Children enjoying a movie during “Date Night, Kid Approved” event (Photo Courtesy of Burnt Timber Brewing & Tavern)
Toddlers and young children might seem out of place at a tavern, but this is the 20s when anything goes—as in 2020s— and at Burnt Timber Brewing & Tavern in Wolfeboro kids are welcome. In late January Burnt Timber began “Date Night, Kid Approved” for parents looking for a stress-free night out.
The idea to create a date-night/movie-night for families came to Eddie Michno, who opened Burnt Timber in 2016, while talking to a friend who owns another restaurant in town. The two were discussing the difficulty of finding a babysitter for their kids. “We thought it would be cool to have a movie night sometime with our kids so we could just hang out and talk and that’s what’s happening,” Michno says, adding that his kids, ages nine and five, have grown up hanging out at the business. “It’s been wild to see them growing up in pictures through the lens of
the business.”
The restaurant has two rooms separated by a five-foot-wide opening, with the bar on one side and a restaurant space on the other side where children can bring bean bags or sit on a large couch to watch kid-friendly films while their parents enjoy a peaceful dinner with adult conversation. Michno says he’s heard a lot of positive comments from parents so far. “They’re super appreciative and their kids have been asking when they can do it again,” he says, adding he plans to continue holding movie night every other Friday night at 7:30pm. “The closest movie theatre is in Gilford and that’s a half hour away. So this is good.”
When Michno, a former NH State Trooper, opened Burnt Timber, a big priority was giving back to his community and supporting nonprofits, he says. One of the restaurant’s rooms has a large bulletin board featuring childrens’ art that Michno plans to auction off. The proceeds will go to Operation Delta Dog in Hollis, a nonprofit providing service dogs for veterans with PTSD and traumatic brain injury. “We’re also donating one dollar from each of our pint sales for a month,” Michno adds.
For more information, visit burnttimbertavern.com.
