Having Words With: Seth WoodsHaving Words With: Seth Woods

Since 1995 when he opened the 39-seat Metropolis Cafe, an eclectic European cafe in Boston’s South End, Seth Woods has been steadily shaping his Aquitaine Group into a respected local operator of fine-casual restaurants.

Along with Metropolis and the three Aquitaine French Bistros in Boston, Dedham and Chestnut Hill, Mass., Woods and his partners Matthew Burns and Jeffrey Gates also own and operate Gaslight Brasserie, Union Bar & Grille and the lunch-only Cafe Green Light.

While the recession was brutally hard for many upscale restaurants, not only did Woods’ Boston-based company weather the downturn, it continued to grow by focusing on value and keeping prices under control, he said.

Currently, the group is preparing to open its eighth res...