Advertise on podcast: Coffee at the Barre

Today's episode features a unique and new business in Manchester! Kelley-Sue LeBlanc, known to most as KSL, was inspired to open The Sleazy Vegan food truck after experiencing a lack of plant-based options in restaurants, bars and breweries. She has a background in tech and photography, but is super passionate about making whole food, plant-based (WFPB) meals approachable and accessible. Prior to COVID, KSL was working with SNHU on a study to see if Manchester, NH would support a WFPB restaurant. The idea was put on the back-burner until late 2021 when an opportunity to rent a kitchen space popped up! The Sleazy Vegan opened for business on April 1, 2022. They just purchased their first food truck, named "Aggie," and she will be on the road within the next few weeks!  Follow them on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Tik Tok to find out where the truck will be next. Order online for weekly delivery, and be sure to check out their catering menu! Today's episode of Coffee at the Barre is sponsored by our friends Ethos & Able Creative! You can visit them at eacreative.co, email [email protected], or text Dante at (781) 710-2294.

Today's episode features a staple in the Greater Manchester community.  Alyssa Van Guilder opened Apotheca Flowers in Goffstown, NH 17 years ago this year! Alyssa grew up in Alaska where her parents owned and operated a cafe. She saw their experience as entrepreneurs, and used this to shape her inspiration for Apotheca. "Apotheca" is latin for storehouse or variety, and the company's mission is to, "acknowledge, uplift, inspire, and impact." You may know Apotheca as a flower shop and cafe, but the business has expanded to include wedding flowers, wedding venues, and a design house.  Alyssa is a self-taught flower designer and artist and she approaches flowers in an art-driven way. Apotheca's design house is located in Goffstown and is used for wedding flowers and events. Alyssa and her team are excited to announce a new event space at the Factory on Willow! The Gardens at the Factory on Willow will host weddings and events designed by Apotheca Flowers. We hope you draw some inspiration from this episode, and give Apotheca a visit next time you're in Goffstown! Today's episode of Coffee at the Barre is sponsored by our friends Ethos & Able Creative! You can visit them at eacreative.co, email [email protected], or text Dante at (781) 710-2294.

Today's episode features one of our favorite small businesses, 27 Teas! 27 Teas is an online tea and herbal tisane company located in New Hampshire. Margaret Gay left the corporate world in 2018 to pursue her passion for loose leaf tea. In visiting cafes, she felt as though coffee drinkers had many options for special drinks, but tea and tea drinkers were mostly overlooked. Margaret's company focuses on adding value and options for cafes, as well as educating her customers on the benefits of loose leaf tea versus tea bags. 27 Teas gives back by donating a percentage of profits to The Water Project, located in Concord, NH. Sign up for their monthly tea subscription here! You can also find 27 Teas at Café la Reine, and a few other coffee shops and cafés in the area. Today's episode of Coffee at the Barre is sponsored by our friends Ethos & Able Creative! You can visit them at eacreative.co, email [email protected], or text Dante at (781) 710-2294.

This week's episode features a must-try on the West Side, Presto Craft Kitchen! Joe Grella owns Presto along with his family, and was inspired by his restaurant experience to open this family-style takeout spot. After experiencing the hustle of high end restaurants, hotels, kitchens, and more, Joe wanted to create a place that was approachable and family focused. Joe and his wife started a catering business, Custom Eats and Sweets, and were looking for a commissary kitchen in the Manchester area. When they found their space on the West Side, they knew they had to bring some vibrance back to their neighborhood. Presto Craft Kitchen was born out of a love for family, quality ingredients, and the hope to create a community hub. Joe and his family have done just that! We hope you enjoy learning more about Presto Craft Kitchen. Be sure to visit them at 168 Amory St. and follow them on Facebook & Instagram! Today's episode of Coffee at the Barre is sponsored by our friends Ethos & Able Creative! You can visit them at eacreative.co, email [email protected], or text Dante at (781) 710-2294.

Today's episode features a favorite among Manchester's small businesses, Ethos & Able Creative! Dante Marino started EAC in 2020 with his brother, Vinny, after seeing so many of their small business friends struggle to afford, and actually enjoy, working with marketing and social media management companies. Dante wanted to create a business that could collaborate with small businesses and support them unlike any other agency. He is extremely passionate about working with and elevating the small, local businesses in our community, and has a knack for getting to know a brand inside and out.  Although EAC was started in 2020, they have worked with an incredible amount of small businesses, and have created an amazing reputation and name for themselves in a very short amount of time. They have truly made it their mission to encourage people to support small, locally owned businesses, and to help those businesses succeed. We learned so much and had so much fun talking with Dante! Ashley and Alex have both loved working with Ethos & Able Creative, and continue to work with them today. If you are interested in learning more, contact them here! 

