Common Man Family
From left: Alex Ray, founder and owner; Vincent Vella, chief executive officer; and Sally Moulton, office manager. Photo by Christine Carignan.
Throughout its 50-year history, the Common Man Family in NH has encouraged its 800 “stars” (how it refers to its employees) to live the company’s “Do Good” mantra. Each location is empowered to hold community fundraisers and give employees paid time off to volunteer with nonprofits that are important to them.
Over five decades, The Common Man family (including 15 restaurants, two Common Man inns, a spa, a company store, the Flying Monkey Movie House & Performance Center, and The Common Man Roadside, which includes two NH-themed welcome centers on I-93 in Hooksett) has donated hundreds of hours of sweat equity and thousands of dollars in sponsorships, food and in-kind donations to nonprofits that help those in need.
But, in 2020, when restaurants were forced to shut down, followed by limited business through takeout and outdoor dining, The Common Man had to make difficult decisions. They furloughed more than 650 employees and reduced menu options. “That was one of the most painful things,” says founder and owner Alex Ray.
Despite those challenges, The Common Man focused on its “Do Good” philosophy. The company provided a daily family meal for furloughed employees, preparing more than 1,700 meals each week between March and May. It donated $10,000 to the Common Man Employee Emergency Assistance Fund and donated all gratuities from takeout orders to a fund to help staff members with emergency needs like groceries, personal care and baby supplies until unemployment benefits arrived.
The Common Man also committed $10,000 to the NH Lodging & Restaurant Association’s Hospitality Employee Relief Fund.
With food insecurity on the rise, The Common Man launched “Feed it Forward,” inviting takeout customers to donate. For every $10 collected, The Common Man prepared two home-cooked meals and coordinated with local agencies to deliver the meals to those who needed them the most. It received more than $7,500 in donations and delivered meals to The Friendly Kitchen in Concord and Boulder Point Veterans Home in Plymouth, and donated $1,000 to the NH Food Bank.
The company launched a “Mask Up” campaign with NH Rotary Clubs to deliver 67,000 re-usable and washable masks for free to NH residents.
To spread positivity and kindness, The Common Man worked with local artist Stacey Lucas to create 80 colorful signs with uplifting messages and posted them in communities and near its restaurants. “They were so much fun,” says Ray. “Those were very well received, and we saw more in people’s yards.”
That support for the community and employees has paid off. “We’re up to 75% of our prior sales. We’ve lost about one-third of total sales, but it gets better every day. We’re going in the right direction,” Ray says. “Keeping everybody happy is the biggest focus I have now.”