Lynch’s next act will look quite different from the one he’s leaving. After years of building independent restaurants in the South End, where rising rents and other financial pressures hurt the economics of his business, he’s joining forces with COJE, a hospitality group with deep pockets that’s built some of Boston’s most conspicuous dining rooms. The shift underscores a growing tension in Boston’s restaurant scene: As the costs of operating become increasingly prohibitive, some chefs are partnering with larger, better-capitalized groups instead of going it alone.
Lynch’s cooking has helped shape Boston’s dining scene for more than two decades. But as he prepared to close his South End restaurants on Jan. 1, including Bar Mezzana, tropical lounge Shore Leave, and sushi hideaway No Relation, he wondered about his next move. The conversation at Jamison’s steakhouse and speakeasy The Zebra Room would change Lynch’s mind about walking away from Boston.
The pair’s new downtown projects, whose details have not previously been public, will occupy approximately 26,000 square feet across three levels of 10 Post Office Square, a former bank building constructed in 1924 that also hosts two other COJE locations, My Girl and Mariel. Leomatto will occupy the upper two floors, with capacity for 450 people. The NoX, opening in the basement as a private club, will accommodate 340 people, including about 100 dining seats in the building’s old money vault.
Chef Colin Lynch outside 10 Post Office Square, where he will run the kitchens for COJE Management Group’s new restaurant and private, members-only club.Josh Jamison
Leomatto is expected to open in the first quarter of next year, followed shortly by The NoX. The ground floor will also house a cafe serving Italian coffee, pastries, and sandwiches during breakfast and lunch.
Jamison declined to disclose the cost of this project, which he’s had in the works for two years. He calls it “by far, by a long shot, the most capital-intensive and the biggest investment we’ve made.” COJE also operates Yvonne’s, Mr. H, Lolita Cocina & Tequila bars, and Coquette, among other venues.
With The NoX, Jamison is looking to tap into the vibe that’s fueled the success of private social clubs like The ’Quin House, which opened in the Back Bay in 2021. Jamison, himself a ’Quin member, said The NoX will feature multiple dining rooms and bars, a wine room, and lounge and entertainment spaces.
Membership will be limited and invitation-based, though prospective members also can apply. Jamison declined to disclose the price of membership. He thinks there’s an appetite for privacy in Boston.
The original vault, with its 38-inch-thick walls, will serve as the centerpiece. He said the group envisions entrepreneurs, founders, business leaders, and creators gathering there, along with professionals who’ve built careers in Boston’s technology, medical, and other industries.
For Lynch, the new gig is his latest high-end opportunity. After leaving Barbara Lynch’s group (before its spectacular unraveling), Lynch spent more than a decade building his own restaurant business — the Traveler Street Hospitality group — with his wife, Heather Lynch, and business partner Jefferson Macklin. Now he’ll lead both The NoX and Leomatto as executive chef, working alongside COJE’s chief culinary director, Tom Berry.
Lynch and Berry are in the early stages of menu development. Leomatto, Lynch said, will explore Sicily’s centuries of cultural exchange, particularly culinary influences that arrived through the spice trade. Dishes will draw from across Southern Italy and incorporate flavors and ingredients associated with North Africa and Spain.
“We can have a little more fun and a little more leeway with it,” Lynch said. “It’s not just a red sauce joint. It’s not just pasta.”
Downstairs, The NoX will be inspired by Itameshi, a Japanese reinterpretation of Italian cuisine.
Chris Jamison, the chief executive officer of COJE Management Group, inside 10 Post Office Square in Boston, which will soon become a two-level Italian restaurant and private members-only club.Josh Jamison
The partnership comes as Boston’s restaurant operators contend with rising rents, growing labor costs, and stiff competition from national chains and well-funded hospitality groups barreling into the market. Jamison sees his new project as an opportunity to make a significant investment in the city as some of its most beloved restaurants are disappearing.
“In a way, it’s kind of incumbent on us to do something special right now to show the rest that Boston’s still here,” Jamison said. “We’ve been doing these things for 10, 15, 20 years, and we know what makes this city tick and what’s great.”
He noted that he’s been a longtime fan of Colin Lynch. “I think all of us have,” he said. “He’s helped define Boston’s culinary identity. Now we have this chance with him.”
Haley Fortier, who owns the haley.henry wine bar downtown, said Lynch helped enliven parts of the South End, especially the Ink Block area. “That was kind of a dead zone for so many years.”
“He’s going to be a great addition to our neighborhood,” said Fortier, who opened the wine bar a decade ago. “He’s definitely a trailblazer and could bring in people that follow him that maybe necessarily never go to Downtown Crossing.”
This moment marks a significant pivot for Lynch, after a difficult period for his restaurant portfolio. Traveler Street Hospitality also closed its Allston pizzeria, FiDo, in June. But Black Lamb, the group’s South End brasserie, will remain open, and he and his wife will remain partners there.
Lynch acknowledged the financial realities behind his closures, including the rising rents he would have faced at Bar Mezzana if he’d signed another lease with his landlord, National Development.
“It’s a decision based on resigning the lease and whether we thought it was prudent,” he said at the time. “The new lease would have entailed a strain on the business. We would have limped along. Leases go up. It’s not like we didn’t see it coming.”
After announcing the closures in July, Lynch began meeting with people across the industry to figure out what would come next. He considered taking his talents to the North Shore or heading to Cape Cod. But having grown up on the North Shore and spent more than 25 years living and cooking in Boston, Lynch said he still feels a responsibility to the city and its restaurant industry.
“There still needs to be a great representation of people that grew up here and that know this place,” Lynch said. “We need to make sure that we’re holding our own.”
Alexa Gagosz can be reached at alexa.gagosz@globe.com. Follow her @alexagagosz and on Instagram @AlexaGagosz.
Dining and Cooking