As we get closer to the holiday season, the air is cooling, the trees are changing, and it's time to cozy up at home with your favorite scented candle! This week Ashley and Alex talk with Avery Stallings, owner and founder of Incandescent Co.  Avery started her candle company after becoming interested in the craft during the long COVID winter of 2020. She started experimenting with candle making in her mother's kitchen, and quickly went on to develop her brand! Incandescent Co. launched in March of 2021 and features non-toxic, clean burning, naturally scented soy candles that are available for purchase online, at craft fairs around the state, and at some local stores (including Café la Reine!). Follow Avery on Instagram to stay up to date, she releases new scents every season! 

Ashley and Alex spend today's episode reflecting and recapping the last almost year of the Coffee at the Barre podcast! Many of our guests have gone on to move, expand, and improve their businesses, all while surviving through a pandemic. There have been many lessons learned throughout the past year, and we learned that many of us share similar struggles as small business owners. Do you know a small business owner we should interview? Or maybe you'd like to come on the show!? Send us a dm, or email us at [email protected] or [email protected]. Cheers, thanks for listening!

See below for links to businesses mentioned on this episode, and others we have interviewed!

Greater Manchester Chamber
Manchvegas Brew Bus
Sundar Esthetics and Energy
Loon Chocolate
Wild Orchid Bakery
JLA Analytics
The Terracotta Room
444 Hands Innately Integrative Massage and Energy Therapy
Lo Tide Clothing Co.
NH Fisher Cats
Bonfire Country Bar
To Share Brewing
Hop Knot
Industry East
Sprout Law
603 Charcuterie
Beeze Tees
Campo and Republic
Shopper's Pub and Eatery
Queen City Cupcakes
Pop of Color
The Shaskeen Irish Pub
The Weekly Dion Radio Show
The Bookery
Barre Life
Café la Reine

Ashley and Alex welcome Theresa Zwart, owner of 603 Charcuterie, to the show! Theresa started 603 Charcuterie with a single instagram post. With the encouragement and support of her friends and family, she launched on Christmas Eve, 2020, and is approaching one year in business! Theresa started out by selling charcuterie boards to order, and began teaching charcuterie classes over Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic. She now offers classes at her commercial kitchen space, and at local wineries, breweries, restaurants, and more! Theresa is currently working to take 603 Charcuterie to the next level by offering catering services, including single serve options, charcuterie cones, and grazing tables. She is also launching some brand new 603 Charcuterie merch very soon! You can follow 603 Charcuterie on Instagram and Facebook. Sign up for an upcoming class, and treat yourself to a night of meat, cheese, wine, and fun! 

This week we are joined by Mike LaCava and Nick Carnes from Shopper's Pub & Eatery! Shopper's opened in July of 2019, but the pub has a long history. Mike's family opened Shopper's in Waltham, MA, back in 1937. Mike met Manchester native Kyle York, whose family owned Indian Head Athletics, back in college. When the store closed, Kyle approached Mike about opening Shopper's in their building, and the rest is history! The space includes memorabilia from Indian Head, the city of Manchester, and Shopper's in Waltham. Shopper's claim to fame is their pizza, Nick says they make the best in Manchester! Be sure to try the Sicilian pizza, the wings, and order from their huge craft beer selection.  While you're there, enjoy the 20 TVs, Keno, Golden Tee, Lawn Darts, the patio, and claim your table for Trivia with Bill Seney every Tuesday night at 7pm! 

Welcome back! This week we are joined by Nicole Swartz, owner and lead attorney at Sprout Law.  Nicole specializes in trademark law, and her company guides clients through the trademark process from start to finish! Nicole attended Tulane Law School, started a skincare business, and was inspired by her experience in that business to help other women protect their businesses and their brands. She started Sprout Law about six years ago, and has been helping people all over the country trademark their brand names, logos, tag-lines and hashtags ever since! Nicole has a passion for starting and running businesses, and has made it her mission to make sure women protect their brands. Be sure to follow Sprout Law on Instagram for trademark and branding tips, and to stay up to date on the most recently filed celebrity trademarks! If you are interested in working with Nicole, apply for a free trademark consultation. Thank you for listening! 

We are so excited to finally welcome Kenny Frasch to the show! Kenny owns The Hop Knot in downtown Manchester, NH. He re-opened the bar and restaurant two years ago after the original owners closed the franchise. Kenny and his family saw the perfect opportunity to take this turn-key restaurant and make it an important part of our community.  The restaurant is no longer a franchise, it is truly a family owned and family run business! True to its name, pretzels are the theme at The Hop Knot. The menu features pretzel buns, pretzel bowls, knot dogs, stuffed pretzels, and pretzel pizzas. Be sure to try a pretzel with cool ranch seasoning!
Kenny hosts many events at The Hop Knot, including Trivia on Thursdays with Bill Seney and monthly drag shows. Be sure to follow The Hop Knot on Instagram, and stop in for pretzels and a pint! 

This week we have Peter Macone on the show! Pete is a partner in two downtown staples, Republic Cafe and Campo Enoteca. Republic celebrated 10 years in 2019, and  was one of the first farm-to-table restaurants in the state. Campo opened in 2014, and features an Italian and Roman menu, including house made pastas and breads. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they made the decision to move the two restaurants under one roof. Republic & Campo are both located at 969 Elm St. in downtown Manchester, NH. Pete discusses his restaurant's take on farm-to-table cuisine, his hopes for downtown Manchester, and his love of the Manchester restaurant community. You can find Pete at the restaurant nightly, or on the weekends as a reggae DJ, @dj_ras1, at some of his favorite local breweries. Be sure to follow Republic and Campo, and stop in for an amazing dinner, drink, or dessert! 

This week Ashley and Alex chat with Jeremy Hart and Dan Haggerty, owners of Industry East!  Industry East is not your typical bar. Jeremy and Dan describe it as a place that they would like to hang out after work, and designed it with the service industry in mind. The bar opened on February 2, 2021, but they secured the space back in July of 2019. Jeremy and Dan walk us through what it was like to work on opening during COVID, and some of the unique challenges they faced with permitting and finances throughout the process. Be sure to check out their ever-changing cocktail and food menus, and follow them on Instagram for weekly specials! 

This week Ashley and Alex discuss how to continue supporting your favorite local businesses, even "post-COVID." Time and time again we've heard "I used to love that place, it's so sad that they're closing!" But if you support and frequent your favorite places, they will be less likely to close down. Alex brings up the current struggles facing the restaurant industry, and highlights how customers can be more understanding of the lack of staff that results in slower or different service. Ashley points out that the guidelines set forth by the state of NH have been dropped, and how difficult it has been for businesses to navigate the polarizing and difficult climate of masks, distancing, etc. Some people believe COVID is over, but we are here to bring the lasting effects on our business community to your attention! We urge you to please be kind, please be understanding, and keep supporting your favorite local businesses. Don't wait until it's too late! 

This week we welcome Jenni Share of To Share Brewing Company! To Share Brewing was founded in 2018 by husband and wife Aaron and Jenni Share. They relocated from the DC area to Manchester in 2013 so Jenni could take a job at SNHU, and fell in love with the state of New Hampshire, and the city of Manchester. They decided the best way to give back to the community that had given them so much was to provide great craft beer to the people of New Hampshire. To Share Brewing Company is about community and providing a safe space for all people to put their differences aside and come together over a pint of great, locally produced craft beer. Jenni and Aaron also own a multi family in Manchester, and Jenni still works full time for SNHU!  You can find To Share's offerings at the brewery, at local restaurants, and in cans at stores like The Packie and Berts Better Beers. Follow To Share on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on beer releases, live music, and events!