When I studied abroad in London, in 2010, at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a.k.a. Boston University London, PAUL, across from the Gloucester Road Tube Station, became my go-to, anywhere between four and nine times per week. You bet I’ll be in the line, Black Friday style, when it opens in Boston.
According to a press release, PAUL will set up its flagship Boston cafe at One Boston Place, on Washington Street, site of the former Four Green Fields restaurant.
Well, I am equal parts ecstatic and terrified. Daily cappuccinos and breakfast quiche weren’t “slimming.” But I wasn’t thinking straight. I’m still seeing a Buddhist about it. But, I digress.
The Boston flagship will feature two levels, and 6,000 square feet of deliciousness. A $2 million renovation of the site will include an outdoor patio. Expect PAUL to open next summer.
More than a dozen PAUL’s are expected to open in Greater Boston, across seven additional locations by 2016.
This is PAUL’s latest foray into the US market. Established in the Croix, France, in 1889, Paul is now an international chain with nearly 500 locations, including D.C., Florida and Virginia locations.
“I am pleased to welcome PAUL to Downtown Crossing,” Mayor Tom Menino said, in a statement. “I have no doubt that PAUL will not only seamlessly blend with our traditionally historic city, but also continue to enhance Downtown Crossing’s growing culinary and fresh food landscape.”
Yours truly, agrees. *Pens apology to the Dunk.*
On Friday, Menino joined Philippe Sanchez, PAUL’s President and CEO, and the Boston Redevelopment Authority’s director of business development, Randi Lathrop, for an 11 a.m. groundbreaking.
Sidebar: A Quiche Lorraine – a breakfast pastry stuffed with bacon, eggs, ham and Emmental cheese – paired with a cappuccino, maybe an additional macaroon for the road, is what you need to order. If you’re feelin’ lunch, go with the Croque-Madame or Monsieur, or perhaps a traditional ham and cheese sandwich. Fine, maybe French Onion Soup, for when it’s cold.
