Spotlight on Success: Innovations, Culinary Triumphs, Tourism Trends, and Milestones

On today’s program, we talk to the CEO of Martha’s Vineyard Hospital about groundbreaking new housing for their critically important employees. We chat with an executive from the Chatham Bars Inn in Chatham about their waterfront restaurant being named the best in the country. We speak with Martha Sheridan CEO of Meet Boston about declining numbers of international visitors. The Managing Editor of the Boston Business Journal brings us up to speed on who is speaking at this year‘s college commencements.  And finally the owner of Davio‘s restaurant Steve DiFillippo shares his thoughts about their 40th anniversary.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the New England Business Report with Joe short
Sleeve and Kim Carragan, a weekly round up and discussion
of the top business news impacting our New England economy.

Speaker 2 (00:09):
And good morning and welcome to the New England Business Report.
On this Sunday morning. It would be May of the
fourth or first show in Maine. Joke Shorts lived here
with Kim Carragin.

Speaker 3 (00:21):
How are you, Kim?

Speaker 4 (00:22):
I'm doing great. Thanks? How are you?

Speaker 3 (00:23):
Joe? Good?

Speaker 2 (00:24):
You know, hanging in there, and you know, I know
the rain. We've been having the rain, but the weather's
been improving, and I guess we've had, you know, some
glimpses of summer here and there.

Speaker 4 (00:32):
Teases when I look out and I see how the
leaves have just popped on the trees. This past unique
when we had those beautiful days. You know, that gives
you a lot of hope. You can see it right
around the corner.

Speaker 2 (00:44):
We are dishing out hope. Okay, So interesting story as
we talk about summer. I mean, this next story is
about Martha's vineyard. No, it's not necessarily about you know,
summer on Martha's vineyard, but it's a story that well,
the globes done and Kim, you know, are actually arranged
for it, and it's it's basically about Martha's Vineyard Hospital.

(01:05):
And something Kim and I have talked about year after
year after year is how tough housing is every mine
in the Cape, but on Martha's Vinyard, Nantucket and that
night you have like hospitals and school teachers who you
know are commuting, you know, on the ferry. Right, and anyway,
Martha's Nyard Hospital has now spent some thirty eight million
dollars to build forty eight units for their staff.

Speaker 3 (01:28):
A fascinating story, Kim.

Speaker 4 (01:29):
It really is, and it's really indicative of what's sort
of happening in that whole area, you know, like you
were just saying, you know, a lot of these municipal
workers and even seasonal workers, they are priced out of
places to stay, which is certainly hurting the economy on
those those islands. So it's a it's a great story.

Speaker 2 (01:48):
Yeah, And we're gonna be talking about the CEO, Denise
or Chappishia and this program shortly. And also we're going
to go to Chatham, right and we're going to talk
with Courtney Lowe, the vice president there. For marketing at
the Chatham Bars in of course, the five star resort,
and they got a real nice surprise over the past
week or so. The Beach House Grill, and I've been there,

(02:09):
was just named wait for it, USA Today best waterfront
restaurant in the country. Now, I assume you've been.

Speaker 3 (02:17):
There, Kim.

Speaker 4 (02:18):
I have been there, and it is a great location.
It's just the most peaceful, beautiful spot, and the food
is terrific too. I always go, what kind of spot
is it? First? You know, But you know what I
think is so interesting, Joe, if you looked at some
of the rest of the list, waterfront didn't just mean
you had to be on the ocean. It's got to
just be facing water.

Speaker 3 (02:38):
That's it. I noticed a river was in there. California. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (02:42):
Yeah. But the Beach House Grill one more coming. I
think it's interesting about it. It's a seasonal restaurant. I mean,
they don't even open for lunch until next week. So
I was curious about that USA Today picking a seasonal location,
but the location is so killer.

Speaker 3 (02:56):
I guess it doesn't matter, Kim.

Speaker 4 (02:57):
Absolutely. He taking a look at the second half of
the show to day, Martha Sheridan is going to be
our guest. She's the president and CEO of Meet Boston.
You'll remember that last week we had a tour operator
out of Canada who joined us, and he said that
he's not booking any tours for Boston for that matter,
you know, for here in the States this year, and
if he is, it's very limited. He was blaming it on,

(03:18):
you know, the administration's annexing of Canada to be the
fifty first stid immigration issues, and of course tariffs. So
we're going to speak to Martha Stewart or Martha Stewart,
Martha Sheridan about the impact that this may have on
tourism here in Massachusetts and most specifically in Boston as

(03:38):
we approach the all important tourists.

Speaker 2 (03:41):
Yeah, I mean, she penned a pretty strong editorial there
in the Boston Business Journal about this topic. So interesting
to talk to Martha.

Speaker 4 (03:48):
Speaking of the Boston Business Journal, Managing editor Don Seffert's
going to be our guest, and he's going to talk
to us about some of the stories that maybe you
missed this week and some of the big stories as
far as he's concerned, including on this the subject of tariffs,
what it may cost for the beer industry. So if
you're somebody who loves a good cold beer on the

(04:08):
beach in the summer, hey, keep yourself ready for this story.
And finally, one of my favorite local restaurants, but it's
not local anymore. I mean, you know, it's in multiple states.
Davio's is what we're talking about. And the president and
CEO of Davio's, Steve d. Philippo, is going to be
our guest today. They are celebrating forty years in business.

(04:30):
And Steve bought it back in the eighties and it
has just exploded since then. It was a little family
owned restaurant that he bought in Back Bay, you know.

Speaker 2 (04:38):
Oh yeah, no question about it, you know. And I'm
not saying this because Steve's on the program. I'm honestly not.
I mean, but Davio's was always one of my favorite
spots in Boston, and again it does go back to
that nineteen eighties location on Newbury Street. I went there
with a buddy I think back in eighty five or
eighty six, whatever it was, and I was like, wow,
this is a great place. And then of course Steve Philippo,

(04:59):
will you know, purchase now? I was trying to count
up his locations, and I think I came up with
eleven Kim right.

