Franklin Restaurant Group Is Developing Our Fathers’ Deli

Franklin Restaurant Group executive chef Brian Reyelt. / Photo provided

As the Franklin Restaurant Group puts the finishing touches on its newest Tasty Burger location in Dudley Square, it’s also putting plans in motion for a brand new concept, a Jewish deli-style restaurant in Lower Allston. Boston Restaurant Talk noticed last week they’re starting to hire for the new venture, and Franklin CEO and founding partner Dave DuBois confirmed it this morning.

Our Fathers’ Deli, as the team is calling it at this point, is in the early stages of development, but the idea is one the team has been kicking around for some time. “We feel like Boston needs this type of thing, and I think it’s an interesting type of food,” DuBois says. The restaurant industry agrees: Another Jewish deli concept, Mamaleh’s Delicatessen, is in the works in Kendall Square, courtesy of the minds behind State Park and the late Hungry Mother.

DuBois, a Central Square native, grew up frequenting delis like Provisor’s Delicatessen in Newton and and Jaffe’s Pick-a-Chick in Brookline. “Boston used to be a much stronger deli town, not too long ago,” he says. The concept comes from the entire team, which includes DuBois’ partners Maureen McLaughin and Phil Audino, and Franklin Group executive chef Brian Reyelt.

Menu meetings have yet to begin, but “in general, it’s going to be a lot of familiar deli fare: You’ll see great pastrami, corned beef, brisket, smoked fishes, that kind of thing,” DuBois says. It will be a sit-down restaurant with an outdoor patio and a full bar. A beverage director is one of the positions the Franklin Group is currently seeking, but DuBois says to expect a wine list with ample kosher options. In addition to craft cocktails that reflect the food menu, there will be a some form of a make-your-own soda program, too.

DuBois confirmed Our Fathers’ Deli will go into the newly-built Continuum development on Harvard Street, as Eater Boston pinpointed. DuBois declined to get more specific about the storefront, but Continuum has retail spaces ranging from 1,000-21,000 square feet, per its website. With the building’s proximity to Cambridge and the demographics of that area, there will also be a takeaway aspect that’s still under discussion, as well as a catering arm.

“We’re big believers in Lower Allston. We looked years ago to put a Tasty Burger where the pizza place is [Stone Hearth]. It has great neighborhood organizations, and eclectic group of people, a mix of multigenerational [families] and people moving down there. It’s got a lot of energy,” DuBois says.

“[Businesses] that go into Allston wants to be sort of in the thick of it, moving toward to the Brookline side of things. We want to be in the neighborhood that’s emerging,” he continues. “Like Fenway: The truth is, Fenway was already a pretty solid neighborhood with lots of residential units in it [when Tasty Burger and Citizen Public House opened there in 2010]. We always like neighborhoods that are growing and expanding, but are still great versions of themselves … At the end of the day, we’re a neighborhood restaurant group. That’s our philosophy, no matter what we’re doing. And what’s more neighborhood than a deli?”

The timeline for Our Fathers’ Deli is still in flux, but the job listing suggests a late summer debut. In other Franklin Restaurant Group news, the Dudley Square Tasty Burger is securing its final permits and will open within the next couple weeks. Tasty Burger’s first expansion outside Massachusetts, a restaurant in the Shaw neighborhood of Washington D.C., could open by late spring.