A variety of Boston restaurateurs and industry professionals gathered for an “Accelerate” event hosted by What Now Media Group at Gato Exotico. The event provided a valuable opportunity for Boston’s restaurant community to connect, collaborate, and share ideas on navigating today’s competitive hospitality landscape.
Gato Exotico, a vibrant new concept from the Wusong Road team located at 100 Cambridgeside Place in Cambridge, hosted the free event, bringing together dozens of representatives from businesses featured on What Now Boston. This included local restaurants and industry-leading experts from What Now Media Group’s network of Preferred Partners. Attendees networked throughout the evening before participating in conversations focused on strategies for growth, expansion, and long-term success in the restaurant industry.
The event was hosted by Mariah Medley, Director of Events and Partner Engagement at What Now Media Group, and featured a wide range of notable restaurateurs and hospitality professionals from across the Greater Boston area. Among those in attendance was Jason Doo, chef-owner of Gato Exotico, who welcomed guests into the newly unveiled Cambridge concept.
Other attendees included Ike Tzakis, owner of Descendant Detroit Style Pizza, known for its Detroit-style pies and upcoming move to Revere Beach, along with partner Alexandros Koutounidis. Bao Tran and Van Tran, co-owners of Saigonesee, were also present as they prepare to introduce Vietnamese flavors and fine robusta coffee to Weymouth.
Representatives from several expanding concepts attended the gathering, including Sada Libby-Grantham, owner of the upcoming combined Jimmy John’s and Dunkin’ location from The Pesce Network, and Lily Bonner, sales coordinator for Hilton Boston Park Plaza. So Lim Ting and Ashley Su of Ting Management Group Corp were also in attendance, representing concepts including Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao Express, Tiki Cove, and Friendship BBQ.
Additional restaurant owners included Greg Goerner, a partner at Amarin of Thailand, which is preparing to reopen in Newtonville, and Mashal Gavale, owner of Incredible India, a reimagined Indian dining destination in Waltham featuring street-food favorites and an expanded bar program.
The event also welcomed Victoria Greer and Walter Greer, co-owners of The Peach Cobbler Factory, which is opening its first New England location in Downtown Crossing. Charles Hunter, managing partner and CEO of Jazz Urbane Cafe, also attended, bringing insight into his music-driven dining-and-community concept planned for Nubian Square.
Other notable attendees included Mai Hoang, owner of Epilogue Books & Wine, a forthcoming concept blending literature, wine, and community gathering space in Natick, along with Brooks Rice, co-owner of Brooksy’s Brick Oven & Bar. August Radbill and Cody Miller of Far Out Ice Cream also joined the event as the company prepares to introduce New Zealand-style ice cream to Brighton’s Cleveland Circle.
Additional participants included Dan Lane and Katie Lane, co-owners of The Tack Room, Dale Jariwala, co-owner of Sunflower Organic Pizza, and Babak Bina, co-founder of BCB3 Hospitality, which is preparing to launch a new neighborhood pizzeria in Beacon Hill.
The evening also featured Delmy Melendez and Elmer Melendez, owners of Bandoleros Grill, which is planning a third location in Andover, as well as Gular Mirzeyeva and Onur Ozkoc of Cocobeet, the plant-based café concept expanding into Boston’s Financial District and Back Bay.
Representatives from several of What Now Media Group’s Preferred Partners attended to provide guidance and operational support for restaurant operators throughout the region. More than five Preferred Partners participated in the event, offering expertise across payroll, accounting, reservations, beverage distribution, merchant services, and restaurant technology.
From Auris HR and Payroll, Brett Boschetti and Tim Hayes connected with operators to discuss payroll and HR solutions that help restaurants streamline internal operations and improve efficiency. Paul Nickerson from Global Payments shared insights into point-of-sale and merchant service solutions tailored specifically for restaurant operators looking to improve guest experiences and simplify payment processing.
Additional Preferred Partners included Jason Hirth of ClarkHirth, who discussed accounting and CPA services for growing hospitality businesses, and Emma Bergeron from Keurig Dr. Pepper, who spoke with attendees about beverage distribution solutions for restaurants and cafés. Representatives from OpenTable, including Barrett Goldsmith, Jason Longo, and Amy Canepa, were also on hand to discuss reservation management tools and guest engagement strategies.
Other industry professionals in attendance included Andrew Decker and Maximino Reyes from Prudential Overall Supply, which provides uniform and linen services for hospitality businesses, along with Eric Bochinski of Restaurant Technologies, Inc., who shared insights into automated cooking oil management systems designed to improve kitchen safety and operational efficiency. Harold Smith from SpotOn also met with attendees to discuss restaurant-focused POS and merchant service technologies.
The restaurant owners and industry-leading experts from What Now Media Group’s network of Preferred Partners shared valuable insights, operational highlights, and expert advice, creating an engaging and informative evening that was both enriching and beneficial for all attendees.
This led Mariah Medley to carry the conversation even deeper by discussing critical business points, such as having an exit plan and efficiently managing operations after expanding to multiple locations. After Mariah and the guests shared their tips, knowledge, and concerns, everyone became quickly interested in learning more about their businesses and how they could help one another.
This event served as a valuable platform for both restaurant owners and industry partners to collaborate, brainstorm, and form new connections. It’s clear that the Boston restaurant community is eager to continue innovating and evolving, and What Now Media Group’s Accelerate events provide the perfect space for these conversations.
What Now Media Group shares restaurant opening news in 33 cities across North America, breaking news, and provides timely insight into yet-to-open brick-and-mortar businesses. The platform shares news of thousands of openings across all 33 cities annually.
The industry-leading experts in What Now Media Group’s network of Preferred Partners help new businesses open and existing businesses grow.
Stay tuned for future Accelerate events from What Now Media Group in 2026. For more details, see the Accelerate page here.
Click here for a complete list of our partners. To learn more about becoming a preferred partner, click here.
