The Burren
The Burren is a single-location Irish pub and restaurant in Davis Square, Somerville, MA, operating since January 1996. It serves local residents, Tufts students, and music enthusiasts with full-service Irish and American dining, nightly live music across multiple genres, private events, and delivery via UberEats and DoorDash.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersSomerville, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Burren does
The Burren is a single-location Irish pub and restaurant operating since January 1996 at 247 Elm Street in Davis Square, Somerville, Massachusetts. The venue combines a full-service kitchen offering Irish and American cuisine with vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options across lunch, brunch, dinner, and late-night service, with nightly live music programming seven days a week spanning Irish Traditional, Folk, Americana, Bluegrass, Jazz, Rock, Pop, and Indie genres. Co-owned by musicians Tommy McCarthy and Louise Costello, the establishment leverages its proximity to the MBTA Red Line, Somerville Theatre, and Tufts University to drive walk-in foot traffic, while extending its reach through UberEats and DoorDash delivery, Toast Tab gift cards, and a private event venue (The Back Room) accommodating parties of 30 or more.
Revenue is generated primarily through on-premise food and beverage sales with menu items ranging from $6 (Kids Mac & Cheese) to $24 (Steak Tips, Atlantic Salmon, Roast Prime Rib), complemented by merchandise (T-shirts at $15), recorded music CDs distributed via CDBaby, private event bookings, and gift card sales. Ancillary content revenue is supported by the Burren Backroom Series, a 2011-launched partnership with WGBH Boston featuring Celtic music recorded and broadcast on Brian O'Donovan's A Celtic Sojourn program. The venue's operating cadence is broad — 11:30am-1:00am Monday-Thursday, with later closes on weekends — and its marketing mix relies on organic social (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), email newsletters via Constant Contact, and third-party delivery platforms, with no proprietary technology, mobile app, or digital product layer of its own.
The business operates as an independent private establishment with no disclosed external funding, parent company, or investor base, and no M&A activity in its history. Its strategic posture is one of community-rooted single-site operation: deep local moat through 28+ years of brand equity, curated live entertainment, and Davis Square real estate, with no signals of geographic or unit expansion.
The Burren firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Burren
- Website
- https://burren.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Burren is a single-location Irish pub and restaurant in Davis Square, Somerville, MA, operating since January 1996. It serves local residents, Tufts students, and music enthusiasts with full-service Irish and American dining, nightly live music across multiple genres, private events, and delivery via UberEats and DoorDash.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Burren industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Irish Pub & Live Music Restaurant
- NAICS
- Full-Service Restaurants (722511)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Neighborhood Bars & Taverns (CRANACAA)
Keywords
Where The Burren is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Somerville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Burren business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Food and Beverage Sales: On-site dining revenue from full menu including Irish and American favorites, craft cocktails, extensive beer selection, and wine. Covers lunch, brunch, dinner, and late-night service.
- Delivery and Takeout: Third-party delivery through UberEats and DoorDash platforms for off-premise consumption.
- Merchandise and Recordings: Sale of T-shirts, gift certificates, and recorded music including Burren Backroom Series CDs and Grace Bay CD by owners.
- Live Entertainment and Events: Revenue generation through live music performances, comedy nights, and private event bookings in The Back Room venue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Full-service restaurant with items ranging from $6-$24 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
The Burren product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Burren is an Irish pub and restaurant in Davis Square, Somerville, MA, serving authentic Irish and American cuisine across lunch, brunch, dinner, and late-night service. It operates as a nightly live music venue featuring local, national, and international acts across multiple genres including Irish Traditional, Folk, Americana, Bluegrass, Jazz, Rock, Pop, and Indie. Revenue also includes merchandise (T-shirts, CDs), gift cards, and private event hosting in The Back Room for parties of 30 or more.
Product overview
The Burren is a single-location Irish pub and restaurant offering a unified hospitality experience combining authentic Irish dining with nightly live music programming. The core offering includes food and beverage service with Irish and American cuisine, while The Burren Backroom Series represents their signature music initiative featuring recorded performances broadcast on WGBH. Additional offerings include merchandise (CDs, T-shirts), gift cards, and private event hosting capabilities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Food and Beverage Service Full-service restaurant with Irish and American cuisine, including vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options, served during lunch, brunch, dinner, and late-night hours. Menu items range from $6 (Kids Mac & Cheese) to $24 (Steak Tips, Atlantic Salmon, Roast Prime Rib), with an extensive drink menu featuring Irish whiskeys and craft cocktails.
- Live Music Programming Nightly live music 7 days a week featuring local, national, and international acts across genres including Irish Traditional, Folk, Americana, Bluegrass, Jazz, Rock, Pop, and Indie. Includes weekly Irish Sessions, Open Mic nights, Kids Open Mic, and the Brian O'Donovan Legacy Series.
