{"id":4398,"date":"2026-07-06T13:07:37","date_gmt":"2026-07-06T13:07:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=4398"},"modified":"2026-07-06T13:07:37","modified_gmt":"2026-07-06T13:07:37","slug":"come-back-and-try-it-again-that-could-be-time-out-markets-new-motto","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=4398","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Come back and try it again.\u2019 That could be Time Out Market\u2019s new motto."},"content":{"rendered":"
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Ask Steve Samuels what surprises him about going from real estate developer to restaurateur, and he doesn\u2019t hesitate: \u201cEverything.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more FIFA lifts US star striker\u2019s red card suspension at World Cup after Trump calls FIFA president, news outlets report<\/a><\/p>\n

Samuels \u2014 best known for bringing offices, apartments, and retail to the Fenway \u2014 stepped in to rescue the neighborhood\u2019s Time Out Market in late January. The food hall was on the verge of closing until he took over the lease (with a not-so-subtle nudge from me).<\/span><\/p>\n

Turns out what vendors want most from a new operator issomeone who cares aboutmore than just the bottom line. In Samuels, they now have someone focused on keeping the neighborhood vibrant and finding a way for the food hall to play a big role in that. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cThe motivation is very different,\u201d said Pajo Bruich, president of Umami Riot Experience, the restaurant group for Tim and Nancy Cushman\u2019s concepts that include the food hall\u2019s Gogo Ya and Ms. Clucks Deluxe Chicken & Dumplings. \u201cThe way that they\u2019re approaching this is very much … tell us what needs to be done differently.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

After operating Time Out for a few months, Samuels doesn\u2019t pretend to know all the answers. On a recent walkthrough, Samuels seemed more at ease talking about the building the food hall occupies \u2014 the old Sears, Roebuck & Co. warehouse he bought in 2011 to redevelop. He brought in Time Out as a tenant in 2019 before selling the complex, long known as Landmark Center, two years later to Alexandria Real Estate Equities for $1.52 billion.<\/span><\/p>\n

But Samuels is someone who knows what he doesn\u2019t know. Which explains why he recruited hospitality guru Matthias Kiehm early on to help turn around Time Out Market. It marks Kiehm\u2019s return to the food hall; the consultant helped open Time Out locations in the US but since then, all \u2013 except the ones in Boston and New York \u2013 have shuttered.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo now Miami\u2019s gone, Chicago\u2019s gone,\u201d acknowledged Kiehm, \u201cand Boston, we will bring back to life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Time Out wasn\u2019t always struggling. It originallyopened with fanfare as Boston\u2019s first true food hall, but six months later the pandemic hit, upending communal dining. Even as restaurants reopened and filled up again, Time Out didn\u2019t have the same buzz as other food halls opened across the city. <\/span><\/p>\n

And as the years went by, vendors sensed that parent company Time Out Group, which also publishes city nightlife guides, struggled with its food hall business. Vendors told the Globe that revenue at the Boston market fell 20 percent last year, and that management lacked vision.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now it\u2019s up to Samuels to figure that out as he manages the food hall through a licensing agreement with Time Out. After Kiehm met with all 14 restaurants and two bars, he implemented a slew of changes, many of them subtle but key to the food hall\u2019s long-term survival. <\/span><\/p>\n

Chief among them: freshening up menus, lowering prices, upgrading the payment system, and adding food delivery via platforms like Uber Eats and Grubhub. Perhaps more noticeable is the programming: music classes for kids, thrift shop pop-ups, live music, mahjong, and World Cup watch parties.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe idea is for everybody to remember how much fun and festive this was in the very beginning,\u201d said Samuels. \u201cCome back and try it again because it\u2019s better now.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more Trump rings Wall Street\u2019s opening bells as he ties his presidency to stock market gains<\/a><\/p>\n

I was one of those people who came in 2019 after it opened. The food was good, but the prices felt high: $16 for a burger, even if it was from Chef Tony Maws of Craigie on Main. (He left the market a year later during the pandemic.)<\/span><\/p>\n

When the novelty wore off, I didn\u2019t return until recently \u2014 first to meet up with Samuels and his team on a weekday afternoon, and then again with my family for dinner on a Saturday night. <\/span><\/p>\n

The day I caught up with Samuels, the food hall was hopping before a Sox game, but quieted after fans left. On the weekend, girl band Les Femmes played Madonna and other cover songs, making for a lively atmosphere, even though the place was only half full. I was impressed by the diverse crowd: couples, college kids, a girls\u2019 night out group, and families ranging from kids in strollers to teenagers like mine. <\/span><\/p>\n

You go to a food hall because there\u2019s something for everyone, and it\u2019s reasonably priced. Time Out satisfies different food cravings from Asian to Mexican, and now prices are in line with other fast-casual options, from a $15 beef bowl at Blue Ribbon BBQ to a $16 chicken parm pasta from POE-Lenta.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kiehm has been meticulous with changes and has a keen sense of what patrons want, having helped the Edgerleys develop the popular Back Bay social club The \u2018Quin House. <\/span><\/p>\n

These days Kiehm thinks customers want high quality at a good value. He\u2019s tasted all 150 menu items at the food hall and pushed for lower prices, even on beer, wine, and cocktails. Next up: lunch specials. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere are two ways of doing things in order to generate more revenue,\u201d said Kiehm. \u201cSome people raise prices and think the revenue goes up. Some people drop prices and think the revenue goes up. I like the latter.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Samuels said the food hall isn\u2019t making money yet, and ultimately, Time Out\u2019s success depends on attracting as many customers as possible: residents, office workers, families, tourists, Sox fans, and more. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s too soon to say where it ends up,\u201d said Ian Calhoun, who runs Cusser\u2019s Roast Beef & Seafood in the market, an offshoot of his Back Bay restaurant Mooncusser Fish House.\u201cBut the difference between having an operator who\u2019s just looking for the last few cents and an operator who sees Time Out as part of the neighborhood is a huge difference.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

But Samuels can\u2019t do this alone. For all those who wanted Time Out Market to be saved, now\u2019s the time to show up and be part of its second chance. <\/span><\/p>\n

Read more Could downtown Boston\u2019s McCormack courthouse become housing?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Developer Steve Samuels is breathing new life into the Fenway food hall with new menus, lower prices, and live music.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4397,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4398","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business"],"yoast_head":"\n\u2018Come back and try it again.\u2019 That could be Time Out Market\u2019s new motto. - Boston Relocation Insider<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=4398\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u2018Come back and try it again.\u2019 That could be Time Out Market\u2019s new motto. - 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