Fiore’s: Changing With The Times

Fiore’s is a coffee shop that serves sandwiches and baked goods on South Street in Jamaica Plain.

In 10 years, the interior hasn’t changed much, but the neighborhood has. On the menu, where there were once Italian specialties there are now vegan-friendly items.

Owner Charlie Fiore took a few minutes to discuss his neighborhood, the food and a changing Jamaica Plain.

JP Patch: In 10 years, how has the neighborhood changed?

Charlie Fiore: It’s changed tremendously. When we first decided to take that space – 55 South St. – we were nervous whether or not there was enough activity in the neighborhood for a small bakery. There’s a much younger crowd, the tennis courts across the street, the community center the school, all those things in addition to things that were already there, Harvest, the church being a block away. Overall the clientele that we see…is a much, much younger crowd.

JPP: So it’s the customers along with the physical surroundings?

CF: I never wanted to make our bakery too chic, part of it was because I couldn’t afford to do it, and now that I can afford to do it I don’t want it to be that way because I don’t want to discourage older people from coming in. I like the mixed crowd. I like to see customers that are in their 20s and customers that are in their 80s.

JPP: Has the food changed?

CF: We started as more of an Italian bakery. My brother-in-law has a bakery in Revere and he used to deliver us his homemade items. But now, with a few exceptions, everything is made in-house. Our mayonnaise, our pesto, all the baked goods…That part of it has definitely changed.

JPP: In that time, you’ve seen Jamaica Plain get put on the map as a culinary center of Boston…

CF: To some degree that was already the case. Not quite as much as it is now…There are different options available now in JP: vegan, Thai, sushi. JP Seafood has been here for the 20 years I’ve lived in Jamaica Plain. Those guys were the originals.

JPP: What did you do before Fiore’s?

CF: I had a construction and development business.

JPP: Why did you get into the restaurant business?

CF: My partner at the time and I used to live in the apartment above [Fiore’s]. We talked about it at the time, eventually we said “let’s do it.” We thought about buying the building…I should have done that, it was only $350,000. So we ended up buying the building a few years ago for a much higher price. We always thought JP needed a bakery because there weren’t many bakeries at the time. That’s since changed, but that was the main reason we wanted to do it: There weren’t any bakeries and we used to complain about it. We were kind of spontaneous like that.

JPP: Sandwiches or baked goods?

CF: Sandwiches.

JPP: Why?

CF: Just because I don’t really have as much of a sweet tooth as a savory one. But I think a lot of people would disagree with me on [my answer.]

JPP: What do your customers think?

CF: It’s hard to say, it’s pretty much 50/50 at this point. Our vegan customers love the sandwiches and they love the pastry…I gotta be honest, I’m not really sure how to answer that.

JPP: South Street or Centre Street?

CF: South Street, definitely.

JPP: Why?

CF: Because it’s more like how JP used to be. I would say the clientele in JP has become a little less diverse. It’s become more gentrified. South Street is a bit more reflective of the qualities and the attributes people tend to associate with and admire about JP. I’m not saying Centre Street doesn’t, I just don’t think it does to the same degree anymore.