- The Burren Backroom Series A music recording and performance series launched in 2011 in collaboration with WGBH public media in Boston. Hosted by Brian O'Donovan and broadcast on A Celtic Sojourn, it features traditional and contemporary music from around the Celtic world.
- Burren Backroom Series CD (Volume 1) A compilation CD featuring 14 tracks of music recorded between October 2011 and August 2014 from The Burren Backroom Series, representing the diversity of traditional music performed at the venue across Irish, Bluegrass, Appalachian, Country, Blues, Jazz, and Rock genres.
- Grace Bay CD A CD release from The Burren owners Tommy McCarthy and Louise Costello, featuring duet playing in the regional styles of West Clare and North Galway. Praised by the Irish Echo as a perfect blend of regional styles.
- Burren T-Shirts and Merchandise Burren-branded merchandise including 100% heavy-weight cotton T-shirts available in sizes S, M, L, XL, priced at $15 each, sold in-person at the venue.
- Private Event Hosting The Back Room venue at The Burren is available for private parties and special events, accommodating parties of 30 or more with full food and beverage service. Booking inquiries handled by Joanne at (617) 776-6896.
- Burren Gift Cards Gift cards available for purchase through Toast Tab for use on dining and drinks at The Burren.
Companies that use The Burren
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
The Burren technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Burren partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- WGBHcoreCollaboration with WGBH public media powerhouse in Boston to launch The Burren Backroom Series in 2011. Series is hosted by Brian O'Donovan on his weekly program A Celtic Sojourn and features traditional and contemporary music from around the Celtic world. This partnership has produced recorded music releases and broadcast content.
- CDBabyminorCDBaby serves as the online distribution platform for Burren merchandise including Burren Backroom Series CDs and Grace Bay CD. Customers can purchase online or at the bar.
- The Real School of MusicminorPartnership with The Real School of Music in Andover for student performances. RealJams Academy Advanced Summer Performance featuring students performs at The Burren.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
The Burren competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Green Dragon: Boston Irish pub/bar with on-site F&B and entertainment focus; comparable to The Burren as a neighborhood-style Irish pub in the Boston market.
- The Kinsale Irish Pub: Boston Irish pub in the same competitive set, combining full food service with a bar/live-entertainment atmosphere, mirroring The Burren's bar-plus-F&B positioning.
- J.J. Gline's: Traditional Irish pub in the Boston/Cambridge area focused on Irish fare and bar service; closely comparable bar-plus-food concept to The Burren.
- Druid Pub: Cambridge Irish pub offering traditional Irish food and a full bar with entertainment — directly comparable to The Burren in concept, geography, and customer mix.
- Mr. Dooley's: Historic Boston Irish pub with a strong traditional-music and drink-led offering; directly comparable to The Burren as a Greater Boston Irish pub serving food alongside music programming.
- Cantab Lounge: Cambridge live-music venue with regular ticketed and free programming across genres; comparable to The Burren's live-entertainment-nightly side, though more venue than full pub.
- The Plough and Stars: Long-running Irish pub in Cambridge, MA offering traditional Irish fare and nightly live traditional music — directly comparable concept, geography, and live-music-plus-dining format to The Burren.
- Lir: Modern Boston Irish pub with full food and drink service; comparable Boston Irish-pub F&B-plus-bar positioning though with less live-music emphasis.
- Toad: Cambridge bar featuring nightly live music (often rock, jazz, blues) paired with food service; comparable to The Burren for its nightly live-programming-plus-F&B model.
Broad incumbents
- The Beehive: Boston live-music-plus-restaurant venue with a broader, more upscale positioning and jazz/programming focus; overlaps with The Burren's music-plus-dining concept but operates as a broader-format hospitality incumbent.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Burren social profiles
Digital presenceThe Burren financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Burren leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
The Burren funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Burren M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Burren
What does The Burren do?
The Burren is an Irish pub and restaurant in Davis Square, Somerville, MA, serving authentic Irish and American cuisine across lunch, brunch, dinner, and late-night service. It operates as a nightly live music venue featuring local, national, and international acts across multiple genres including Irish Traditional, Folk, Americana, Bluegrass, Jazz, Rock, Pop, and Indie. Revenue also includes merchandise (T-shirts, CDs), gift cards, and private event hosting in The Back Room for parties of 30 or more.
Is The Burren a public or private company?
The Burren is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Burren founded?
The Burren was founded in 1996. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Burren based?
The Burren is headquartered in Somerville, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Burren make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Food and Beverage Sales are the primary driver. The others are delivery and Takeout, merchandise and Recordings and live Entertainment and Events.
Who are The Burren's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Green Dragon, The Kinsale Irish Pub, J.J. Gline's, Druid Pub, Mr. Dooley's, Cantab Lounge, The Plough and Stars, Lir and Toad. The Beehive is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does The Burren have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Burren.
What industry is The Burren in?
The Burren's product category is Irish Pub & Live Music Restaurant. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRANACAA, Neighborhood Bars & Taverns. Its NAICS code is 722511 and its SIC code is 5810.