Posts Tagged ‘Common Man Family of Restaurants’
Monday, November 7th, 2011
The Common Man family of restaurants in New Hampshire marked its 40th year with a $40,000 birthday gift to the New Hampshire Food Bank and the unveiling of a DO GOOD charity raffle to assist 20 other non-profits in the state.
 New Hampshire Governor John Lynch joins Common Man CEO Jason Lyon, Vice President Diane Downing and owner Alex Ray in presenting a $40,000 birthday gift to the New Hampshire Food Bank's Director of Development Colleen Cowette. At a party held at the New Hampshire Food Bank in Manchester last Thursday, Common Man owner Alex Ray, Vice President Diane Downing and CEO Jason Lyon gathered staff, partners and non-profits to announce a month-long celebration of the hospitality family’s 40th year, which includes throwback menus, parties and charitable endeavors.
Lyon kicked off the party with the donation to the New Hampshire Food Bank. “While this was a gift to mark our 40th birthday, we do encourage and even challenge all businesses across New Hampshire to give what they can as well, so that no resident goes hungry,” said Lyon.
Bruce Wilson, Director of Operations for the New Hampshire Food Bank, said the donation solidifies a partnership with the Common Man family that has spanned several years, and thanked the Common Man for helping serve more than 130,000 people. “This will go a long way in filling our shelves so that we can help those in need in our state,” said Wilson.
Governor John Lynch commended Ray and the Common Man family for their contributions to the state and to others. “To me, the Common Man represents all that is good about organizations in New Hampshire,” said Lynch. “It’s obvious they have a real commitment to their communities. Everywhere I go, there’s the Common Man, there’s Alex, giving back to the community.”
Ray reflected on 40 years of doing business in New Hampshire and commented that he often gets calls about locations outside of the state that would be perfect for a new restaurant or hospitality endeavor.
“I love it here, I love New Hampshire. Period,” said Ray. “It’s not just the beauty of our geography, it’s the people, it’s the work ethic, positivity, and it’s just great. I want us to be New Hampshire’s restaurant.”
Ray thanked the more than 800 employees of the Common Man family and credited them for the company’s success. “I am so proud of our Common Man family, we have a very good tenure and that’s what makes it magic.”
Steve Boucher, Communications and Legislative Director for the NH Division of Economic Development, said The Common Man is a world-class company that provides excellent food and is a leader in vision and spirit. “It’s companies like The Common Man that consistently create new opportunities to add to the workforce, to initiate redevelopment and to add to the social fabric that makes this state great.”
Common Man VP Downing announced a charity DO GOOD raffle that partners 21 of New Hampshire’s non-profits with 21 Common Man locations. Raffle tickets will be sold for $1 each with all proceeds benefiting the partner organization, and the lucky raffle winner will receive a Common Man gift card for $197.10, to mark the company’s inception in 1971.
Lyon said the charities in the DO GOOD raffle contest can also earn an additional $400 Common Man gift card through a voting contest on the Common Man’s Facebook page. The non-profit with the highest votes at the end of the month will win. Votes can be cast in the voting app at www.facebook.com/thecommonmannh.
Other festivities and promotions planned for the 40th anniversary include a Happy Birthday Video Contest, where contestants can sing their own version of Happy Birthday, capture it on video and load it to an app on the Common Man’s Facebook page. The videos will go to a public vote and finalist videos will be shown in a Birthday Idol contest at the culmination of the month-long celebration at The Flying Monkey Movie House and Performance Center in Plymouth on December 2. The grand prize for the video contest is a $400 Common Man gift card, said Lyon.
Getting back to its roots, the Common Man restaurant in Ashland, the company’s flagship location, will be serving up a throwback menu at throwback prices from November 7-12. Information about all of the Common Man’s 40th anniversary events and specials can be found at thecman.com or on the company’s Facebook page at facebook.com/thecommonmannh.
Tags: Alex Ray, Bruce Wilson, Common Man Family of Restaurants, Diane Downing, Flying Monkey Movie House and Performance Center, Jason Lyon, New Hampshire Division of Economic Development, New Hampshire Food Bank
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Tuesday, December 7th, 2010
Excellent customer service, delicious food and commitment to the community was all part of the recipe that led to the Common Man Family of Restaurants being named “Company of the Year” as part of the “2010 Commissioner’s Awards for Economic Development Excellence” recently announced at the 15th Annual New Hampshire Economic Development Summit held at Southern New Hampshire University.
