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The Common Man Roadside Millyard Brings A One-of-a-Kind Dining
Experience to Manchester, N.H.
Article, photos (unless otherwise
noted) by Eric Hurwitz. Created for VisitingNewEngland.com on 10/5/2022. @newenglandinfo
The
Common Man Roadside Millyard restaurant and café.
The Common Man Roadside Millyard in
Manchester,
N.H. is not your run-of-the-mill restaurant and café.
Located at the Tru by Hilton Hotel in Manchester's wonderfully-restored
Millyard District, The Common Man Roadside Millyard (also known as CMR
Millyard) truly impresses
upon
first sight -- and that's even before experiencing the yummy foods and
drinks.
For starters, the interior's reclaimed rustic wood and brick flourishes
evoke a classic rural, down home
New Hampshire look.
Cozy New Hampshire-style dining in the main restaurant dining room.
The spaciousness of the full-service breakfast, lunch and dinner restaurant lends a relaxing, homespun oasis from the faster-paced urban scenes in downtown Manchester, while the "Express & To Go!" café possesses a smaller, cozy almost-coffeehouse type of feel. Plenty of light brightens the restaurant and café with big pictures windows, thus reflecting the brighter days ahead for Manchester's remarkable transformation from the dying mill city not too long ago to a thriving New England city destination.
View of the mill complexes in Manchester.
This is clearly
not your grandfather's staid, stuck-in-time hotel
restaurant. On the contrary, The Common Man Roadside Millyard stands on
its own
as a place many people in the area dine at, at least twice a week.
The
atmosphere -- with its homages to Manchester's history and New
Hampshire's down-to-earth
personality -- combine with The Common Man's uncanny knack of serving
"real food,
real fast" in a friendly, welcoming manner to make for a one-of-a-kind,
comfortable, satisfying restaurant experience.
Outdoor dining at The Common Man Millyard.
Firepit at The CMR Millyard.
The industrial pipes from the ceiling revive a vibe from Manchester's
industrious, world-leading textile industry past while the modern-day
appetizers, sandwiches, pizzas, homemade baked goods and hand-crafted
coffees and beverages bring the customer a delicious taste of the 21st
century...
Crispy Cod Sandwich with cole slaw and fries.
What's more, the woodblock-style dining tables, inviting and
well-stocked bar, ambient hanging
lights, fire pit
area and outdoor patio further provide the perfect setting to enjoy the
moments.
Bar area at The Common Man Millyard.
Creating The Common Man Roadside Millyard did not come easy, however,
with supply chain issues muddying the progress, as well as the
challenge of how to bring a retro look to a new building. Happily,
Common Man project reps and contractors worked out the challenges and
the CMR Millyard
opened in mid-July 2022, looking like a well-established Manchester
restaurant from day one. Prior to that, however, Common Man staff had
the proverbial "100 pounds of clay" to create from scratch their vision
of what the eatery should look like.
A "before" scene of The Common Man Roadside Millyard. Photo
credit: The Common Man Roadside Millyard.
"When building The Common Man Roadside Millyard, we thought, 'How do we
make it not look brand new?'," said Brad Pernaw, a managing partner of
The CMR Millyard. "Part of what gave the look we wanted
was getting old bricks salvaged
from the Concord Depot (in Concord, N.H.) and then some local reclaimed
barn wood from two barns in Epping. We are very happy with the way it
turned out."
Sofa chairs by the window at The Common Man Roadside Millyard
Café.
What a Great Staff!
What further elevates The Common Man Roadside to overall excellence
comes
down to staffing.
In this day of age where the restaurant industry finds it hard to hire
the right people -- let alone any
people at all -- The Common Man management has possessed a
strong ability to find loyal, genuine staff.
Destiny Chase takes an order at the CMR Millyard Café.
Some of the staff at The Common Man Roadside Millyard comes from within
the extensive Common Man family of
restaurants in New Hampshire which includes several places to eat
across the state including five Common Man Roadside locations.
Bartender Tim McKinnon
serves up a pumpkin ale and margarita at the Common Man Roadside
Millyard. Photo credit: Bill
Boynton, The Common Man Roadside.
"A lot of the team have been here in the Common Man family for years, "said Pernaw. "They really know what they are doing. Others are newer to the scene and are highly effective and personable."
Case-in-point where The Common Man Roadside Millyard discovered "highly effective and personable": Nick Jacques, also known as the "Lord of Lattes" -- has long been a Roadside favorite for customers for his outgoing personality, and efficient and professional nature.
