Cambridge Savings Bank provided a Small Business Administration term loan to restaurateur Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli. The loan will be used to fund construction and related startup costs for his new venture, Hook + Line, a New England seafood restaurant, and H + L Market, a fast-casual seafood market.
Located in Boston’s Seaport District, Hook + Line and H + L Market will reflect Schlesinger-Guidelli’s version of modern neighborhood service and hospitality. Operating under the direction of newly hired Executive Chef Mark Cina, the restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner, focused on locally sourced seafood, with indoor and outdoor dining as well as take-out. Both Massachusetts natives, Schlesinger-Guidelli and Cina intend to provide an authentic New England experience for Hook + Line guests.
The capital from CSB will be used to fund pre-opening and initial expenses, including tenant improvements, signage, furniture, fixtures, equipment, working capital and more. The new restaurant and market are expected to employ one hundred people at their locations and will also support many local vendors and suppliers.
“The team at CSB enthusiastically supported my vision of creating a restaurant that celebrates the region’s rich seafood culture, while also adding value to the rapidly developing Seaport neighborhood,” Schlesinger-Guidelli said. “Offering diverse, independent dining options enriches Boston’s culinary scene, benefiting both the local community and visitors. I am incredibly thankful for the partnership with CSB’s energetic and creative team, who demonstrate a deep commitment to the community. Their dedication to nurturing local ties and supporting independent projects like ours has been apparent and invaluable, making them an ideal banking partner.”
Hook + Line is Schlesinger-Guidelli’s second restaurant to open its doors in the Greater Boston area. His first restaurant, Alcove, is an establishment located on the water at Lovejoy Wharf in Boston’s West End. Now celebrating Alcove’s fifth anniversary, Schlesinger-Guidelli was well positioned to launch his next endeavor. Supported by funding from CSB, he aims to leverage his extensive restaurant management skills to establish Hook + Line as both a profitable business and a dynamic, integral part of the local culinary landscape.
“The CSB commercial lending Team is excited to be working with Tom to launch and support his latest venture,” Jessica Kouyoumjian, FVP, commercial relationship manager at CSB, said. “Tom shares our love of all things Boston, along with a deep respect and sense of responsibility for the community. We are proud to provide Boston’s visionary entrepreneurs with the capital needed to build and provide opportunities so our city can grow and thrive.”