Speaker 4 (05:05):
He's in Virginia, and in Texas, and in Atlanta, Georgia,
and in Pennsylvania, and then of course all the locations
that he has here in New England. So it's a
great restaurant. I love it. I love that open kitchen concept,
which he was the one who started that. But he's
also a chef, so it'll be a terrific to welcome
him and hear about that fortieth celebration. All right, Joe,

(05:28):
let's get started this morning, though, on a story that
you and I, as you mentioned off the top of
the show, have reported on for a lot of years.
Business owners and government leaders on both the Cape and
the Islands have been struggling to find affordable housing for
employees who make that area their home, but they're being
priced out of the market. Now there's one employer on
Martha's Vineyard that's come up with a wonderful idea, And

(05:51):
it was announced just a couple of weeks ago that
the hospital on Martha's Vineyard has broken ground on a
new apartment building in hopes of retaining a large enough
staff to sustain essential functions there at the hospital. We
are joined by the hospital's president. This is Denise Shapizi
and Denise, so great to have you with us this morning.

Speaker 5 (06:10):
Thank you, so great to be with you.

Speaker 4 (06:12):
You know you told the Globe that this building is
going to be the highlight of your career. Explain to
us why that's the case.

Speaker 5 (06:22):
Well, let me clarify that it's more than one building,
and it is a series of buildings which comprises a
whole compound. And I think this is what makes it
so exciting, is that I like to describe this as
a village within the village. Why I'm so proud of
this is that we are building our brand new nursing

(06:46):
home on the same property, and surrounding the nursing home
buildings will be individual buildings that house a total of
forty eight dwellings forty eight apartments. There are combinations of townhouses, duplexus,
and single bedroom apartments totally seventy six bedrooms altogether. The

(07:10):
hospital's not new to housing. We've always had leases. We've
had right now, we have over one hundred and thirty
leases from people that own homes here on the island
or have rentals and the need for more housing is
just increased. So when the idea of replacing our thirty

(07:30):
year old nursing home came up and we saw this
parsonal land that could hold both the nursing home and
the housing, the whole idea was born. And that's what
makes it so exciting.

Speaker 2 (07:41):
Denise, I'm curious in the Globe they also allude to,
and I'm sure this is true, the critical functions that
were at stake here without this type of long term arrangement,
what was it danger at the Martha's Neyard Hospital without
a project like this, Well.

Speaker 5 (07:57):
You know, being a critical access hospital seven miles out
to see you can imagine what it's like to try
to recruit for the only hospital and largest employer on
the island. And you know, there's always a challenge for staffing,
particularly in the summer months when the island population swells
to over one hundred thousand residents a day or visitors

(08:19):
a day. And what happened after the pandemic is the
year round population increased. It increased by eight percent, and
it increased by twenty five percent since the last census
in twenty ten. And so the year round population with
an age of one out of three being over sixty five.

(08:41):
The demandand on the hospital increased also exponentially. Unfortunately, the
market price for housing went up. The average the median
housing costs in twenty nineteen was seven hundred and nineteen
thousand dollars. Right now the median is one point five million.
And so you know, the hospital requires all kinds of staff,

(09:03):
from housekeepers to skilled nursing, to nurses, to doctors and
everything in between. Our median income is eighty thousand dollars
a year, which is higher than the median income for
Dukes County. But that would allow an employee to affoord
or mortgage of three hundred and forty thousand dollars. Well,
we knew that just wasn't sustainable. And so you know,

(09:24):
we have five hundred full time equivalence here at the hospital,
which is about nine hundred people at peak time during
the summer, and so we have to house a lot
of the employees, especially the travel staff. More people would
come to live and stay on the island if they
had affordable housing. So that's why we've made the commitment.

Speaker 4 (09:43):
Well, so many incredible facts that you just shared with us,
I mean, just the fact that the median price of
a house has gone from in the sevens to one
point five an million is incredible. Let's talk a little
bit if we could. I know, this has been sixty
years in the making, since you know these stats that
you just shared with us. My understanding is it's you're
in thirty eight million dollars so far. Where is the

(10:05):
price tag going to end and where is that money
coming from.

Speaker 5 (10:08):
We're pretty fixed at the thirty eight million, and we
have raised most of that money for the house has
come from philanthropy. We have had a leadership campaign where
we have just had an amazing support, amazing support from
a lot of the seasonal community, people that understand, you know,

(10:30):
the need for this hospital, the importance of the hospital
for whether it's with them their families, that grandchildren, and
how what an important staple An Island hospital is. And
we have been fortunate to raise almost ninety percent of
the thirty million dollar goal that we had from a
capital campaign by eighty nine donors. Eighty nine donors, so

(10:55):
we have more seep gift between five million, you know,
all the way down to five dollars, but people have
really given and poured out support for this and then
right now mash Demo Brigham. Our company is you know,
cash flowing this as we raise the money, and so

(11:15):
it's allowed us to have the buildings be built on
time and on schedule.

Speaker 2 (11:21):
With a Denise SHAPIZI, she's the CEO of Martha's Vineyard Hospital,
we're talking about a forty eight unit apartment building that
they're building at a cost of thirty eight million dollars
there to project six years in the making that house
critical staff. You know, I guess Denise, you know it
taken you many, many years to get here today, and
I guess you know the question as a reporter, I asked, Okay,

(11:43):
does this solve your problem?

Speaker 5 (11:45):
It's a tip of the iceberg. So it's you know,
as I said, we have one hundred and thirty one
leases already and you know, so we're going to have
to still keep some of those leased properties. And you know,
I'd love to do enough on one of these days,
but uh, you know, land is scarce since we uh

(12:05):
will finish this one and see what happens.

Speaker 4 (12:08):
Sure, Denise, talk about how you're going to choose the renters.
You're going to choose their residents.

Speaker 5 (12:15):
So we're gonna we'll have a lottery system. We will.
We're going to contract with the Dukes County Housing Authority.
They're the same agency on the island that takes the
applications for affordable housing. My staff don't qualify for affordable
housing because they make too They make wybe on the

(12:36):
ami to qualify, if you can believe that. So the
hospital owned housing because we won't have enough for everybody
that wants it. In order to be fair, we're going
to have a lottery system and the rent will be
set by Dukes County.

Speaker 2 (12:50):
This land that we're talking about here, there's twenty six
acre site. According the Globe article written by Andrew Brinker
talked about, you bought it from a local family there.
I'm curious about that. Were you involved in that from
the very beginning? And why did they do it?

Speaker 5 (13:03):
Oh? Yes, Well, you know, we were looking for a
property that was sizable enough to accommodate the relocation of
our nursing home and to build housing, and also had
proximity to the bus line, had sore capacity, So you know,
there were some conditions that we wanted to meet, and

(13:26):
of course there weren't that many properties available that could
accommodate that. So we we saw we knew this piece
of land was owned by the Norton family, and we
went to mister Norton, who has since passed away, and
he was the town moderator in negartab for many, many

(13:47):
many years. In the family. The Norton family is very
well known. They're very generous folks. And we went to
talk with him about our idea, myself and my CFO,
and I went with my prow points, you know, to
go over facts and all this, and he just pushed
it aside and he said, you know what, this is
a no brain for Denise. Let me talk to my
boys and let me see what we can do. And

(14:10):
they sold us the property. Wow, and that's how it
was born.

