Page 15 - BusinessWest January 20, 2025

“To do two locations, that’s when you said, ‘whoa, we’re running a business, and it’s scalable — we can do this in two places, where we never thought that was possible. We’ve created something that people enjoy and desire. That’s great; it’s very fulfilling.’”
Or how they managed to survive the pandemic in large part because they were already developing an app that would enable people to order online and pick up at the store.
Or how they’ve expanded both within this region — with stores now in Chicopee, Westfield, Hadley, and West Springfield — and well beyond, going as far east as Route 495 in Massachusetts, and deep into Connecticut, with locations in Enfield, Man- chester, Glastonbury, and West Hartford.
These are all elements to a compelling story, one that blends opportunity with vision, persis- tence, and creativity.
And, obviously, some entrepreneurial spirit,
something the brothers say runs in the family —
their mother, Lois, owned and operated the House
of Flowers in East Longmeadow for nearly 40
years. With that background and degrees in busi-
ness from Western New England in their portfolios, the two broth- ers developed “an itch to do something,” as John put it, while also working their day jobs.
This itch coincided with the return of John’s brother-in-law, vet- eran restaurateur Don Watroba, to this region. Watroba had owned and operated several eateries in the area, including Admiral DW’s, Captain DW’s, the Goldmine, and DT Smith’s, before selling them in the early ’90s, moving out west, and returning to this region when his father became ill.
“He was looking for an opportunity also, and we had this itch, so we teamed up with Don, who had some restaurant experience,” John explained, adding that they considered a seafood restaurant and other options before settling on sandwiches and coffee, and especially the latter.
“With John and I being on the road in sales — we were in a lot of different markets in the Northeast — we saw the rise of the café, the fast casuals,” Chris said. “And the coffee aspect was a big part of it.”
The other big part of it, the panini aspect of the venture, traces back to that cruise taken by John’s sister and brother-in-law, and
While adding new locations, the DeVoies and third partner Rich Calcasola have been building a brand, and using many vehicles, including social media and billboards, to do so.
with that concept, the Hot Table picture began to come into focus.
Entrepreneurial Flavor
Fast-forwarding a little, the two partners first made the signifi- cant leap from one location to two with the opening of the store in Tower Square, formerly home to Gus & Paul’s and, before that, coincidentally, a Friendly’s location.
“To do two locations,” Chris recalled, “that’s when you said, ‘whoa, we’re running a business, and it’s scalable — we can do this in two places, where we never thought that was possible. We’ve cre- ated something that people enjoy and desire. That’s great; it’s very fulfilling.’”
After that, they continued a pattern of expansion that took them across this region and then well beyond, to communities and loca-
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Congratulations John, Chris, and Team Hot Table. It’s been our pleasure being part of your many Hot Table projects. Wishing you continued success!
A Business Advisory Law Firm Counseling Companies Entrepreneurs and their Families.
Congratulations Chris and John DeVoie on Hot Table’s success!
Hard work, passion, and dedication to your dreams have led to this remarkable achievement. Bravo!
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