T-BONES Great American Eatery Opens In Concord: Watch
CONCORD, NH — What is believed to be one of the only restaurant openings in the United States, certainly New Hampshire, during the new coronavirus pandemic, occurred Saturday as Great NH Restaurants held a soft opening and ribbon cutting for its sixth T-BONES Great American Eatery.
The restaurant, which is located off Exit 12 on Interstate 93 in Concord, a stone's throw away from the city's boundary with Bow, was scheduled to open in late April. But that opening was delayed due to COVID-19. The restaurant has a capacity of more than 300 in a dining room, bar, and small, private function room, and outdoor seating, too, and is next door to a new Tru Hilton hotel, at the former location of the Day's Inn, owned by Steve Duprey's company.
Gov. Chris Sununu, U.S. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan, Thomas Gilman, the chief financial officer and assistant secretary of administration for the U.S. Department of Commerce, and others joined Great NH Restaurants owner and CEO, Tom Boucher, in celebrating the company's sixth T-BONES location and 10th restaurant. He said the architects did a great job designing the project and team members weathered the unstable economic climate after the coronavirus hit while getting the new location opened. Boucher also thanked Primary Bank for allowing the company to hold off on payments while it navigated the crisis and his wife for creating the décor in the eatery and standing by him.
"I'm so proud of our team to pull this off during a pandemic," he said. "The last two nights have dress rehearsals have gone really well."
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Sununu thanked Boucher and the company for not giving up. He said most projects around the country have stopped completely or were on hold.
"We really are in a blessed place," the governor said, by having low COVID-19 numbers and a relatively strong economy, considering.
Shaheen, while mentioning the only restaurant opening in the country speculation, said the commitment and dedication Great NH Restaurants had to opening the eatery, as well as the Tru hotel, spoke to the opportunity that New Hampshire brings.
"I'm hoping we can get a second round of the PPP for small businesses," she said. "We know a lot of businesses are still struggling."
Hassan agreed, while adding strong communities, working with companies and individuals, were what make the state a special place.
"I'm very excited to see all of this happening in New Hampshire where we're really focus on taking care of each other and moving forward and innovating," she said.
Gilman, who appeared on behalf of Secretary Wilbur Ross, said, while driving up I-93, he was surprised by the restaurant's great location and knew it would be successful. Having previously been involved in the automotive business, he added, location means everything.
"The traffic up and down this busy highway is going to be fantastic," he said.
Boucher said the restaurant's manager, Jay Bolduc, had been with the company for more than two decades, working his way up from a busser position. Bolduc said 2020 was a "very challenging year" but the company had learned a lot, too. He also said the state had accomplished a lot and it was a great place to live.
"This could be a turning point for everything we worked toward," Bolduc said.
Bolduc said around 100 employees were working at the Concord location and many of the team's senior employees had been moved to the location to ensure its success.
Before the ribbon cutting, Boucher and his staff had everyone pose with the ribbon, sans masks, as individuals, explaining they would be photoshopped into the final photo later. After that, he also posed, attempting to adjust his hair in the breeze, before snipping the ribbon.
T-BONES in Concord officially opens Monday.
Along with Concord, T-BONES has locations in Derry, Hudson, Laconia, and Salem. Great NH Restaurants also owns Copper Door locations in Bedford and Salem, CJ's Great West Grill in Manchester, and Cactus Jack's Grill & Watering Hole in Laconia, as well as a catering service in Manchester and delivery service in Bedford and Manchester. The company employs nearly 1,000 people.
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This article originally appeared on the Concord Patch
