He started his restaurant to be able to introduce more people to his rich Caribbean culture and doesn’t intend to change any time soon. He is exactly the kind of guy anyone would want to support! Ian spoke with Amplify intern Catie Clarke.

What strikes you first about Ian Burt is that he's so courteous -- he truly cares about each member of his staff, as well as every customer that comes through his dining room. He grew up in Jamaica, so the food is really as authentic as it gets. Branches is a colorful, fun, and welcoming environment where anyone can enjoy a meal with family, friends, or even by themselves.

Located in Chatham, a town which is about 99% white, Branches truly offers something that sets him apart from other restaurants. Ian opened right before Covid and got through the pandemic by doing takeout -- now that it’s over, he has his eyes on the future: “That’s one of the concepts of Branches, is to branch it out and be able to please more people.”

Amplify: So, what does Branches have to offer?

Chef Ian Burt: So I’m serving cuisine, carry out cuisine, and local food. I want to bring my heritage and my culture to Chatham, the people who live in Chatham and from all over. That’s what I want to do, and I would love to branch out. If I’m successful, I’ll have more Branches elsewhere. I know people love it and would like it to be everywhere.

Amplify: When did you become interested in restaurants?

Ian: Well from when I was young, back in Jamaica. You know, I’ve been in the hospitality industry for a long time. And you know, meeting and greeting people from all over the world -- I love that. And I love all the different cultures as well. So that’s one of my main goals: inviting more people from all over the world to my culture.

Amplify: How did you start Branches?

Ian: This used to be a Sweet Tomatoes restaurant before, and I used to live upstairs. And at the time, I was working at Wequassett Resort and Golf Club and I used to do a morning gig -- a breakfast gig -- close by there at the Queen Anne Inn. Sweet Tomatoes closed down and three other restaurants passed through there over a couple years. So when the last place closed, I said ‘I feel like I’m interested in this place,’ because I wanted a restaurant a long time ago. There was the Jerk Cafe, that I co-created in 2006 in Yarmouth, but I couldn’t work with this guy -- it wasn’t what I wanted. So I went on my way and decided to start Branches.

Amplify: How have recent events in the country affected your business?

Ian: Oh Covid, it was a tough one. It was a really tough one. I opened just before Covid came in and, you know, everyone had to close their restaurants. But the good thing is that we could stay open for takeout and all my staff… actually, I had no staff. So it was just me after that! I was there, you know, doing a bunch of takeouts. And it worked. So then, Covid ends and we can still do the takeouts and so I’m still here.

Amplify: Where do you see your business in five years?

Ian: Well if I’m really successful, and I can afford to get some good staff, I would really love to branch out. I would like to expand Branches. That’s one of the concepts of Branches, is to branch it out and be able to please more people. And, you know, I would like to add more things to the menu but right now it’s a little small -- I think I need more space.

Amplify: And is there anything else that I haven’t touched on that you’d like to include?

Ian: Well, yeah. Because I can add more staff, I just recently upgraded my bar -- a lot of people don’t know that I have a full bar. I have a 10-seat bar right now and we do everything like cappuccinos, espressos, the whole nine yards. Especially with coffees we have Spanish coffee, Jamaican coffee, Italian coffees, all that stuff. So it’s just growing. We’ve added on a draft beer as well to the beer list. I don’t want to stay at the same place where I started. I want to always go further and make it much better all the time.

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On the Web: https://www.branchesgrillandcafe.com/
On instagram: https://www.instagram.com/branches_chatham/
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chathamCC/
Address: 155 Crowell Road, Chatham MA