Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan McCabe and Sarah Maillet.
It all started in 2014, Sarah had just returned from a month of travel in the Philippines, started bartending/bar managing at a restaurant in Manchester. Ryan had left a 14-year bartending career, to take a job as GM of a sports bar north of Boston. A few weeks after taking that job, Ryan was let go and hired by Sarah that same day. For years, they had run in similar social circles but had never officially met. They worked at that bar side by side for 7 months, often talking about where they saw themselves professionally in the future. Neither of those visions included working for someone else, so self-employment was the common goal. They knew of a spot across the street from where they were working, it wasn’t ideal for most restaurants, being that it was located on the 2nd floor of a mixed use building. Years before (early 00’s) it had been a pretty successful club/cigar lounge, but had been basically empty for years, occasionally being used as a private space for the Italian restaurant below. This spot actually worked perfectly for the vision they wanted to create.
The idea that originally started as a whiskey bar, morphed into a craft cocktail bar located in a giant living room. Four days after inquiring about the space they had signed a lease, things were moving pretty quickly. For the next 3 months, they worked behind the stick full time, while also working full time renovating their newly leased space. Their time as restaurant employees came to a screeching halt on Thanksgiving Eve 2014, when they found out neither of them were on the following weeks schedule. Their livelihood being primarily tips, and those tips being poured directly into their new business, they were forced to live off their credit cards for the next 2 months while they finished renovations.
It was a big hardship but also gave them the desire to prove themselves even more, it was all or nothing. Being in the restaurant industry for roughly 30 years collectively, they had garnished quite a buzz about what they were trying to accomplish, through their friends, colleagues and customers. Finally, opening at the end of January in 2015, they were instantly well received by the community. Their location is off the beaten path and they rely solely on social media and word of mouth for advertising.
Three years after opening, they still run a long wait list on the weekends, they are very proud and humbled that people want to spend their time with them regularly. They’re open Tuesday to Saturday from 5pm-1230am. They feature #tikitacotuesday, #whiskeywednesday and #amarohour every week.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Our biggest struggles were taking on every role for the first year we opened and making the transition from employee to employer. There as certainly been a learning curve but we’ve been extremely lucky to have had a very talented staff, that is always willing to learn and grow with us.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the 815 Cocktails & Provisions story. Tell us more about the business.
We are a craft cocktail bar that serves an eclectic mix of craft beer, spirits and small plate options. We were the first in the area dedicated to specializing in craft cocktails. We have a huge whiskey selection. Our walls are painted with murals and hanging pieces by local artists. We’re on the second floor on Elm street, hidden from the main strip. If you haven’t been here before you’ll probably walk right by. We run a password that changes weekly to gain entry because of which, we’ve gained a strong social media following. We are most proud of being accepted by the community from the start, also proud that we helped change the focus of the local bar scene to well crafted cocktails.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Hard work is much more gratifying than luck.
Contact Info:
- Address: 815 Elm Street, Manchester NH 03101
- Website: www.ivotewet.com
- Phone: 603-782-8086
- Email: 8one5nh@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/815nh/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/815nh/
Image Credit:
Sarah Maillet from Philbrick Photography
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
