If you pass by your favorite restaurant row in just about any city or town, you may pick up on an emerging tread – local restaurant names are falling into patterns.
A recent article in Bon Appetit discussed the popularity in hipster neighborhoods such as Brooklyn, N.Y., of naming eateries after “just folks” with first names. And everyone imitated. So Bernie’s begat Bonnie’s, Mel’s opened up down the block from Ernesto’s and so on. Looking back in history, at the beginning, restaurants displayed more functional, straightforward names. The place that is most commonly recognized as the first fine-dining restaurant in New York, Delmonico’s, was opened by the Delmonico brothers and soon had a steak dish named after it. Not long after, the Union Oyster House opened in Boston. In 1887, John Tadich opened Tadich Grill in San Francisco because he grilled seafood brought to the wharf. Closer to home, the natural landmarks were popular. Johnson’s Hummocks was the landmark in South County and by the time the eatery moved to Providence, it became known as a restaurant instead of a small hill on the coast of North Kingstown. The same idea served the large dining house on Spectacle Lake in Cranston with the twin oak trees on the shore. Twin Oaks Inc. opened in 1933. The proprietor’s name was enough for Winkler’s in downtown Providence. The South Shore Grill and the East Side Diner are notable names in the legacy of dining out in Rhode Island. Many more can be named, of course.
Today, it’s the sincerest form of flattery – imitation. And many times, the flattery occurs in the same neighborhood.
We do not have to look any further than our own hometowns to see the trend. In Rhode Island, some new and emerging restaurants are literally at a crossroads. A group of chefs, foodies and businesspeople opened a charming neighborhood bistro called Tavern on Main in the Wakefield section of South Kingstown in 2018. It was successful from day one. In the ensuing upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Wakefield business stayed the course, pivoted, observed the ever-changing restrictions, rules, inspections, alterations and emerged like most food service businesses did – with a change in philosophy, a renewed resiliency and the ability to succeed with fewer staffers.
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MAIN MESSAGE: Several new restaurants in East Greenwich are touting their location in their name: Patio on Main, right, and Union and Main, in the background. Both are located on Main Street, of course. / PBN PHOTO/BRUCE NEWBURY[/caption]
The company was able to acquire a second eatery, this one in the still-bustling restaurant row in East Greenwich. The Tavern on Main in East Greenwich became fairly popular. The district enjoyed a small boom. A week did not go by without a place or two changing hands, names or concepts. An interesting trend could be observed. Many of the new eateries had the name of the street – Main Street – in their name. At the other end of Main Street from the Tavern on Main, the Patio on Main opened. Seemingly in its shadow came the sign that coming soon was Union and Main, and celebrity Rhode Island native Olivia Culpo swept in for a glittery grand opening. Then about a mile away, the regional chain Tavern in the Square opened. By an unofficial count, that makes two taverns and three Mains within a mile of each other.
It should be noted the Tavern on Main in East Greenwich itself is now undergoing still another transformation. Its doors are closed and its website states that still another new concept will be coming in June. The place will be known as The County Seat – as in “the best seat in the house.” Its opening will be anticipated with interest not only by those eager for another new dining experience but also those in the industry who keep an eye on emerging trends.
Bruce Newbury’s radio show and podcast, “Dining Out with Bruce Newbury,” is broadcast on WADK 1540 AM and several radio stations throughout New England. Email him at Bruce@BruceNewbury.com.