Speaker 4 (14:14):
Great starastic Denise. We're out of time, unfortunately, but very
quickly here. How soon will people be able to move in?

Speaker 5 (14:19):
We're ready to have a rubin cutting on June twentieth,
and we probably step putting people in the first building
the first week.

Speaker 4 (14:28):
At you come back and see absolutely, Denise. You know,
I can just tell Martha's vineyard and the surrounding areas.
We're lucky to have you there in charge of this
kind of project. It's terrific and thank you so much
for being a part of the New England Business Report.
All right, coming up next? Are you looking to eat
in the country's best waterfront restaurant? Well, if you are,
you don't have to go very far. This is the

(14:50):
New England Business Report.

Speaker 1 (14:57):
You are listening to the New England Business Report. I'm
the Voice of Boston w RKO six 't eighty. Joe
and Kim will be right back.

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Speaker 2 (16:43):
All right, welcome back to the New England Business Report
on this Sunday morning. Hey, how about this, how about
a we all you know, hop in the car and
head down to Chatham, right, I mean, if you want
to eat at the best waterfront restaurant in the country.
Folks in the country. That's where that's rerenaid, the head
the Chatham Bars their beach grill. Am I saying that correctly? Yeah,

(17:04):
the beach Coach Grill at the Chatham Bars d I
was just named by USA Today best waterfront restaurant in
the country. And here to talk a little bit more
about that and the summer ahead is a Courtney Lowe.
He's a vice president of marketing with the Chatham Bars. Courtney,
welcome to the program.

Speaker 9 (17:18):
Well, thank you very much, Joe, glad to be here.

Speaker 2 (17:21):
Yeah, so tell us how did you how did this
designation of the Beach House Grill come about?

Speaker 9 (17:26):
Well, we were nominated first of all by you know,
readers of USA Today, so we were super excited about that,
and then the voting goes on and we we somehow
won the whole thing, which is for the entire country,
which is absolutely amazing, and it's just it's such a
beautiful spot, the food is awesome, and we have an

(17:48):
incredible service back down there. That's what really makes it happen.

Speaker 3 (17:51):
At the end of the day.

Speaker 4 (17:53):
Well, I have a feeling you've just named all of
the criteria for getting on this list, But do you
know what it is that you know, they said fourth
for people to to you know, base their decisions on.

Speaker 9 (18:04):
I don't know all the criteria on that, unfortunately, but
it is just, uh, I really think it comes down
to properties and resorts that are have a notoriety of
having an amazing place to view a waterfront of any type,
whether it's the ocean or lake and so forth. So

(18:25):
we have to stare right at the Atlantic Ocean. So
what's better than that?

Speaker 4 (18:29):
All right?

Speaker 2 (18:30):
Yeah, I just so you know, Courtney Kim and I
have both been there. I was there last summer. The
only thing about this designation that surprised me a little,
and it has to do with the fact that the
Beach House Grill is seasonal and here's USA Today picking
the best waterfront restaurant in the country.

Speaker 3 (18:45):
I mean, give us the calendar for the Beach House Grill.

Speaker 9 (18:48):
Beach House Grill will be opening mid May and we'll
run it through to the second week of October. So
it's a long run with lunches and dinners there. Yeah,
it's seats and all for that matter, but it's a
good chunk of the year, and you know, we make
it so people have to wait. You know, they treasure

(19:09):
that when it comes. It's a gem to come to.

Speaker 4 (19:12):
Yeah, it is. It's a beautiful spot and you're right,
the food is great and the ambiance is even better,
so I can certainly understand why it won. Let's take
a look at the upcoming summer season. What's happening at
Chatham Bar's in We got a lot going on.

Speaker 9 (19:26):
We've got a few new items we're very excited about.
We have a brand new bar in our South Lounge,
which is in the main end our Historican and it's
a beautiful bar that actually has been refinished from the
eighteen hundreds. It'll be a standing bar, but we'll have
pods of seating for conversational cocktails and light fights throughout that.

(19:50):
And then we've opened up our side of our building
now with our Zebo bar and expanded patio out there
with new views of the Atlantic oceans. Else it's another
spot where we fully take advantage of what you can.
You can look at and just enjoy our incredible bite.
We've got our boating program, which is a world class
boating program. It's our We have seven boats, two that

(20:14):
are highlights for us as Billy Joel designed Shelter Island
runabouts they're called, and we actually those are the more
popular ones because we take people out of whale watching
because obviously, you know, Cape cod is probably one of
the best places in the world to go whale watching.
And then we also do excursions out to Nantucket and
Martha's Vinyard with those boats, and then we have a

(20:35):
variety of other boats where we do fishing and we
go seal watching, we do sunset cruises, things like that.
So that is all about our waterfront because we have
our If you stay here, you get used to our
beach front, so you get to be out in our
cabanas and chase lounges on the beach. And then I'll

(20:56):
right adjacent to the beach is our pool, which is
another place where we have cavanas and chase lounges, and
we even have our food truck attached to that area
where we'll be delivering food right into those cabanas of
the chase.

Speaker 3 (21:14):
Lounges for guests.

Speaker 5 (21:16):
Cool.

Speaker 2 (21:17):
So start with Courtney Lowe's the vice president of marketing
there for the Chatham Bars and Accordney, I guess I'm
I'm curious is to perhaps some of the challenges that
I was here a five star resort. But what are
the challenges you're facing right now? I mean, I'm reminded
of comments from Paul NEEDSWICKI President and CEO of the
Greater Boston of the Greater of Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce,

(21:37):
and he said that he expected, you know, bookings to
be off ten to twenty percent this summer because of
the challenges in the economy.

Speaker 9 (21:43):
What are you seeing, Yeah, I mean, we're the luxury world.
I think we're still we know we're doing really well
already because actually paces up for the summertime for us.
I think the winter time with the weather and other
kind of uncertainties, was a little bit slower for us
this year, and even the spring was stay spring was
pretty good. But going to the summertime, we're pretty amazed

(22:04):
that we're very strong. We're actually way ahead. So you know,
for people that are looking to get in there, don't
think that Chattam Bars it is going to be that
easy right away. So to jump on it now, because
especially for June, July and August, we are looking up quickly.

