How A Street Hospitality Is Raising the Bar in Modern Dining

A Street Hospitality is one of New England’s most dynamic and design-forward restaurant groups, known for its standout culinary and beverage programs at La Padrona, Trade, Porto, The Venetian, and Saloniki Greek.

We sat down with Co-Founder and CEO Eric Papachristos to learn more about the vision behind the group, what’s fueling its award-winning bar scene, and what’s next as the brand continues to expand.

Eric, you’ve built A Street Hospitality into one of Boston and Greater New England’s most respected restaurant groups. What first drew you to the hospitality industry and how has your philosophy around beverage programs evolved as you’ve grown as a restaurateur?

Hospitality started for me at a very young age. I was washing dishes in my dad’s restaurant, learning the rhythm of the business before I fully understood what it meant. When I went to college, I started bartending at Mercury Bar in Boston which is a busy, high-volume restaurant where I spent eight years behind the bar. That’s really where my career took shape.

Working in that environment quickly teaches you how important beverages are, not just to the guest experience, but to the business itself. Back then the bar was filled with orders for Pink Ladies and White Russians — classic drinks that have since evolved into something far more technical and refined. Today we’re working with boutique spirits, serious wine programs, and cocktails that require real craft and creativity. Having watched that shift happen over time, beverage has always remained a fundamental pillar in how we build our restaurants.

Boston’s dining scene has changed dramatically over the past decade. How do you see A Street Hospitality’s role in shaping the city’s cocktail and beverage culture?

We feel incredibly fortunate that several of our restaurants have become part of the fabric of Boston’s dining scene. What I’m most proud of is how much personality from our teams comes through in our beverage programs.

In many of our restaurants, beverage accounts for 40–45 percent of total sales, so it’s never treated as secondary to the kitchen. It demands the same level of thought, creativity, and discipline. Ultimately, everything comes back to how we make guests feel when they walk through the door, and the bar plays a huge role in setting that tone.

For readers who haven’t yet visited your restaurants, how would you describe the thread that connects the beverage identity across your different concepts?

Every restaurant we open begins with a story. Usually it’s inspired by a moment in our lives, a place we’ve traveled, or something that has captured our imagination at that time. The food and beverage programs grow naturally from that idea.

Trade is a great example. When we opened it 15 years ago, the restaurant was rooted in small plates and farm-driven cooking, so the beverage program reflected that style of dining. Over time, as we’ve traveled more and our perspective has expanded, the restaurant evolved into a more modern Greek expression. Those experiences shape both the food and the drinks. Our goal is always to bring those influences back and share them with our guests.

Beverage Philosophy & Program

When your team is developing a new cocktail menu, what’s the starting point?

It usually begins as a conversation. We sit down with our beverage managers and talk about what’s exciting them — whether it’s a spirit, an ingredient, or a technique they’ve been exploring.

Before opening La Padrona, our chefs and leadership team traveled throughout Italy together, eating and drinking our way through different regions. We spent time in restaurants, wine bars, and cafés, absorbing the rhythms of Italian hospitality and the way food and drink naturally live side by side there. We brought a big piece of that experience back with us to Boston.

At the end of the day, every cocktail has to fit the restaurant it’s being served in. Just as a wine should complement a dish, a cocktail needs to feel completely at home within the menu. At La Padrona, the bar program reflects that spirit of Italian hospitality, with cocktails that naturally complement the cuisine and the overall experience.

Which spirit category or wine are you most passionate about right now?

Tequila is something I find really fascinating right now. The agricultural side of it is very cool in the way agave is cultivated and harvested combined with the incredible range of flavor profiles makes it a very compelling spirit. There’s a deep level of craftsmanship involved that I really appreciate.

How do you approach wine and beer curation alongside your cocktail programs?

Wine plays a major role in our restaurants. We spend a lot of time thinking about regions, producers, and how those wines interact with the food we’re serving. The goal is always to create a sense of place and authenticity within the dining experience.

Beer certainly has its place, but for most of our concepts it’s not the central focus. Do you see them as separate conversations or part of one cohesive vision?

For us it’s all part of the same story. Wine, cocktails, and spirits should feel connected to the restaurant’s identity. When everything is aligned, the experience becomes much more cohesive and intentional for the guest.

Wellness & Health-Conscious Approach

You’re known to be very health and wellness driven personally. How has that influenced your beverage programs and the rise of zero-proof or low-ABV cocktails?

Wellness has become more important to me over the years. I find myself spending more time at the gym and being more conscious of what I eat and drink. As life gets busier, you start to realize how much those choices matter.

I’m a big fan of the low- and zero-proof movement. It allows people to enjoy something thoughtful and complex alongside their meal without necessarily having alcohol involved. I don’t see it as a passing trend — it reflects how many people are choosing to live today.

Industry and Trends

What beverage trend do you think has real staying power and what’s one you’d be happy to see fade?

The craft of bartending and well-made cocktails absolutely has staying power. Bartenders bring a unique energy to a restaurant — it’s where my career began, and I’ll always have a deep respect for that part of the industry.

If anything fades, I wouldn’t mind seeing less emphasis on massive beer programs. Personally, I find beer harder to pair with food and it can fill guests up quickly. Cocktails and wine tend to work more naturally within the dining experience.

How do you balance giving guests what they expect while also pushing them toward something unexpected?

Classic cocktails will always have a place — people order them because they love them. But we also enjoy putting our own spin on those classics and introducing guests to something new.

Innovation is important, but it still has to feel approachable. At the end of the day, we want our restaurants to feel welcoming and familiar. Guests should know their favorites are always there, but they might also discover something new they didn’t expect to love.

Hospitality staffing and bar talent remain hot topics. What do you look for when hiring?

For us it always starts with the person. Someone behind the bar needs to be able to carry a conversation, read a room, and genuinely enjoy taking care of guests.

Beyond that, we look for curiosity and a real desire to learn. In many ways we see ourselves as stewards of the hospitality industry. Part of our responsibility is helping develop the next generation of professionals who will carry this craft forward.

Personal & Looking Ahead

What’s your go-to drink order when you’re off the clock?

A Negroni is usually my go-to. I also enjoy a good glass of Sancerre or a reposado tequila on the rocks. And when I’m traveling, especially somewhere warm, I’ll almost always order a Paloma.

What’s next for A Street Hospitality?

We’re incredibly proud that La Padrona (inside the Five-Star Raffles Hotel in Boston) has already been recognized on the New York Times list of the 50 Best Restaurants in America, named Eater’s Best New Restaurant, and is Michelin-recommended.

But we’re not slowing down anytime soon. More than ever, people are traveling for the table — food and beverage are becoming the main reason people choose a destination. We’re proud to be part of that movement and to partner with world-class hotels that understand that.

Let’s just say there’s something very exciting in the works that we’ll be able to share soon. It’s bigger, it’s bolder — but one recipe we’ll never change is the hospitality we offer. Like all of our restaurants, it will still feel like being welcomed home to your grandmother’s kitchen.

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