Introducing Biplaw Mondays: Weekly Open Restaurant Office Hours

The Boston Ujima Project is excited to introduce Biplaw Mondays: Weekly Open Restaurant Office Hours. These sessions will take place virtually on Mondays from 12 - 1 PM.

Biplaw Mondays is a weekly open office hours series offering current and aspiring food business owners the opportunity to meet with Ujima’s Restaurant Fellow Biplaw Rai for candid conversation and guidance. In these sessions Rai will provide advice and insight into the realities of operating food businesses. Come with your questions and curiosities about anything from navigating startup challenges, logistics and staffing to community engagement, branding, and growth.

As Ujima’s Restaurant Fellow, Rai brings a wealth of experience as both a restaurateur and community organizer. He is committed to forward-thinking hospitality practices to reimagine the landscape of food and restaurant culture in Boston.

In addition to our open office hours, we offer 30-minute one-on-one sessions on select dates. This offers current and aspiring food business owners the opportunity to meet with Rai, for guidance on everything from startup challenges and staffing to branding, operations, and growth. Please note there is only space for one appointment per month, and we will reach out if you are selected. All other RSVPs will be directed to our open office hours.

Beginning in September, Biplaw Mondays will introduce themed sessions, starting with a multipart series Into the Weeds: Cafes & Coffee. Throughout the sessions participants will dive into the weeds of coffee, espresso, cafes. We will also highlight BIPOC Roasting companies in Boston. Stay tuned, more information to come. 

These office hours are open to new and established restaurant owners and workers within the Ujima ecosystem who are looking for guidance, support, or a space to think through ideas.

Upcoming Schedule: 

July 2026

July 27, 2026 | Open Office Hours  | Register by Thursday July 23 at 5PM.

September 2026

September 14, 2026 | Open Office Hours & 1-on-1 | Register by Thursday September 10.

September 21, 2026 | Into the Weeds: Cafes & Coffee Part I | Register by Thursday September 17.

September 28, 2026 | Open Office Hours | Register by Thursday September 24.

October 2026

October 5, 2026 | Into the Weeds: Cafes & Coffee Part II | Register by Thursday October 1.

October 19, 2026 | Open Office Hours & 1-on-1 | Register by Thursday October 15.

Please register here by 5 PM EST. on the Thursday before each session, and bring your curiosity and questions to this drop in space!

Facilitator Bio:

Biplaw Rai is Co-Founder of UGBA Business, and James Beard-nominated Comfort Kitchen, and newly opened AMA at the Atlas Restaurant. 

A Nepali-born culinary entrepreneur, restaurant owner, and CEO, Rai is dedicated to building community through food. With a deep passion for culture and connection, he creates intentional, collaborative spaces that bring people together.

Biplaw is a Restaurant Fellow for the Boston Ujima Project, a democratic, member-run organization committed to building a cooperative business, arts, and investment ecosystem that returns wealth to working-class communities of color.

An accomplished public speaker, he shares his journey of immigration and advocacy, using his platform to educate audiences on culture and cuisine, community-building, and equity in the food industry.