Bondir Concord Could Open in Early November

Bondir's Concord expansion is about "five weeks out," owner/chef Jason Bond tells Eater, which puts the opening around early November. This week, tiles are being placed and things are being painted, the liquor license is "good to go," and Bond is making tweaks to the menu. He's also made some recent hires for both locations. Cambridge sous chef Rachel Miller will move to the new restaurant, and Jade E. Boyd will take over as sous chef in Cambridge. Boyd is an alum of Island Creek Oyster Bar, one of the masterminds behind the Supper Y'all pop-up dinners, and a "Southern lady and a skilled chef" who "makes a pretty amazing interpretation of a classic dining hall concept," says Bond, calling her a "perfect hire" due to "her drive and finesse."

Also in Cambridge, Marc Sheehan has been on the job as chef de cuisine for a couple weeks; he previously spoke with Eater about this plans at Bondir and the future of his own pop-up, Brasstacks. Vicky Hong (Oishii, Meritage) has also just begun as Cambridge GM.

In Concord, Bond has hired Kate Grogan as GM; they previously worked together at Burdick Chocolate in New Hampshire. Bond's "sweetie," Monica Higgins, who spent nearly the last two decades as events director at Boston Athenaeum, is also on the team.

Last December, Bond spoke with Eater about his decision to add a new location, and the key factor was taking care of the Bondir family at a level that a single nine-table restaurant couldn't provide. His inspiration was the Formaggio Kitchen model, where he worked in the late 90s; it's a place where adults can make a career with all the necessary bits, like health insurance and benefits.

Concord was chosen partly due to its "history" and "prettiness," and it's also a good fit for the Bondir focus on seasonal, locally sourced ingredients. As for even more locations? At least back in December, Bond had "no real plans to take over the world" by expanding again.
· All coverage of Bondir on Eater [~EBOS~]