Speaker 4 (22:22):
What's your wedding business look like this summer?

Speaker 9 (22:25):
It's good. Weddings are good, and I've seen that even
even the downturns for weddings continue to stay strong and
people don't get deterred by the economy as much, especially
on the luxury resort levels. So we're looking good. We
even to go to twenty twenty six. Are pace is strong.

Speaker 3 (22:43):
What about the international visitor We were just chatting on
this time.

Speaker 9 (22:47):
If there's a short fall, and we haven't we you
know that part, We really haven't noticed it because usually
they come in the more peak time periods or in
the fall. So uh, you know, for us, it's about
a seven for six or seven percent of our business.
So uh, if we see a fall off, it's not

(23:08):
gonna be uh, it shouldn't be that great. But I
did have our director of leisure sales over in Paris
and London and uh she says that the uh, the
travel advisors over there telling her people still want to
travel here, they still want to get up and go,
and then you know they're not letting everything else deter them.

Speaker 2 (23:28):
Yeah, how do you reach these folks? I mean, what
do you do for marketing I mean or advertising to
get those folks in the door at the chatam bars.

Speaker 9 (23:34):
In Yeah, I mean some of that really is for
you for the European folks or for everything. Well, yeah,
really some of that's real grassroots marketing. And obviously, you know,
we do our share of digital and that's out there
they can they can grab onto that. But really we
pay attention to the you know, the luxury travel advisor

(23:56):
that helps us find those clients of theirs that fit
that that Chadam Bars and fits what they're looking for.
So and we also have through prmid Hotels, we're partnered
a bit with Boston Harbor Hotel. So it's a great
opportunity for Europeans to come over to Boston because I
think Boston is one of the most amazing cities we

(24:18):
have right now now that the seaport has kind of grown,
and then coming down to Cape Cod to do their
beach trip afterwards.

Speaker 2 (24:25):
So all right, we wish you were, We wish you
were happy summer there out on And Chathleman, he's Courtney
Lowe and he is of course the vice president of
marketing for the Chatham Bars.

Speaker 3 (24:35):
And uh up.

Speaker 2 (24:36):
Next to just a few moments, we're gonna be talking
with Martha Sherid of the CEO of Meet Boston.

Speaker 1 (24:46):
Kim and Joe will explore more business news that impacts
our New England economy.

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Start.

Speaker 7 (25:50):
Are you a brother or sister of one a great
Boston's local trade unions and finally thinking about getting ready
to hang up your tools after thirty five years of
working your tailoff. Congratulations, you worked hard to build your
retirement nest egg. But now what Let me help you
break through the nonsense and financial speak so we can
get to the questions that are important to you. As
you know, nothing gets built without a set of plans,

(26:10):
and neither will your financial future. My name is Mike Marshall,
President and CEO of Marshal Wealth Management and creator of
the Marshall Plan, a comprehensive customized plan that will help
you answer important questions in all seven key areas. You
don't have to do it alone. There is no cost
or obligation. Call us at eight five seven three four
two ten thirty. That's eight five seven three four two

(26:33):
ten thirty. Well check us out online at Marshalwealth dot Com.
Marshall with two ls Marshallwealth dot Com.

Speaker 8 (26:40):
Advisory services offer to capital analysts or Linkeln Investment Registered
investment advisors. Securities offered through Lincoln Investment Broker Dealer member
FINRA SIPC. Lincoln Investment dot Com, Marshal Wealth Management and
the above firms are independent and not affiliated.

Speaker 4 (26:52):
Welcome back everybody to the New England Business Group. We're
great to have you on this first Sunday of May.
How's your allergies, Joe?

Speaker 2 (27:00):
You know I'm lucky and I'm one of the lucky
people out there. I really don't get allergies now, but
they're all around me, you know, they're all around me.
I remember my son couldn't play Little League baseball growing
up because he couldn't stand in the outfield.

Speaker 3 (27:12):
I mean, I was like, what is going on here?

Speaker 4 (27:15):
Yeah, my husband is somebody who can't keep his contacts
in his eyes during this time of year, you know,
it's just really tough. And this year everything popped so quickly,
so I think lots of people are suffering. Just a
quick reminder that Martha Sheridan, President and CEO of Meet Boston,
is going to join us here in just a couple
of seconds. This is the time when we'd like to
talk about a headline that maybe you missed, and Joe,
I just think this is sort of an update on

(27:35):
a story that we have done. I saw this in
the BBJ this week. Suffolk borrows one hundred and fifty
eight million dollars for office to dorm conversion. You'll remember
a few weeks ago we talked about the fact that
Mayor wu Gay and in the city Council gave approval
so that some of these you know, schools and medical
facilities they could take office space and turn it into

(28:00):
living space.

Speaker 3 (28:01):
Well, come up on it. Yeah, well it's not easy
to do either.

Speaker 2 (28:05):
Imagine that you've got all these offices, now you need
kitchens and bathrooms and all those locations. I mean, I
mean you're basically, you know, gutting the whole building. Really,
I mean, I don't there's no way around that.

Speaker 4 (28:14):
The costs absolutely well, they they bought that building and
it's on Tremont Street for the thirty million bucks last year,
and now they've taken out one hundred and fifty million
dollars loan. Two hundred and eighty students are going to
be able to live in this building when it's all
said and done, and Suffolk says, this is something that
they have desperately needed that they you know, they were
really short when it came to space for student living.

(28:37):
So it's people are taking advantage of it. Of course,
that's the good side of it. The bad side is
that all of these buildings are empty, and that's not
so good.

Speaker 3 (28:46):
So good, all right.

Speaker 2 (28:48):
You know, Kim and I have been talking about this
issue of tourism and international tourists coming to Boston, Massachusetts
slash New England and the challenge is the tourist industry
is now facing. Last week on the program, we had
this gentleman on al Cannon, owner of a tour group,
Comfort Tour Canada, out of Toronto, and this is what
he had to say about people visiting Boston and Massachusetts

(29:11):
this year.

Speaker 11 (29:11):
Since February, since the talk about the fifty first state started,
our bookings have completely come to a standstill. We had
a lot of cancelations and a lot of many people
are coming to us traveling with us, so we have
coaches going to different cities, to New York and other

(29:33):
places as well. So everything is in a stand still.

