Nine Seats, Neat
How Bartender Phillip Rolfe's intimate cocktail bar uses a tasting menu and reservation-only approach to streamline service.
Photo: Will Blunt
On the first of each month, cocktail lovers and beverage aficionados eagerly wait for the clock to strike noon, because that’s when tickets go live for Farmacia, Boston’s reservation-only, cocktail tasting bar. The nine-seat, 500-square-foot space, tucked away in the North End’s Ciao Roma, is the brainchild of Beverage Director Phillip Rolfe. “It was my first time building [something] from the ground up; to be able to design a program exactly how I wanted. I asked myself, ‘If I was going to go out drinking somewhere, what would it look like?’”
The original Farmacia space was built in the 70s as the bar for a busy Italian restaurant. Over time, however, after a second bar was built, the space became “redundant” and turned into a makeshift storage space—that is, until Rolfe came along. “I had previously worked for the owners [of All Day Hospitality Group], and I was looking to execute a small project. I hit up the owner and hammered out an idea.”
Although technically not an owner of the bar, Farmacia and its ethos are 100% Rolfe. The cocktail tasting menu consists of three to four cocktails split over four to five courses including light bar snacks (developed by Rolfe) and dessert. Although the menu is fixed, guests have the option to select their desired drinks for some of the courses.
Tickets go live 60 days in advance via Tock at around $80-per-person, and the menu changes quarterly based on whatever theme inspires Rolfe. He stresses that the pre-pay system was integral to establishing Farmacia’s intimate environment. “It allows guests the freedom to order without price sensitivity. With prices increasing, I feel that knowing exactly what you’re spending prevents that anxiety of being stuck with a huge bill. My least favorite part is shoving a handheld device in their face while they decide how much your service is worth. How awkward is that as an idea? I hope that this is an antithesis to that.”
Selling tickets ahead of time also contributes to a more streamlined, personable cocktail experience, while still doing 45 covers a night. Guests are seated at the bar and have the opportunity to engage with Rolfe and his apprentice face-to-face to ask questions and chat. Rolfe’s system also benefits the bottom line. “We know exactly how many people are going to show up and how many cocktails we are going to sell a week. We run almost zero waste. It’s a more friendly way to operate.” Having a better idea of finances allows Rolfe to reinvest back into the bar, pouring resources into product and glassware to enhance the customer experience.
Since opening in Spring 2022, tickets to Farmacia still sell out within minutes, but the limited access to reservations has fed into a narrative that Rolfe isn’t too pleased with. “[Farmacia] has been hyped in a way I don’t love. It’s a funky concept and can read a bit pretentious, but we’re trying to be casual and congenial. Some people are attracted to a sense of exclusivity.” But Rolfe is trying to find a happy medium, especially since booking reservations has also been a point of frustration for some guests. “It was difficult for people to get reservations. We wanted a healthy balance of returning guests and those that are brand new.” So, Rolfe decided to implement season passes, which now make up 26% of his clientele. Guests pre-pay for an entire year (one visit per menu) with guaranteed seats.
Despite the speedbumps, Farmacia is going strong. “Boston can be a pretty fickle, old-school market. People are into new things, but it's hard to open new experimental things. [Farmacia] gets people out on a limb and to try new things. I couldn’t be more elated.”