Second Saturdays are here! Second Saturdays are a downtown small business driven initiative to bring awareness to the local business community. Look for specials, sales, events and more every second Saturday of the month! April is the first month and we anticipate this program to pick up attention and speed as the months go on.  Some of the businesses involved include: Barre Life, Café la Reine, Diz’s Cafe, Statement Boutique, AR Workshop, Shadow and Soul Emporium, Pop of Color, Adored, Diane Crespo FIne Art, Fisher Cats, Creative Framing Solutions, Smoothie Bus, Boards and Brews, HopKnot, The Bookery, Market Square Jewelers, Studio 550, The Terracotta Room, A&E Coffee and Tea, Thirsty Moose, Wild Orchid Bakery, Blush Beauty Boutique, and Studio Verne.  Make sure you follow all of the amazing downtown businesses on social media to stay up to date with their events and deals this weekend. Support local this saturday, April 9! Ashley & Alex have a special cross promotion for this Saturday. Stop into Café la Reine and show that you took a class at Barre Life this Saturday for 20% off your cafe order. Screen shot and send your receipt to Barre Life showing you purchased from Café la Reine to receive 15% off a class pass.   See you Saturday!

We are so excited to welcome Lauren Wheeler of Flagship East Coast to the show! Flagship East Coast is an online shop featuring printed tees, sweatshirts, hats, and more with unique New England inspired designs, including the New England flag! Lauren creates and curates many of the designs herself, and has even added some knits, sweaters, and swimsuits to her collection. Lauren has worked in many industries from fashion to tech, and while she has enjoyed those experiences, she has always been passionate about entrepreneurship and owning her own business.  When COVID hit, Lauren was working from home with her two children, and realized that the time was right to open her shop. She opened Flagship East Coast as an online  store, which allows her the time to balance her work and family life, and to  work on designs for her shop. Lauren has generously gifted our listeners a discount code! Use code "COFFEEATTHEBARRE" for 15% off your order of $50 or more at checkout. The ski all over sweatshirt is Lauren's favorite item, so snag one for yourself today! 

We are so excited to have Brandie Wells on the show today! Brandie is a clairvoyant and psychic medium, and is the owner of Shadow & Soul Emporium. Shadow & Soul Emporium is a metaphysical retail store. It is unique because Shadow Emporium and Soul Emporium are actually two different shops. Brandie opened them to help people understand the complexity of metaphysics in a light and airy way by melding the shadow self with the soul self, and to bring tools of self healing to the Manchester and Keene, NH communities. Brandie opened the original Soul Emporium in Keene in 2018, and after receiving requests for additional products, she opened Shadow Emporium two doors down about a year ago.  Last summer while out to lunch with a friend, Brandie saw the space on Hanover Street and was called to open in downtown Manchester. Brandie's advice to aspiring small business owners is to find the need, fill the need, assess your competitors and see how you can complement them! We hope you visit Shadow & Soul Emporium soon, and be sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date with their many events coming up!

This week Ashley and Alex talk with Chris Tien, owner of the online boutique Alex & Theo! Alex & Theo showcases artisans that create their products in small batches. Chris likes to feature U.S. and International vendors, many of them woman owned, to help promote small artists and creators. Her online shop highlights vendors who use sustainable materials, pay fair wages, help women, and donate their profits to those in need.  After a cross-country move and a transition to remote work, her love for home decor led Chris to launch her business in 2020. You can find the cutest bohemian and Scandinavian home decor on her site, at pop up events, and at Wild Orchid Bakery on Elm St. Be sure to follow Alex & Theo on Instagram, and stay tuned for new products coming soon!

This week we have a brand new business on the show! Leah and Tom Bellemore are a husband and wife team who were inspired by their travels to open Vine 32. Vine 32 is a unique wine bar located in Bedford, NH. They feature wines from small boutique vineyards with a focus on sustainability and the experience of cultivating wine. Leah and Tom are in the process of opening, and expect to launch in early March! Leah has succeeded in designing an inviting and comfortable space that makes wine more approachable for the next generation of wine drinkers. Vine 32 will feature a rotating selection of 32 self-serve wines in as little as 1 oz pours, a tapas and charcuterie menu, and a rotating selection of local baked goods. Follow Vine 32 on Instagram and keep your eye out for their grand opening!

We're back after a brief January hiatus, and are ready to take on 2022 by welcoming SO many more small business owners to the podcast! Today we are joined by a special guest! Meaghan Peters is the owner of Crosby's Coffeehouse, located in Wrentham, MA. Meg and Alex were introduced by a mutual friend, and have maintained a long distance friendship throughout COVID and Meg's process of opening Crosby's. Once the podcast launched, Meg became an avid listener of Ashley and Alex's show, often messaging with questions about the topics we covered. We start this episode off by sharing Meg's inspiring story, and then we flip the script! Meg asks Ashley and Alex some burning business questions, and discusses the life and struggles of small business owners in this current climate. According to Meg, "It's one thing to say you want to support small business, and it's another thing to practice it daily." Thank you for listening! Stay tuned for new episodes every other Thursday, and be sure to send your questions and guest requests to [email protected]. 

Ashley and Alex close out 2021 with Boards & Brews! Boards & Brews is THE board game cafe in downtown Manchester, NH. Manchester natives Keating Tufts and David Casinghino opened the cafe three and a half years ago. They have created an inviting space that welcomes all, from serious board game enthusiasts to casual gamers.  Keating collected and stored games for about three years before opening Boards & Brews, and has amassed a collection of over 2,000 games. They truly have something for everyone! Boards & Brews has an extensive cocktail menu, specialty coffee, and plenty of snacks to accompany your game night. Walk-ins are welcome, and you can visit their website to book a reservation. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram for upcoming events, and be sure to stop in next time you're downtown!