Speaker 2 (29:35):
And that is the owner of a Comfort Tour Canada
on the program last week. This week, we want to
bring in Martha Sheridan. She's the CEO of Meat Boston
and she's a pendent editorial in the Boston Business Journal,
and I'll give you a quick snippet of what she
had to say. She basically said, what was once a
slam dunk for the travel and tourism sector is now
uncertain at best. Visitation from our top international markets is

(29:59):
now forecast all significantly. Martha, welcome to the program. Tell
us what's going on.

Speaker 12 (30:06):
Hi, thank you, thank you for having me. Well, you know,
the situation with international visitation is a very fluid one.
Right now, we are receiving some national data that's telling
us that visitations to the US from our top key
markets such as Canada, as you mentioned, the UK, Germany,

(30:26):
et cetera, are going to suffer this year as a
result of that several factories of the dollar in Canada
is a big factor obviously, but also the geopolitical climate
and the talk of tariffs, et cetera. So we think
that that's impacting the selection process for overseas visitors to

(30:46):
de German whether or not they want to come to
the US. So we've seen numbers that could imply that
from Canada specifically, our numbers could be down twenty percent
in the US, and then you know, probably like nine
percent close to nine percent for other inbound markets.

Speaker 13 (31:03):
With the exception of a couple. India is going to.

Speaker 12 (31:05):
Still remain strong and Middle East as well. But we're
concerned for sure. You know, we haven't seen the impact
directly yet, so you know, time will tell.

Speaker 14 (31:16):
I guess for us, and.

Speaker 12 (31:17):
You know I am hearing your previous guests obviously gives
me concern because you know, Canadian tour roofs are a.

Speaker 13 (31:27):
Huge part of our market.

Speaker 12 (31:28):
Mixt here in Boston.

Speaker 4 (31:29):
Yeah, and Martha, you know you've said so many times,
especially since the pandemic, that you know, our tourism economy
got better slowly, slowly, slowly, but we need those international
visitors to start coming back. And it seemed like as
we approached this year, you felt like we were finally
in a really great spot.

Speaker 13 (31:49):
Exactly.

Speaker 12 (31:50):
We've been doing a lot of work to reintroduce Boston
to the international visitor market. You know, our Meat Boston
team travels around the globe talk about our great city,
and we were really starting to see the benefits of that,
and we did anticipate that in twenty twenty five we
would finally reach an offensive passed three pandemic levels in

(32:12):
most markets. So you know, this is obviously for us
a challenge, and we're not going to stop traveling and
talking about our great city and encouraging people to come here.
But you know, our message will be that Blobman does
welcome all. You know, in spite of what you might
be hearing about the US, we are a very welcoming
city all or welcome here and you know, we're hoping

(32:35):
that message will continue to resonate.

Speaker 2 (32:38):
Locking with Martha Sheridan, CEO of Meet Boston again more
from her editorial in the Boston Business Journal, she writes,
on the eve of our semi quincentennial celebration, this is
absolutely devastating. The American travel industry was on the verge
of full recovery from COVID nineteen. Now that recovery is
going to push back until twenty twenty nine. So are

(33:01):
there any bright spots at this point?

Speaker 12 (33:03):
Martha, Well, I mean, we did see our March numbers
from Logan Airport and they do indicate that passengers from
Canada are are still up in March, so you know,
that's sort of a bright spot on the horizon. And anecdotally,
while we did hear from some of our local businesses
that their Canadian tour groups are canceling or shrinking, we

(33:27):
have heard from others that you know, say they are
still getting inquiries from from Canadian tour groups.

Speaker 11 (33:33):
So you know, we'll put some hope in that.

Speaker 12 (33:35):
And as I said, we just can' very fluid. We
continue to monitor it.

Speaker 13 (33:39):
You know.

Speaker 12 (33:39):
The the you know comment in my piece about the
fact that we are on the verge of you know,
the all the celebrations for Boston in twenty five and
twenty six across the US as.

Speaker 13 (33:51):
Well as you know, the World Cup.

Speaker 12 (33:53):
Every destination in the US is concerned about, you know,
whether or not this you know, negative rhetoric around Paris
et cetera, is going to have that long term impact.
When we were thinking and still hoping that twenty six
is going to be, you know, a banner year for
visitation to the.

Speaker 4 (34:11):
US, Martha, you gave us some percentages, but can you
put some dollar amounts on what the international tourist means
to the city of Boston.

Speaker 12 (34:21):
Well, I mean, I don't have specific dollar amounts in
front of me, but I will say that we covert
that market because they stay longer and they spend more money.
So typically they're coming from a farther distance obviously, and
you know, they've been planning for a US vacation for
a long time, potentially saving up so when they get here,

(34:42):
they do spend more money on their visit. So you
know that's going to have an impact. About ten to
twelve percent of our overall market mix is international visitation.

Speaker 13 (34:52):
So you know, the hope is that domestic.

Speaker 12 (34:55):
Travelers will build some of that gap. But I think
we're a little bit concerned that the you know, the
the numbers will not be enough to make up for
you know what is probably close to an aggregate of
a billion dollars and spend from international visitors.

Speaker 2 (35:13):
Well, I guess I'm curious, Martha. I mean, because you know,
here you are the CEO, and this is you know,
sitting right in the middle of your desk every day.
How does this change how you reach out to that
international visitor in this current climate.

Speaker 13 (35:27):
That's a great question.

Speaker 12 (35:29):
Uh So, we are actually about to hire a representation
firm in Canada, and in the proposal process, when we've
you know, heard from, listen to and chatted with some
of the final candidates for that for that role, you know,
they're they're giving us sound device, which is, do not

(35:50):
expect them to the Canadian traveler to pivot all of
a sudden and say, oh, now, we do want to
go to the US, Understand where they're coming from, you know,
craft your natarrative around what their concerns are, and let
them know that when they're ready, we're ready to have
them here. So that's really what we're going to do.
And we've addressed international audiences over the last several months,

(36:13):
some that have come here for a trade show and
then others where we've traveled.

Speaker 14 (36:17):
Overseas to meet them.

Speaker 12 (36:19):
In their own countries, and you know, we just make
it very clear to them that, you know, as I said,
Boston is a welcoming city. Everyone is welcome here. So please,
if you are considering a US destination, we think Boston
would be an ideal place for you to visit.

Speaker 2 (36:34):
All right, well, we'll leave it there, Martha, and of
course we'd love to chat with you as we moved
through the summer here of twenty twenty five.

Speaker 3 (36:40):
She's Martha Sheridan. She is the CEO of Meet Boston.

