How 'Cafe Bartlett Square' Was Almost 'The Indolent Badger'

Café Bartlett Square hopped on the thriving Jamaica Plain culinary scene in July 2013. The restaurant, ideal for commuters heading to and from the Green Street T or Amory Street neighbors, provides a mix of sandwiches, coffee, pastries and ice cream.

Philip Peterson, 36, operating partner at Café Bartlett Square, talked to Patch about his origins on the other side of the river – in Cambridge and Somerville specifically – and how he’s managed to bring a few of his favorite items along with him to Jamaica Plain. He also discussed arriving at the restaurant’s name, and how coming upon the final decision took him to some strange places.

Jamaica Plain Patch: How’s business?

Philip Peterson: Business is good, we’ve had a steady flow since we opened, and a really enthusiastic response from the neighborhood. Can’t complain.

JPP: How did you pick that particular neighborhood?

PP: That neighborhood found me. As I mentioned I call myself the “operating partner” rather than owner: I partnered with Chris Desisto of Maple Hurst Builders, he built that building (154 Green St., the “Bartlett Square” building). His initial intention was to rent it out and forget about it, but after he put so much of his heart and soul into it he couldn’t just let another Verizon store go in there. So he partnered with me, now we have a café.

JPP: What’s your favorite product you sell?

PP: Our pastries are absolutely fantastic. We do a good job with the sandwiches, we have a great coffee program. We’re the only people on this side of the river serving Barismo coffee from Arlington, and similarly we brought Christina’s ice cream (from Cambridge) across the river.

JPP: So you have a lot of Cambridge/Somerville ties.

PP: I lived and worked in Cambridge and Somerville for years at places called High Rise Bread Company, Wine and Cheese Cask…I lived in that square mile, the Cambridge/Somerville line, in like seven different places.

JPP: So you got into Jamaica Plain through your partner…

PP: Actually, no…when I was looking to buy a house, I naturally sort of looked in that area and though – how are you going to get (to JP) from (Cambridge). But I ended up falling in love with the neighborhood and have never looked back. I live two blocks away from the shop. Probably 90 percent of my staff, if not more, lives in Jamaica Plain proper.

JPP: What does Jamaica Plain do well to support small businesses?

PP: There is a really good, tight-knit neighborhood local ethic, whether it’s people really trying to shop and support local businesses to the fact that 90 percent of my staff are local. I think there’s still a really nice mix of walks of life of people…you get the ladies from Boston Pilates to the guys at Carlysle sprinklers.

JPP: What could JP do better?

PP: I think the whole permitting process – getting the variance for usage, all of the city hall stuff – it’s one thing to be bogged down at city hall but there’s plenty of folks before you even get there in Jamaica Plain to go through. I didn’t have any trouble; everybody was really supportive. It just takes time.

JPP: Was this always what you did in your life?

PP: I’ve been working in and out of restaurants since I got a work permit at 14. I got an English degree from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor – good for nothing, good for everything. After college, in 2000, a friend of mine from Michigan who’d been to Boston for years asked if I’d like to help him open a restaurant. I said “why not.” The good people of Cambridge didn’t see fit to grant us a liquor license. So I helped manage his bakeries and open a pizza place.

JPP: Why is it “Café Bartlett Square” and not “Bartlett Square Café?”

PP: When we first started we weren’t sure. We said we can’t just name this place “Bartlett Square Café.” We got to come up with a more interesting name. We spent six months and scoured the furthest points of earth coming up with pretty ridiculous names….”The Indolent Badger,” “Bartlett Square Fare and Goods,” “Pascal’s Wadger,” “The Rusty Nail.” We really just had to save ourselves from ourselves.