Expanding the Radius of the James Street scene

What’s old is new again at Radius on James Street South.

McMaster alumnus Paven Bratch and his wife of 16 years, Bela, are dedicated to the Hamilton community in more ways than one. Not only have they opened a unique café, patio and dinner hotspot in Hamilton, but they are passionate about using the healthiest and freshest ingredients with a focus on local suppliers.

“People have a real interest in what they are eating, what they are feeding their children and where their food is coming from. The reason behind the restaurant is we want to be able to provide as much food as we can from our farm, from local suppliers, use organic ingredients wherever possible and bring that into the downtown,” explains Bela. “We want to feed the businesses and families of Hamilton by providing healthy foods and a balance.”

Paven’s father originally owned the building on the corner of Augusta Street and James Street South. After graduating from McMaster’s Faculty of Business, Paven occupied the second floor in an apartment while working at his first job. Decades later, when the building next door became available for purchase, Paven and his wife jumped at the opportunity to merge the two. Soon enough, the dream of opening up a restaurant serving only the finest and freshest ingredients became a reality. Paven explains:

“The building my father owned was like an institution in our family. My father worked as a pharmacist on that street for 45 years, and Bela and I loved the architectural potential of the building though it was hard to see in the beginning.  We also saw that the James South [area] had so many great restaurants and pubs, mostly on Augusta, and that we could create a 200 seat multilevel patio property to complement all the other patios on the street.”

Although the two buildings were purchased and the dream was alive, both were in desperate need of repair. The building on the corner of Augusta and James originally belonged to Isaac Buchanan (1810-1883), a businessman and militia officer who formed the 13th battalion (later known as the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry). Buchanan was born in Scotland, but founded a successful wholesale dry goods company in Hamilton. He’s remembered today for his Auchmar estate on the Hamilton mountain, helping to bring the railway to the area and founding the Hamilton and Toronto Chamber of Commerce and the Hamilton Club.

During renovations for Radius, the original brick, high ceilings and fireplaces were maintained. The tin ceilings were blasted with walnut shells to preserve the design while cleaning years of wear and neglect. Mennonites from St. Jacobs, Ont. who had restored the Bratch’s barn in Carlisle were hired to help preserve the downtown property, piece by piece. Original exposed beams and bricks were maintained, barn board was brought in from the family farm and the bar was handmade using concrete.The newly restored cafe is already making waves in the community.

“Our regular customers that come in have become a part of the Radius family. We serve local food, showcase local artists and musicians, and work on building these community relationships. That is what I love most. I love seeing the smiles on their faces, having them host meetings at Radius because of the warm environment and of course enjoying our food,” describes Bela.

In the marketing world, Paven is renowned for his savvy campaign ideas (including the hugely successful “Moo, You Win” contest, which has gone largely unchanged since its creation). His successful career has already spanned more than 25 years.

Bela is an occupational therapist, and together they have a 10-year-old daughter and four-year-old twins, a boy and a girl.

Radius is located at 151 James St. S. in downtown Hamilton.