Speaker 4 (36:44):
All right, well, very typically, Joe, we'd like to have
our good friend Doug Banks from the BBJ with us
this week. He couldn't join us, but certainly someone is
filling his shoes, and we're glad that the managing editor
of the BBJ, Don Seafert, is with us. And Don,
we have recently been sort of doing the Doug Banks

(37:05):
five Things that you need to Know Today, and you
said you would step in and give us some of
the business headlines that we need to know today. And
one of them that caught my eye this week that
Doug was featuring is this whole idea that tariffs could
have a huge impact on the beer industry.

Speaker 14 (37:22):
It could, Yes, thank you for having me. That is
one of the interesting ones that I saw this week.
This is, of course, the biggest brewery in Massachusetts, Boston Beer,
the maker of Sam Adams Beer and truly Seltz. They
said in their most recent quarterly earnings, which was I
think a few days ago, that they're expecting a increase

(37:46):
in their costs due to terrors. And if think about it,
I mean, obviously they've brew their beer right here in
the US, so it's not that their beer is being important.
What it is is the can they're thinking that they
could be They could have to pay twenty to thirty
million extra dollars this year just for the for the
cans to put their beer in and the snow turn.

Speaker 3 (38:06):
Well, yeah, how what does that do to that man?
What does that do to their their business?

Speaker 14 (38:11):
Yeah, that's what I was looking at. That's what I
was interested. So I mean that you know, their total
expenses last year was about two billion dollars, so by
that measure, you know, I mean, twenty thirty million dollars
is not huge, so it's like, you know, between one
and five percent. But then I looked at their net income.
You know, they don't have huge margins. Their mid income
for last year is sixty million dollars, So if they

(38:31):
have to spend thirty million of that on can, that
does cut into their profits and their net income pretty
size ofly.

Speaker 13 (38:38):
Uh.

Speaker 14 (38:38):
They you know, they did not say whether they're going
to pass on the costs to their to their you know,
to the buyers to consumers or not. I think they're
going to kind of weight and watch and see what happens.
But that'll be that'll be interesting to watch, you.

Speaker 4 (38:53):
Know, isn't it interesting? Both you don and Joe. These
are the kinds of things that we don't think about
when we're thinking about aluminum. I'm not thinking about cans
for beer and seltzer, but wow, you know, this impact
could be that.

Speaker 14 (39:07):
You think, you know, I would like, you know, a
beer like Heinegen or something that's important to explain, but
that's for an American made beer. You don't think about
the fact that, yeah, the cans come. I mean, I
think aluminum comes from Canada. That's right, a lot of
it done so so the fact that it could go up,
I mean, you know it is obviously not going to
just affect Boston beer. It's going to affect every beverage
maker in the US.

Speaker 13 (39:28):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (39:28):
Oh, I personally am very concerned about the can of beer.
So let's.

Speaker 4 (39:34):
Impact you, Joe.

Speaker 3 (39:35):
We do it all right, now, you have my attention
Dinis our guests.

Speaker 2 (39:40):
He's the managing editor of the Boston Business Journal, and
we're kind of running through the five things you need
to do in business this week.

Speaker 3 (39:45):
All right, Well, this caught my attention.

Speaker 2 (39:47):
Don uh don you know who the commencement speakers are
going to be, and it's a pretty impressive list.

Speaker 14 (39:53):
Yes, we do this every year, and we just put
it out a little while ago, and we're updating and
as we go, so it's uh so say that people
have already looked at it, they can look at it
again because it keeps on changing week to week. But
but yeah, some of the more interesting ones, I mean, honestly,
the most interesting one that I saw was Jennifer cool
And and I didn't she is you know anybody who's

(40:14):
watched I'm blanking on the name of the TV show
We Load quite long. One and two knows who Jennifer
Coolidge is, and she is a Norwill native, and she
actually graduated from Emerson College in nineteen eighty five in theater.
So she is coming back to talk to alma mater,
Emerson in Its just a couple of weeks May eleven.

(40:38):
So that one, I think is probably one of the
more interesting ones.

Speaker 3 (40:41):
Oh yeah, but come on, you know you're you're not
gonna x Olt Pedro, are you? Or Sally? Come on?

Speaker 14 (40:47):
Major Martinez going to talk to Fisher College in a
couple of weeks as well. Obviously everyone knows Major Martinez
is the you know, the Red Sox pitcher that helped
us win the first First World Series way back, way back,
what twenty years now?

Speaker 4 (41:03):
Yeah, that's how he'll be back.

Speaker 14 (41:08):
Kareem Abdul Jabbar was another one that called my eyes. Obviously,
people who are into basketball at least basketball in the
eight seventies and eighties at this point, you know him
as as one of the you know, one of the
biggest basketball players of all time. He played for the
Bucks and the Lakers. But but some people may not
know that he has I mean recently in the last

(41:28):
few decades he has become a big activist on a
lot of cost social justice and racism mostly, so I
convent that he'll be talking not just about basketball when
he comes to speak to Harvard College at the end
of May.

Speaker 4 (41:43):
And then the other one that really did get my attention,
You're right, is Sully Sullenberg. Of course he's that was
the other pilot that.

Speaker 14 (41:50):
I wanted to Yeah, so, yeah, Selenburg. I actually never
watched the movie that was based on him, but I
was around obviously when he did. Sully Selenberger probably you know,
obviously rose to fame in two thousand and nine when
he landed a giant airbus on the Hudson River. Yeah,
and there were no injuries or no cattle.

Speaker 2 (42:13):
That story, that story is completely ridiculous, I mean, and
that it really is, and I mean, you know, kudos
obviously to him, But I always thought that that that
was just so fascinating.

Speaker 3 (42:25):
I'm not surprised that he's on.

Speaker 4 (42:28):
Do you remember that the just adding to it here,
the stories that after it happened, they investigated him and
he went through you know, rounds and rounds of investigation,
you know, as if he would have wanted to land on.

Speaker 14 (42:42):
I know if there were there were many other choices
to land.

Speaker 2 (42:46):
I can still see the video people standing on the
wings on the Hudson River and then the rescue boats
coming to pick them up. Well, don okay, what what's
another big story? What would be another business headline you
think people need to know this week?

Speaker 11 (42:59):
Well?

Speaker 14 (43:00):
Another one is uh maybe not maybe not a huge surprise,
but but there was a report about Massachusetts got an
in housing production. This obviously housing production has been uh
has been uh, you know, a top of mind for
Governor Moore Healy for you know, pretty much every business
person talks about the fact that it's you know, it's

(43:22):
expensive to live here and houses costs too much and
we need to build more housing. So it's probably not
a huge surprise that a that a group ranged all
fifty states and uh, where do you think Massa came
in on fiftieth?