Nick Jacques.
Carrie Atkinson, who describes herself as a combination "hostess,
server and sandwich promoter," added, "It's like a family here. It's so
nice to work for such a nice group."
CMR
Millyard manager Eric Parent and his team of experienced cooks take
great pride in quickly preparing outstanding meals. Photo credit: Bill
Boynton, The Common Man Roadside.
An All Star Lineup of Food and Drink Offerings
From The CMR Millyard's beautiful, spotless open-concept kitchen comes
delicious versions of comfort food favorites. Let's take a mini-tour of
this yumminess...
One of the most popular appetizers: the Short Rib Poutine with its
delicious
mix of tender short rib, fries, fresh cheese curds, scallions and
gravy...
Short rib poutine appetizer.
The Caesar Salad features a generous amount of romaine lettuce and
grilled chicken to go along with croutons, parmesan cheese and a tangy
dressing...
Caesar salad. Photo credit: Bill
Boynton, The Common Man Roadside.
Homemade soups like this flavorful broccoli and cheese warm the soul
and satiate the taste buds...
Broccoli and cheese soup. Photo credit: Bill
Boynton, The Common Man Roadside.
The most popular new menu item is the Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich --
a fried
fillet with a homemade spice mix, coleslaw and pickle...
Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich. Photo credit: Bill
Boynton, The Common Man Roadside.
The Common Man Roadside Millyard hand-tosses its own pizzas and and
utilizes a start-of-the-art modern oven that can remarkably cook the
pies in two minutes. The result: a thin crust pizza that is extremely
popular amongst visitors...
Pepperoni pizza.
Photo credit: Bill
Boynton, The Common Man Roadside.
This "Bacon Bleu Burger"
includes bleu cheese topped with onion rings and is served with house
made chips...
.
Bacon Bleu
Burger. Photo credit: Bill
Boynton, The Common Man Roadside.
The Reuben
sandwich include house-made corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and
Thousand Island dressing on rye...
Reuben
sandwich. Photo credit: Bill
Boynton, The Common Man Roadside.
The CMR Millyard also offers many specialty beers and ales from local
brewers...
An ale by the bar. Photo credit: Bill
Boynton, The Common Man Roadside.
Current beers and ales at The Common Man Roadside.
Among the many wine selections at The CMR Millyard is the Common Man
Chardonnay...
Common Man wine selection. Photo credit: Bill
Boynton, The Common Man Roadside.
From The Common Man Roadside Millyard
Café
This cinnamon roll bursts with flavor...
Cinnamon apple roll.
The phrase "to die for" certainly applies to this Cinnamon Roll Coffee
with cinnamon bun syrup and nitro cold brew topped with whipped cream,
cinnamon roll glaze and cinnamon sugar...
Cinnamon Roll Iced Coffee.
Or, how about as a coffee alternative this wonderfully refreshing
yet soothing lavender black ice tea?
Lavender black tea.
Additionally, the Café serves an impressive variety of sweet and savory
baked goods. Here is a mouthwatering sample...
Sweet and savory baked goods from The Common Man Roadside
Millyard Café.
New Hampshire resident Brian Townsend is a big believer in the Common Man Roadside's food.
"My wife and I like to try new places," said Brian. "We went to the Millyard for the first time and were thrilled with the overall experience. The wait staff was attentive and explained the menu perfectly. The atmosphere is rustic but elegant, and the food was impressive. The mac and cheese was the best anywhere around and although we didn't get it, the Buffalo chicken dip platter was a sight to be seen. Highly recommended!"
The CMR Millyard also offers a robust catering program, serving breakfast and lunch options for groups of four or more.
Long-time Common Man customer Krista Leidmer is a big fan of the Millyard's catering services.
I’ve always enjoyed any meal I’ve had from the Common Man restaurants, so I was thrilled to see them open a location so close to my workplace," said Krista. "I’ve stopped in a few times myself, but I have to say, I was most impressed with a recent catered event. The Common Man team delivered on-site and on-time, set everything up for us, and even thought to bring extra tableware. The food was delicious, there were plenty of options and our guests left happy!"
The CMR Millyard also offers a robust catering program, serving breakfast and lunch
options for groups of four or more.
Long-time Common Man customer Krista Leidmer is a big fan of the
Millyard's catering services.
