Sam Jarvis leaves his mark on the Portsmouth cuisine scene 

Careful inspection of the Metro Restaurant yields a number of artifacts that have adorned the property since its early incarnation as the Jarvis Tea Room, which opened nearly 80 years ago.

The old stained glass windows, the face of the bar and the front door have stood unaltered through decades of change in Portsmouth. And although the restaurant on High Street has adapted with the passage of years, the quality of the cuisine, service and entertainment have consistently remained in high esteem.

Another familiar aspect of the business still reliably greets customers as they enter: crucial to its success and inseparable from its local charm, Metro owner Sam Jarvis, at the age of 76, remains a highly recognizable figure in the city.

Although the Metro permanently closes its doors on Dec. 31, Jarvis’s contribution to the creation of a fine dining scene in Portsmouth will continue to influence generations to come. As he settles into a well-earned retirement, he remains excited about the restaurant scene and looks forward to the contributions aspiring chefs and business owners will bring.

“I feel as though there will continue to be some changes in the community as far as the restaurant scene,” Jarvis said.

“Many of them have been in operation for a long term, and I really do think that there’ll be new concepts coming into town, but I’m certainly not desirous of the large chain restaurants. I prefer not to see that happen, because then the downtown will lose that caliber or feel that has made it successful.”

Jarvis speaks slowly and carefully, choosing his words with patience to accurately convey his meaning. Seated beside an old piano in the front of the restaurant on the evening of Dec. 19, he folded and unfolded a receipt on the tabletop as he spoke. The folds, like his sentences, were slow and precise.

Undistracted by the convivial murmur of customers enjoying their dinners, Jarvis recalled his family’s long history in Portsmouth. His Greek immigrant father and uncle came to the city in 1914 and quickly established candy and confection stores on Market Street. In 1918, they created the Jarvis Cafeteria on Congress Street, at the current location of The Gap.

Jarvis began working at the cafeteria, which closed in 1948, when he was only 14, serving as an ice boy and doing odd jobs for his father. Although he was young and in school, the desire to help his parents and learn about the food industry drove him to work hard.

“I wanted to work because it was the 1940s and the Second World War was on and I just wanted to help my parents,” he said.

The Jarvis Tea Room opened down the street in 1928, thenclosed for renovations 20 years later, reopening as the Jarvis Restaurant. After another 20 years, in 1968, Jarvis and his brother Harry took over operations at the restaurant and changed its name to the Market Street Pub, an English pub serving lunch and light fare.

In 1979, they closed the pub to make way for the Metro, which expanded into a back section, creating a main entrance at 20 High St. Harry retired in the early 1990s, but Sam has kept the Metro going strong.

The numerous changes to the location reflect ongoing mutations in the market, Jarvis said. When he first took over operations of the Jarvis Restaurant, the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard was the largest employer in the area, and the clientele consisted primarily of working class diners.

The scene began to change in the early to mid-1970s, when restaurants like the Blue Strawbery, the Dolphin Striker and the Oar House came to town. A savvy businessman, Jarvis knew he had to continually adjust the atmosphere to keep his business fresh.

The Metro gradually evolved into the upscale, candlelit bistro seen today, with its sumptuous menu of soups, salads and entrees. The thumping jazz tunes that spill to the sidewalk outside have become familiar to downtown pedestrians.
After a lengthy run of success, Jarvis sensed the time was right to give up his position as restaurant host.

“I felt as though it was conceived by me and it had had a run of 28 years, and I felt as though it was time to go,” he said.

During his retirement, Jarvis intends to stay active in the restaurant scene, volunteering with the SCORE Association, an organization of retired businessmen who act as consultants for younger generations.

Not surprisingly, Jarvis said he and his employees and customers have mixed emotions about the closing.

“(I’m) sad and happy, and it’s exactly how my clientele feels: they’re sad and happy,” he said. “Sad because it no longer will be what it was for so many years, but also understanding that it’s time for me to have some time.”

A new restaurant could soon move into the prime High Street location after it’s vacated, but Jarvis’s involvement with any new business would be restricted to the role of landlord. Still, he had some advice for entrepreneurs in the dining industry.

“It has to be a very attractive site that has ambiance,” he said. “It used to be four walls, a floor and food, but it’s not that anymore. It has to be an entertainment center, it has to be inviting for people to want to come to you, and it has to be the very best at all times, and management will have to insist on that.”

Jarvis plans to go out with a bang—or perhaps a jazzy drum-roll. A New Year’s Eve grand finale with food and music was completely booked within five days of the announcement. The gracious host has been touched by the continual show of support from his many loyal customers.

“I always said I wanted to go out on top,” he said.