Speaker 3 (43:38):
Wow, I don't know, don't even say it.

Speaker 14 (43:40):
Yeah, it came in forty ninth.

Speaker 4 (43:43):
So who was worse Rhode Island.

Speaker 3 (43:49):
So we're moving up, is what you're saying.

Speaker 14 (43:53):
So so yeah, I mean it's a called it's a
home building and affordability for it just rank all the states,
you know, and you know me and a lot of
states are doing far better than in Texas is actually
doing pretty good at it. But mast Jesus, I mean,
we've known that this is a problem for a long time,
so this is just, you know, kind of another acknowledgment

(44:15):
of that we really need to build more housing and
and you know, I'm sure efforts are going to keep on,
you know it.

Speaker 4 (44:23):
So if my math serves me, well, forty eight states
are doing better than we are, we is pretty tough.
All right, done some great stories and we're glad you
brought them to us this week. Thank you so very much.
All right, still coming your way, celebrating forty years at Davio's.
I love those Philly egg rolls.

Speaker 3 (44:44):
Oh my goodness, they're good.

Speaker 4 (44:46):
Steve d. Filippo, the owner and president, will be our guests.

Speaker 1 (44:55):
You are listening to the New England Business Report on
the Voice of Boston w RKO six 't eighty Joe
and Kim, We'll be right back.

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Speaker 2 (46:49):
All right, welcome back to the New England Business Report
on this Sunday morning.

Speaker 3 (46:52):
And Uh, Kim, I don't know about you, but I'm hungry.

Speaker 2 (46:54):
Oh man, we've been we've been promising this next guest
for a little while now here on our program. And
you know what we're talking about. The owner of Davio's,
Steve d Filippo, and they're celebrating forty years this week.
And I was telling Kim at the beginning of the
show that Steve that you know, back in nineteen eighty five,
I went to Davio's on Newbury Street with a friend

(47:16):
and I said, this place is really cool. Well anyway,
I'm not saying that because you're on the program, but
it's always been one of my favorites and Kim's favorites.
And welcome and congratulations on forty years.

Speaker 13 (47:26):
Yeah, thank you. I can't believe that, you know, I
used to be the young Steve people when they wrote
about me in the eighties, and now I'm the.

Speaker 9 (47:32):
Old Steve people.

Speaker 13 (47:33):
But you know, I don't know where the forty years went.
It's kind of crazy. But here we are, you know,
we're I'm blessed because I have the best team in
the world to help run all these restaurants. You know,
we have a lot going on, and on Tuesday we're
going to have a huge party here at the seaport.
That's actually a benefit for the Ron Burton Training Village

(47:54):
that I'm very close with. I'm sure you know them
on Burton Training Village. It's an amazing camp out in
western mass Sure, a huge benefit and we're really excited
to help them in any way we can. But I
got to tell you, you know, if you told me,
you know, forty years ago, I'd be still busting tables
to Fiels. I think you're mine, But there I am

(48:15):
I'm still doing the same thing.

Speaker 2 (48:17):
We heard you were busting tables in the back bay
last week. Is that true?

Speaker 13 (48:21):
It really is true. Yeah, it was this packed. And
you know what happens is we get a lot of
theater people come right, they come to like five o'clock, okay,
and the theater might not structure eight now if it
starts raining about seven fifteen, they don't leave. They like
all these people.

Speaker 5 (48:37):
Coming in.

Speaker 13 (48:39):
Wonder tables and these people aren't leaving for another fifteen
minutes because they don't want to get wet, you know.
So it was just one of those crazy nights. We're
trying to turn tables. But you gotta do what you
gotta do.

Speaker 4 (48:50):
You know, steep step back for a second for people
who don't know the history of the restaurant, because I
know back you know Joe mentions. You know there was
the back bay, the Newberry Street look, and that was
family owned by another family, and you stepped in.

Speaker 13 (49:04):
Yes, So what happened was I'm actually the third owner
of Davio's, which is kind of interesting. A lot of
people don't know that. So it actually opened in nineteen
seventy seven, the fall of seventy seven, David Decenzo and
his family opened it. Davio was his uncle. He worked
in the kitchen. He was like the prep guy. He
named it because his name was David, David Decenzo and

(49:26):
his uncle was Davio, so they called it Davio's and
he had it for about four years, and then David
left Boston moved to New York and another group who
worked a couple of people were working there, took it
over for a couple of years, and then David's cousins
went and opened up David Days in nineteen eighty two.
So there was always confusion. Davia Day had nothing to

(49:48):
do with me because they that whole family left the
Decenzo family and went and opened up David Day. And
then David left and went to New York. And then
this other group took over Davias for a couple of years,
and then I came in in eighty five. There's a
lot of issues with that second group put it lightly,
uh and uh. So then I came in and you know,
took it over. And as they said, then I started growing,

(50:09):
and you know, I went to Brookline and Ambergs, and
then we started going to other states, and you know
I first started, we had about fifteen people in the
company at one little restaurant, you know, with a chef,
the general man. And it's just a small little thing. Uh.
And then over the years we've grown it to you know,
now we have eleven Davis in five states. We have
over a thousand people in the company.

Speaker 5 (50:28):
Uh.

Speaker 13 (50:28):
You know, so it's a lot different than that original one.

Speaker 5 (50:30):
But to me is yeah, I still.

Speaker 13 (50:34):
Treat I still treat everybody the same. We Uh, you know,
it's all about our people. You know the book I wrote,
it's all about the guests. But the guest is not
just the guest that comes through that front door, the guests,
the inner guests, our employees that come through that backdoor.
I mean, we we just have an incredible team.

Speaker 11 (50:48):
You know.

Speaker 13 (50:48):
I'm just you know, I get a lot of credit
because I'm the owner. But you know, it's when you
go to a restaurant, you know how many people The
food before you get it onto your plate goes through
a lot of hands, guys to the to the line cooks,
to the servers, the busters, the food runners, the part.
It's just so many people to run a restaurant successfully.
And that's why a lot of them fail because it's complicated.

(51:11):
You have a lot of people uh involved without an equation,
and uh, that's that's the problem, you know. And I'm
just blessed I have some amazing people.

Speaker 2 (51:20):
Talking with Steve d Filippo, owner of Davio's, celebrating forty
years this week. Uh, Steve just at eleven locations and
they're you know, from Atlanta to Philly to Manhattan and California.

Speaker 3 (51:33):
And uh, I guess I'm.