 Common Man Owner Alex Ray (center) receives the “Commissioner’s Company of the Year” award from New Hampshire Department of Resources & Economic Development Commissioner George Bald (l.) and New Hampshire Division of Economic Development Interim Director Roy Duddy (r.). “With great attention directed toward creating the perfect customer experience and an unyielding desire to be a true community partner, the Common Man has become a New Hampshire treasure,” New Hampshire Department of Resources & Economic Development Commissioner George Bald said. “This is a company that has incorporated charitable giving and service to others as part of its corporate philosophy resulting in a world class business worthy of emulation.”
What started as a small Ashland restaurant with only enough room for 35 customers, the Common Man has grown to 17 restaurants, two inns, a company story and a movie house. However, Alex Ray and his staff are known just as much for their community service and charitable endeavors as they are for their award-winning eateries. In January 2010, upon learning of the devastation caused in Haiti after a massive earthquake, the Common Man Family of Restaurants put forth a “Common Effort for Haiti,” event, donating 50 percent of all food sales at 15 of its locations to disaster relief efforts.
Closer to home, the Common Man has supported countless non-profit agencies with funding, food donations and even the creation of Webster Place Center, a non-profit, residential treatment facility to assist those struggling to overcome alcohol and other drug abuse and dependence.
Other category winners are as follows:
“Commissioner’s Special Achievement Award” – Stay Work Play organization for their efforts in youth retention and letting young people know about all of the work and cultural amenities available in New Hampshire.
“Commissioner’s Exemplary Effort Award” – Jim Hinson, State Program Coordinator/Corporate Relations for New Hampshire Vocational Rehabilitation for his advocacy work in helping people with disabilities to secure employment.
“Commissioner’s Teamwork Award” – New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services for its efforts to streamline permitting processes for New Hampshire businesses.
“Commissioner’s Award for Media Excellence” – Business New Hampshire Magazine for fashioning a 26-year history of exemplary journalism.
The 15th Annual New Hampshire Economic Development Summit was sponsored by Public Service of New Hampshire and Sales Protocol with support from media sponsor New Hampshire Business Review.
Tags: "Stay Work & Play", Business New Hampshire Magazine, Common Man Family of Restaurants, Jim Hinson, New Hampshire Business Review, New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, New Hampshire Department of Resources & Economic Development, New Hampshire Vocational Rehabilitation, Public Service of New Hampshire, Sales Protocol, Southern New Hampshire University, Webster Place Center
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Thursday, October 21st, 2010
It was a real pleasure for the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development to be a sponsor of last night’s New Hampshire Business Review “Business Excellence Awards” at Southern New Hampshire University. This was a great celebration of New Hampshire’s best and brightest companies and the good folks at NHBR were rewarded for their hard work with a packed room.
Special congrats are in order for “No Bull Business Blog” guest blogger Dr. Russ Ouellette of Sojourn Partners who was recognized with an award in the “Business Services” category. Way to go Russ!!
Here’s a recap of last night’s festivities:
New Hampshire Business Review honored 14 individuals at the 2010 Business Excellence Awards, which recognize the efforts and achievements owners of businesses with 100 employees or fewer.
More than 50 nominations in 13 categories were received, making the job of the 14 judges that much more difficult.
More than 300 people attended the Oct. 20 event, which was held at Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester.
Because of the extraordinary number of accomplished candidates, NHBR also named a tie in the Retail category and finalists in several other categories.
NHBR also announced two inductees into the Business Excellence Hall of Fame, which singles out people whose entire careers have been marked by a consistent and impressive record of accomplishments, both in their chosen fields, in their communities, and across the state and beyond. These honorees were selected by a separate panel of judges.
“Each of the businesspeople who receive these honors has a different story to tell,” said Sharron McCarthy, president of McLean Communications and publisher of NHBR. “But what they have in common is determination, industriousness and the ability to come up with innovative solutions that have allowed their businesses to survive and thrive, regardless of economic conditions, and a commitment to serving their communities.”
 NHBR Editor Jeff Feingold Jeff Feingold, editor of NHBR, said, “We would like to salute all of the nominees, the people who nominated them and the winners themselves for their contributions toward making New Hampshire a great place to do business.”
Emcee was Charlie Sherman, host of WGIR-AM’s morning news talk program.
A portion of the proceeds from the evening benefited Court Appointed Special Advocates, or CASA, which advocates for New Hampshire children in the state’s court system in cases of neglect and abuse.
