
All very refreshing – many moons ago chains were built on big names and branding.
Some still operate under the illusion that customers aren't bothered about decent service or the environment they're eating in as long as they get their food quickly. I don't agree.
It's true to say, putting the words 'chain' and 'restaurant' together often conjures less than favourable associations – cheap production-line food, table-turning, garish furnishings and generic service – but Boston Tea Party has none of these things in evidence.
In fact they are strongly customer-focused and though obviously have to make money, aren't nakedly profit driven.
Boston Tea Party is a new breed of (what I call) artisanal chain, overturning ideas that multiple sites should naturally equal a compromise on customer service and quality.
The aim here is to ride the wave of the food revolution and give people the pleasurable, sociable eating-out experience they crave.
Sure you get the same menu in each of the outlets, but this is good food, cooked on site and the business feels like an independent café rather than one of 16. Owner, Sam Roberts is very clear about his philosophy, believing strongly in delivering an experience which modern diners can believe in.
Sam says: "Well, we're hopefully better at providing great service, atmosphere, coffee, food, ethics and sourcing. I see my role as the guardian of such things. We've always set out to ensure each Boston Tea Party is unique, a one-off, rather than a component part of a homogenised roll-out."
It's no mean feat and must be a challenge to pull off, particularly when you consider the age of the building in which the Plymouth arm of the Boston Tea Party sits.
The building is a good choice and lends itself very well to a casual, relaxed, artisanal feel – it's very old and the renovation is clearly sympathetic. The interior is inspired. A reclaimed, wooden basketball court adds to a quirky shabby chic look, and stone walls are simply painted. It's an uncluttered, free-flowing space and the location doesn't hurt either.
The view over the Barbican is lovely. It's Monday morning and there's a gentle buzz as staff bustle around – even though it's only 11am, trade is brisk.
"What you often see is people coming in and ordering the same thing," says Ben. "Staff recognise 'flat white guy' and the barista starts making it before he comes to the till. It's like a local. What local pubs used to do, cafés are doing now."
It's true, people like to call a place their own – it's comforting. Every restaurateur and pub owner I've spoken to has a story about customers who return (sometimes twice) weekly to say hello and have their favourite tipple or a much-loved menu item – and Boston Tea Party is no different. Ben adds: "People like that they can take ownership of the space. "We like it, too, and it's why we give up the space to community groups."
It's accepted by forward-thinking businesses that people are more savvy than ever. We want our pounds to go further and unique eating-out experiences which can be repeated.
This is the formula helping Boston Tea Party to success. Ben agrees consumers have changed, and moving with those changes is key to people coming back.
"The last few years, traditional mealtimes have changed," says Ben. "If people want a breakfast in the afternoon or late at night, if they want a sociable community space or an ultimate burger, they can come on in!"