Square Café Continues to Stay Fresh After 10 Years in Hingham

Patty Libby opened in 2001, and since then she hasn’t missed a beat.  The North Street restaurant  continues to offer fine dining with a quality staff that has been together for over 10 years.

Patch sat down with Libby to find out more about her and her restaurant.

Are you from Hingham?

I grew up in Marshfield and I live in Scituate.

Why did you open a restaurant in Hingham?

PL: I’ve been doing business on North Street in Hingham for 20 years.  I knew the customers, and I knew the area.  I worked for the company Eat Well Inc. as a partner there for 10 years and I wanted to open my own restaurant.

What was the restaurant like back in 2001 and what changes have you made?

PL: When I first opened the restaurant, it was named, the British Relief, and it was a well established local sandwich shop. When I first opened, I gutted the entire space,  and redesigned the interior and restaurants.

What is your favorite thing about being a restaurant owner in Hingham?

PL: The people.  I have a well established, loyal customer based business.

What are some obstacles you face as a restaurant owner?

PL: All the new development and all the new restaurants that have opened in the area.  

Why do customers keep coming back to the Square Café’?

PL: I think they love the food.  My executive chef Andrea Schnell is extremely talented and the people have received her food style and love it.  It’s very fresh, it’s light, it’s clean, it’s new and different than all the other restaurants around.

Also the quality of the service and the consistency of the people that work for me. I’ve had the same staff for 10 years and more. It’s very well managed and organized.  It’s something that people can count on when they come in.

One reader once described the Square Café as “The Cheers of Hingham.” What feedback have you gotten from customers?

I don’t know if I would call it “The Cheers” of Hingham because Cheers has a certain connotation like a pub or sports bar.  That’s not really what we are. What we are is just a really nice local restaurant downtown and people just love coming here. They see friends- and the whole place can be filled up at one time with people that know each other.  And we of course welcome people from out of town that don’t know the regulars.  I think in general it’s just a local downtown institution in Hingham.

What is your favorite dish on the menu?

The yellow-fin tuna.

Favorite Dessert?

The chocolate molten cake.

For someone who has never been to Square Cafe', why should they go?

The Square Café has three major things going for it.

1)   The food quality.
2)   The quality and consistently of service.
3)   The genuine desire to please.

People are just attracted to that and want to keep coming back for more.

What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs looking to start a business in Hingham?

If you provide a quality product, I think the people respond, appreciate it and will continue to come back.