BONAPITA Brings 125 Years of Baking Tradition to West Roxbury
By Jonathan Pappas
When chef entrepreneur Ilan Barniv was scouting locations for his first restaurant venture in 2013, he walked into 49 Franklin St. near Downtown Crossing, and instantly knew this was where he would open BONAPITA, a healthy Mediterranean-inspired bakery and grill.
The space, which had been vacant for over 10 years before Barniv opened in May 2014, is a historic site that once served as home to Boston’s first Catholic church (The Holy Cross Church) designed by renowned architect Charles Bulfinch.
“It’s pretty dark when you walk into the building because there are no windows,” said Barniv. “But then I saw light coming from the back and envisioned that’s where the kitchen would be. The kitchen would be the light at the end of the tunnel.”
Nearly six years later, BONAPITA has fast become one of the City’s most popular quick-service lunch spots, accommodating over 200 guests per hour, and average 500 a day, that include office workers, tourists and the occasional international celebrity.
Chef Ilan Barniv
“The healthy Mediterranean diet is not a diet,” said Barniv. “It’s a way of life. That’s why everything on the menu we make from scratch in our kitchens. From the pita, to the hummus, to the pickles, to the sauces. Everything we cook is made fresh every day.”
Last month, BONAPITA celebrated its one-year anniversary since opening its second location on 77 Spring Street in West Roxbury.
“West Roxbury was a perfect location for us because we wanted to bring our healthy eating concept to a family-friendly environment,” said Barniv. “This neighborhood is growing fast. There’s new residential construction everywhere on Centre Street. Young families are moving here in record numbers.”
Unlike the downtown location (open from 11:00-3:00pm), BONAPITA’s West Roxbury branch (open from 11:00-8:00pm) offers guests an intimate dining experience while keeping a bit of Boston’s history alive. The original lamps and lighting fixtures from the old Holy Cross Church hang from the ceiling and metal art hangs above the windows.
With a new surround sound system, full espresso bar, ice cream station, kids menu and plans to open for breakfast in March (including introducing a new kids’ menu), demand for the Israeli-born chef’s nutritious Mediterranean cuisine has spread fast.
Perhaps it should come as no surprise though; baking has run in Barniv’s family for nearly 125 years. “It’s in my blood,” he explained.
BONAPITA’s West Roxbury location is 77 Spring Street in the Star Market Plaza.
In 1896, Barniv’s great-great-grandfather, Moshe Dov Lendner, built a house over a working well in Old Jerusalem. He moved his family to the second-floor apartment and built a small oven on the first floor. Using clean water from the well to make fresh challah each day, slowly but surely, more and more neighbors began to trickle in asking for bread. It wasn’t long before Lendner Bakery opened, and instantly became a hit in the town.
“It really doesn’t get much fresher than that,” reflected Barniv who discovered his passion for baking during those early childhood years working in his family’s bakery. In fact, the name Bonapita is a blend of the bread he grew up baking combined with the French phrase “Bon Appétit” (or “good appetite”), meaning “That’s a good pita.”
View a short video here to learn the art of bread-making at Ilan’s 123-year-old family bakery in Jerusalem.
“It’s in my blood.”
Ilan moved to America in August 2001 to attend culinary school at Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island. After graduating with an MBA in 2003, he began managing three restaurants and a bakery in Providence named Daily Bread Bakery.
When that business was sold in 2010, Barniv began working on his business plan for BONAPITA.“I always knew I wanted to open my own restaurant that inspired people to eat healthy for an affordable price,” said Barniv. To make ends meet until he was ready for launch, he worked as a private chef and catered for businesses and private functions.
“Growing up, I was exposed to many different types of flavors, spices and cooking techniques because Israel is a melting pot of Mediterranean cultures,” continued Barniv. “I tried lots of different recipes when I had my catering business to see what people liked. It was basically my Bonapita test kitchen.”
From fan favorite Chicken a la Plancha (marinated overnight in BONAPITA's spice mix, roasted and cooked on a blazing hot plancha) to the Chickpea Zucchini Falafel, there are delicious options for everyone. Barniv may have opened BONAPITA to inspire healthy eating, but his larger goal is to help underserved people and build community.
“When you have a mission, nothing can stop you.”
Bonapita’s Downtown Boston location on 49 Franklin Street is located in the former location of The Holy Cross Church designed by renowned architect Charles Bulfinch.
He partners with JVS Boston, one of the largest workforce development organizations dedicated to empowering individuals from diverse communities to find employment and build careers in New England, to attract talent. One of his employees, for example, lived in an African refugee camp for seven years. He also offers job opportunities to high school and college students interested in learning more about the art of baking. In addition, he gives away any extra food leftover from the day to Pine Street Inn, a homeless shelter.
With two restaurants, over 30 employees and a busy catering department, Barniv plans to continue spreading his message of inspiring people to live a healthy lifestyle. He’s already partnering with hospitals and universities to bring BONAPITA’s food menu into their cafeterias.
“My next initiative is to partner with local elementary schools because I believe that it’s critical to educate young kids early on about the importance of a highly nutritious diet,” said Barniv. “When you have a mission, nothing can stop you.”
Seemingly, the light at the end of the tunnel continues to grow brighter for Ilan and his ever-increasing following.