NOT OFFICIALLY RELEASED

By Emily Procknal

Larry Margulies is no newbie to the coffee shop industry.

Margulies, 34, owns the three Expresso Royale Caffes located in Boston, as well as Bagel Rising in Allston. He plans to open his latest coffee house, Pavement, in Boston in January. With a prime location at 1096 Boylston St., around the corner from the Berklee College of Music, Pavement “will bring something to Boston that really isn’t here in the coffee shop world,” Margulies said.

He said the restaurant will have a menu similar to that of the three Expresso Royale Caffes, serving only single-origin coffee as opposed to blended coffee, and making only the highest quality bagels and sandwiches.

It will also be dishing up a feeling, he said.

“It’s an attitude that’s missing from Boston, as opposed to New York City or Chicago,” Margulies said. “It’s going to have a little stronger, broad-shoulder-type vibe, almost gritty and industrial.” Margulies said he has been bringing his own attitude into the coffee house business in Boston for years.

After graduating from Boston University in 1997, Margulies was hired as the manager of his friend’s bagel restaurant, Bagel Rising. A year later, his friend decided to sell the restaurant, and Margulies said he couldn’t resist the opportunity to buy it. “He wanted to sell the store when it wasn’t doing so well,” Margulies, who was just 23 at the time, said. “I bought it and worked there for seven years selling sandwiches, doing the dishes, and sweeping the floor. I did everything.”

Four years ago, Margulies was looking to expand Bagel Rising. A casual stroll along Newbury Street led him past the Expresso Royale Caffe located there. “I thought to myself, ‘This would be a great spot for a Bagel Rising’,” Margulies said.

He spoke with the owner of the cafe, who told him that his store wasn’t for sale. Refusing to take “no” for an answer, Margulies offered to sell his bagels at the Expresso Royale, and the owner agreed. After about a year, the owner of that same Expresso Royale decided to sell, and again Margulies couldn’t resist the opportunity to buy.

Now, Margulies owns three Expresso Royale Caffes: one on the Boston University campus, one on Gainsborough Street, plus the one on Newbury Street. The cafes all have their own atmosphere. The tables feature hand-painted designs and catchy sayings such as “muffins are for lovers” written on them. Posters and advertisements for local bands and events can be found displayed on walls and pillars. A constant flow of young college students can be seen in the “order here” line.

“My friends and I go and grab great coffee. We do homework for an hour, talk and make jokes,” said Erin Santhouse, 19, a Northeastern University student who frequents the Expresso Royale Caffe at 44 Gainsborough St. “It’s got a great atmosphere, great people and great food.”

Even in the recession, Margulies said, he hasn’t had to lay off a single employee and plans to hire between 12 and 15 employees once Pavement opens. “I’m confident the new shop will be successful,” Margulies said about the opening of the new coffee house. “You just can’t go into Dunkin’ Donuts and expect anything like what we’re selling,”

Emily Procknal is an undergraduate student at the Northeastern University School of Journalism.