I’ve always enjoyed any meal I’ve had from the Common Man restaurants,
so I was thrilled to see them open a location so close to my
workplace," Said Krista. "I’ve stopped in a few times myself, but I
have to say, I was most impressed with a recent catered event. The
Common Man team delivered on-site and on-time, set everything up for
us, and even thought to bring extra tableware. The food was delicious,
there were plenty of options and our guests left happy!"
The Behind-the-Scenes Masterminds of The Common Man Roadside
The Common Man Roadside at the Millyard in Manchester, NH is the
latest venture of ownership partners Rusty McLear, Alex Ray, and Brad
Pernaw. Photo credit: Bill
Boynton, The Common Man Roadside.
Alex Ray, owner and founder of The Common Man, and partners Pernaw and
Rusty McLear (who once owned the famous Inns at Mills Falls in
Meredith, N.H.) transformed aging state rest stops in Hooksett that
were losing money several years ago into the prosperous businesses they
are today. Almost
instantly, the Hooksett locations became go-to destinations. Example:
In
2018, The Common Man Roadside served four million guests, employed 150
New Hampshire residents, served 454,250 cups of Common Man
Joe Coffee, scooped and blended 58,129 Common Man-made ice cream and
frappes and worked with 81 unique New Hampshire-based companies.
Approximately 12 percent of the 30,000 cars driving this section of
Interstate 93 daily pull into The Common Man Roadside.
Based on that success, The Common Man Roadside then expanded to Plymouth,
N.H., South
Willow St. in Manchester and then the Millyard location. More
Common Man Roadsides are slated to open soon in New Hampshire (stay
tuned for updates).
Common Man Roadside locations.
The Common Man Roadside Millyard possesses an ideal location with
approximately 10,000
people coming to work at the mills, daily. Tru by Hilton guests
conveniently frequent the restaurant and café. The vibrant downtown
district with Southern New Hampshire University (including the SNHU
Arena with its indoor events, University of New Hampshire Manchester
Campus,
Northeast Delta Dental Stadium (home of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats
minor league baseball team) are within close proximity. What's more,
The Common Man Millyard's Restaurant and Café location -- just a few
minutes off Route 93 -- makes it an ideal breakfast, lunch and dinner
stop
for those traveling New Hampshire.
"We have a built-in market," said Pernaw. "There's lot of activity
going on at the Millyard. People booking a room in the hotel come here to eat. The hotel does
well with bringing in business people, concert goers at the arena and
families -- especially those involved in youth sport groups. We are
continuously
building relationships with local
businesses."
Additionally, The Common Man Roadside reaches out with its "Do
Good," program that honors local businesses and organizations in
the
community with a free lunch for the "good they do in the community."
"There are so many of these groups in the Manchester area that do so
much for the community and this is our way of recognizing them," said
Pernaw.
Manchester pride. Photo credit: Bill
Boynton, The Common Man Roadside.
Conclusion
At the bar.
Predictability can be either the blessing or bane of a restaurant's
existence. Fortunately, The CMR Millyard utilizes an unwavering
commitment to its
standardization of food and service -- a huge advantage for the
customer. That unwavering consistency yields meals that always taste
great and service that finds the right balance of professionalism,
efficiency and friendliness.
Baked goods from The Common Man Roadside Millyard Café.
At the same time, this business approach
never feels fake and generic like many of the chains. From management
to staff
and vice versa, there seems to be an
appreciation for each other and a presence of keeping things light
while, at the same time, taking responsibilities seriously. It's a
delicate balance that The CMR Millyard attains.
Café at The CMR Millyard.
A lighter moment: When asked if The Common Man Roadside Millyard provides any entertainment, Pernaw smiled and said, "Yeah, just Nick!"
Ultimately, it's nice to be in such a welcoming dining out spot that quickly serves delicious comfort foods served while being able to leisurely enjoy a genuine New Hampshire restaurant experience.
"There's something here for everyone," said Pernaw. "People have come
to like The Common Man Millyard on a regular basis in a very
short amount of time since we opened."
The Common Man Roadside
Millyard
451 Commercial Street
Manchester, N.H., 03101
Café:
Open 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Restaurant:
Open 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Kitchen closes at 10:00 p.m.
Phone: 603-210-5823
Web Site: https://thecmanroadside.com/the-common-man-roadside-manchester-millyard
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecmanroadsidenhmillyard/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thecmanroadside
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecmanroadsidenh
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