Speaker 2 (51:34):
Curious, Steve, is you know what if you're out of
your elevel locations, what are the top two or our
three best performing locations.

Speaker 13 (51:43):
Well, you know, I'm a Boston guy, right, I'm from
linked Field. I grew up in Boston. I went to
Boston University and then I went to you know, Camber School,
Culinary Arts and Cambride. So I'm Boston. That's where I live,
you know. And I you know, the one at the seaport,
uh is the largest one. It's twice the size of
most obvious, So that obviously is our highest grossing abus.

(52:04):
But I got to tell you Lindfield Boxborough, Uh, you know,
pound for pounds, they're up there. Because it's not always
about you know, what you gross. It's really kind of
what you net, you know, and those restaurants do phenomenal,
uh you know, and you know the one in Pennsylvania
does good. I mean, you know, it's like asking me,
you know, what's my favorite kid? I have four kiss
you know which one is my favorite kid? I do

(52:26):
know which one is my favorite.

Speaker 4 (52:27):
But I can't say, by the way, they do know.

Speaker 13 (52:35):
Too funny, my, oh my gosh. I so many stories
that I can tell you about my brother and sister.
But yeah, so you know, I'm just blessed. We're pretty good.
You know. Most of the restaurants do well. There's always
some that do better than others. But I think Boston
because I'm a Boston guy here all the time. I mean,
I mean I do travel to the other restaurants, obviously,
but I'm not there like I am in Boston.

Speaker 4 (52:55):
Yeah, so, Steve, let me ask you how you guys.

Speaker 13 (52:57):
Field Boston and back Bay. I was in three restaurant
US yesterday.

Speaker 4 (53:00):
I bet, how how did you guys survive the downturn
of COVID? And then you know, times like now when
people's maybe cash flow isn't what it was, you know
two years ago, and they're a little more reluctant to
go to a restaurant.

Speaker 13 (53:16):
We were blessed that before COVID, we took care of
our people, right. It was a lot of people came
back and a lot of people left the business, right,
But we were blessed that, you know, I didn't wait
for a president to tell us that health insurance. Right
in the early nineties, I had health insurance. You know,
we had vacation, paid vacations. We we really took care
of our people. Like you don't wait till July to

(53:38):
go find an air conditioning guy to fix your air conditioning, right,
you need a relationship because you call a guy in July,
he's not going to come, okay. So we didn't wait
for a pandemic to start treating our people, right, you know,
we were blessed that we treated our people correctly, and
we and you know, and we also have you know,
some pretty good locations. But so we came out of COVID,

(53:58):
we basically just came right back, you know, and we
had an incredible team ready to go, and so we
really didn't miss much coming back, right, And we were
blessed with that team. You know. Now, the difference now
than it was then is lunch. Okay, people are not
in these buildings, you know, the back Baby Seaport, they're

(54:20):
just launches, just non existing in this in Boston, not
just Boston, all our other cities. It's the same. There's
no difference between Boston and our restaurant in Texas or
Georgia or they're Virginia. I don't know where everybody is,
but they're not in the office. Okay, so not in
the office. They're not coming in for lunch. So we
had to think, all right, we're gonna lose our lunch.
I mean, we still do lunch, but it's half it's

(54:42):
fifty percent of what we used to do. That's a
big number.

Speaker 5 (54:46):
So what do you do?

Speaker 13 (54:47):
You got to do something right. So what we did
is we started doing delivery, we take out. We started
doing things that we really never did very well, you know,
and we got really good at it, and we reached
out to a lot of different companies. And also the
party scenes. We do incredible parties, rehearsal dinners, we do weddings,
we do business parties. We really went after that business

(55:07):
because those people are still doing parties. And we were
lucky because a lot of businesses, they can't get them
to come to work, but they can get them to
come to Davio's to do a party. That's the thing.
That's how they get people to get together, have them
at night, take a function room, you know, and that's
kind of really helped us. So we're our sales ironically

(55:28):
have really met up for that loss of lunch by
doing these other things.

Speaker 3 (55:32):
Steve David Lepos our guest, the owner of a Davios.

Speaker 2 (55:34):
So, Steve, I know one of the reasons you wanted
to be on our program today is to talk a
little bit about this fortieth anniversary is coming up this week.

Speaker 3 (55:41):
Tickets still available.

Speaker 13 (55:43):
Yes, yes, we're just about sold out, but I think
we should have you know, some left. But it's going
to be an amazing party. So what we did. We
have Wick Grousbeck his band French Lick, coming and we
lucked out because the Celtics won so early. The game
is Monday night instead of Tuesdays. I was a little
concerned that he would have to leave early, but now

(56:04):
he can stay and play play the whole night. Uh
So the band is really fun. They do like classic
hits and it's it's just a lot of fun and
then we're gonna have a you know, huge open bar
and we have the food stations everywhere, huge raw bar.
It's gonna be champagne and uh, it's just it's gonna
be a huge party. And but the best part of
the party it's a benefit for the Burton Training Village

(56:24):
and that to me, Uh, it's just an incredible organization.
They take inner city kids, they bring them out to
this camp for six weeks. They change their lives, uh
to the better. And you know, I'm sure you know
Ron Burton, Uh he was the first draft pick of
the Patriots back in the day. And now his sons,
Paul Burton and Steve Burton on Channel four. Uh, you know,
they run the camp with their other brother Ron and

(56:46):
their sister and they they have any just incredible guys,
you know, and I love them so much. And they
really take care of these these these kids, you know,
and they and they make them a lot of them
go to college. They all go to college. I mean,
it's just unbelievable how they take these kids in transform them.

Speaker 3 (57:00):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (57:01):
I worked with them both at Channel four WBZTV for
many where many years. Well, congratulations on forty years there,
Steve d Philippo, We wish you welcome back and see
us someday soon on the New England Business Report.

Speaker 4 (57:12):
All right, Joe, Well, that's going to do it for
this edition of the New England Business Report. We're already
looking ahead to next week and you want to talk
about a busy season it is starting down on the Cape.
And the question for those of you who maybe have
not already rented a place and you've got some interest
in doing so over this this summer, are there places left?
What does it look like down there where We're going

(57:34):
to have the opportunity to speak to the president and
CEO of the Cape Cod and Island Association Reeltors, and
she's going to talk to us. Her name is Betsy Hansen,
by the way, and she's going to talk to us
about rentals on the Cape and the Islands and what
the season looks like. That's all coming up next Sunday
right here on the New England Business Report at eight
am on the Voice of Boston WRKO AM six 't

(57:56):
eighty