The winners of the 2010 NHBR Business Excellences Awards were:
 "Business Services" winner Dr. Russ Ouellette • Excellence in Business Services — Russ Ouellette, Sojourn Partners LLC, Bedford
• Excellence in Construction — G. Hayden McLaughlin, Belknap Landscape Co., Inc., Gilford
• Excellence in Financial Services — Frank Teas, The Nashua Bank
• Excellence in Health Care — Joshua Siegal, M.D., Access Sports Medicine & Orthopaedics, Exeter
• Excellence in Hospitality — Carol Sheehan, The Red Arrow 24 Hr. Franchising Inc., Manchester
• Excellence in Media & Marketing — Linda Fanaras, Millennium Integrated Marketing Inc., Manchester
• Excellence in Nonprofits — Peter Kelleher, Partnership for Successful Living, Nashua
• Excellence in Professional Services — Jonathan Halle, Warrenstreet Architects, Concord
• Excellence in Real Estate — Quentin Keefe, Regency Mortgage Corp., Manchester
• Excellence in Retail (tie) — Susan Lozier Robert, Frederick’s Pastries, Amherst; Curt Jacques, West Lebanon Feed & Supply
• Excellence in Technology — Jason Alexander, Alexander Technology Group, Bedford
The 2010 NHBR Business Excellence Hall of Fame Inductees were:
• Alex Ray, founder, Common Man Family of Restaurants
• Lew Feldstein, former chairman, New Hampshire Charitable Foundation
The judges for the 2010 NHBR Business Excellence Awards were:
• Jennifer Boulanger, loan officer at Capital Region Economic Development Corp. in Concord and former executive director of the Belknap County Economic Development Council based in Laconia
• Robin Comstock, president and CEO, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce
• Roy Duddy, interim director, New Hampshire Division of Economic Development
• Lou Guevin, former chairman, Junior Achievement of New Hampshire
• Julie Gustafson, president and CEO, Amoskeag Business Incubator, Manchester
• Richard Hanson, professor, accounting and taxation, Southern New Hampshire University, Manchester; executive director, Institute for Forensic Accounting and Fraud Examination, SNHU
• Mahboubul Hassan, professor, economics and finance, SNHU
• Lise Howson, vice president and business banking relationship manager, Citizens Bank
• Witmer Jones, New Hampshire district director, U.S. Small Business Administration
• Dave Juvet, senior vice president, Business & Industry Association of New Hampshire
• Patrick F. McDermott, economic and community development manager, Public Service Company of New Hampshire
• Tim Sink, president, Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce
• Ashley Smith, business editor, The Nashua Telegraph
• Chip Underhill, senior marketing manager, FairPoint Communications, Manchester
Sponsors of the event were FairPoint Communications, Laconia Savings Bank, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care of New England, Public Service of New Hampshire, J Maze Design, New Hampshire Division of Economic Development, Merrimack Street Volvo, WGIR-AM 610, New Hampshire Public Television and Southern New Hampshire University. — NEW HAMPSHIRE BUSINESS REVIEW
Tags: Alex Ray, Alexander Technology Group, Ashley Smith, Belknap Landscape Co., Business & Industry Association of New Hampshire, Capital Region Economic Development Corp., Carol Sheehan, CASA, Charlie Sherman, Chip Underhill, Citizens Bank, Common Man Family of Restaurants, Curt Jacques, Dave Juvet, FairPoint Communications, Frank Teas, Frederick's Pastries, G. Hayden McLaughlin, Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care of New England, J Maze Design, Jason Alexander, Jeff Feingold, Jennifer Boulanger, Jonathan Halle, Joshua Siegal M.D., Julie Gustafson, Junior Achievement of New Hampshire, Lew Feldstein, Linda Fanaras, Lise Howson, Lou Guevin, Mahboubul Hassan, Merrimack Street Volvo, Millenium Advertising, Nashua Telegraph, New Hampshire Business Review, New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, New Hampshire Division of Economic Development, New Hampshire Public Television, Partnership for Successful Living, Pat McDermott, Peter Kelleher, Public Service of New Hampshire, Quentin Keefe, Regency Mortgage Corp., Richard Hanson, Robin Comstock, Roy Duddy, Russ Ouellette, Sharron McCarthy, Sojourn Partners, Southern New Hampshire University, Susan Lozier Robert, The Nashua Bank, The Red Arrow, Tim Sink, U.S. Small Business Administration, Warrenstreet Architects, West Lebanon Feed & Supply, WGIR-AM, Witmer Jones
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