About

Our Story

The Buttery began in 2005 when the owners, tired of not finding many good food or coffee options in the South End, decided to open a small neighborhood coffee shop. In a time before social media, food bloggers and online review sites, a former criminal prosecutor and an investment manager opened South End Buttery with no food industry experience but with a great passion and appreciation for exceptional food and service. A graduate of St. John’s College at Cambridge University, one of the owners knew the concept of a buttery very well: to serve fresh, simple, top-quality food throughout the entire day.

The Buttery quickly became a neighborhood mainstay with award-winning specialty coffees and teas, house made biscuit breakfast sandwiches and signature cupcakes, gourmet sandwiches and salads, seasonal soups and scratch pastries. In 2008, the owners expanded to add a restaurant and bar with dinner service daily and brunch on weekends. The Buttery grew again in 2012, adding a prepared foods takeout market and a second location on nearby Clarendon Street where they offer fresh, healthy take-away foods.

The advent of COVID-19 has changed all of our lives and the food service industry, but The Buttery has remained committed to feeding the South End and Boston as we navigate our way back to a time where we won’t have to wear masks. In the meantime, we will continue being the place to meet a friend or make a new one. We can't wait to serve you.

EQUATOR COFFEES

In 1995 Equator Coffees began with a big idea: to make people’s lives better through coffee. That realization inspired Equator’s founders to roast and sell coffee themselves from a Marin County garage in 1995. They believed that coffee could be roasted and brewed better and sourced in a way that makes the lives of the people that grow it better. Equator Coffees has become a high-impact coffee company focused on quality, sustainability and social responsibility and was practicing these beliefs long before anyone thought coffee could embody any of those qualities.

In 2005 when we went on a search for a specialty coffee roaster we were lucky to be introduced to the owners of Equator. By that time already the favorite of many of the top coffee shops, cafes and restaurants on the west coast, it was easy for us to fall in love with Equator’s unique and outstanding roasts and we have partnered with them ever since.

KILOGRAM TEA

Kilogram Tea is dedicated to sustainability, taste and freshness, offering tea as a star in its own right and not as a lesser alternative to coffee. Their teas showcase flavor profiles that recount compelling stories in an impressive range of contemporary twists on traditional flavors. Kilogram selects teas that were made using time-tested, refined techniques and sources leaves at their peak of freshness. They work to ensure their teas are sustainably produced and, when possible, certified organic. Each tea is complex, with deep flavor, aroma and vibrant cup color.

COMMUNITY

At The Buttery, supporting local and national causes is part of our core business model. We strive to help raise community awareness and funds for a wide range of local and national causes. Our pet charities include the Animal Rescue League of Boston, Community Servings, Victory Programs, Boston Bakes for Breast Cancer and Share Our Strength.