Company History

2007

Alex Ray & The Common Man Family

C-Man Family Company History

Common Man Family Timeline... 1

Common Man Family History... 2

Alex Ray & The Common Man Family’s Recent Charitable Work... 4

Common Man Family 35th Charitable Contest Photos... 6

Awards Received and Positions Held by Alex Ray & The Common Man Family... 7

The Common Man Family Map 8

1971

‘07/’08

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2006

Alex Ray opens The Common Man Ashland in November, 1971

Alex expands The Common Man Ashland to seat 50 guests

The Step Above Lounge at the Common Man in Ashland opens

The Common Man Lincoln opens

Alex converts Concord’s Howard Johnson’s into The Capitol City Diner

The Tilt’n Diner opens in Tilton

The Italian Farmhouse in Plymouth opens

The Boathouse Grille opens at The Inn at Bay Point in Meredith

The Common Man Company Store opens across from the Common Man AshlandThe Common Man Windham opens

Camp restaurant opens at Chase House at Mill Falls in Meredith

The Capitol City Diner becomes Common Man ConcordTown Docks opens in Meredith

The Common Man Lincoln burns down and is rebuilt in 60 days

The Common Man Inn, Spa & Foster’s Steakhouse opens in a converted mill in Plymouth

Lakehouse opens at Church LandingLago replaces The Boathouse Grille in Meredith

The Common Man Merrimack &Airport Diner in Manchester open

The Common Man Family Celebrates 35 Years!

Here we grow again! The Common Man Claremont!

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2008 Daniel Webster Project - Alcohol and Drug Rehabilitation Center, Franklin, NH

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Common Man Owner & Founder, Alex Ray

Alex Ray’s Common Man Family History

Alex Ray, owner of the Common Man Family of Restaurants, is known just as much for his family-style restaurants across New Hampshire as he is for his tireless philanthropic work in communities across the state.

Born on April 6, 1945, Ray moved to North Conway at the age of 14 where he attended Kennett High School. During high school, he worked as a cook at “The Eatery” at Cranmore Mountain Ski Area.

In 1970, four years after graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, Ray opened Pineshore, a little summer restaurant on Squam Lake in Holderness, NH. He opened the first Common Man in Ashland, NH in November of 1971 and since then has built a thriving hospitality business throughout New Hampshire including 14 restaurants an Inn, Spa and Company Store and employing over 800 people.

The original Common Man could serve all of 35 people in its cozy front dining room. There wasn’t a waiting area or lounge, so patrons would line up outside – even in the winter – and wait for an open table. Alex says that he used to run out of the kitchen and peek around the building to see how long the line was. People waiting would look in the door and see customers ordering more coffee. The whisper would then run down the waiting line, “Oh nuts, they’re having more coffee.”

Alex and Jack McCormack (now a successful local lawyer) were the cooks. They would be up on ladders painting the building and Marilyn (She’s still with us!) would come out and ring the bell signaling that lunch had started. Alex and Jack would climb down and go cook.

In 1974, Alex converted the carriage house behind the restaurant into more dining space. Now patrons had a warm place to wait for a table!

In 1977, Alex and his young family moved out of the rooms above the main restaurant to a farm in Holderness, and Alex converted the space into the Step Above Lounge. The comfortable, family-room like lounge is a local landmark.

In October of 1985, Alex purchased the old Pollard Family home in Lincoln, NH. He and his crew moved an old barn to the site, renovated it and attached it for additional dining space. Bing Rogers of Campton, NH constructed an amazing , huge rock fireplace, and 47 days from the date of purchase, the Common Man Lincoln opened its doors.

In 1987, Alex bought the old Howard Johnson’s Restaurant in Concord, NH. He renovated the building, keeping the old-style counter service and turning the rest of the place into a real old-fashioned 50’s style diner. The Capital City Diner became a popular local hangout and a must on every politician’s tour of the state.

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In 1992, after much negotiating, Alex convinced the Pike Family to sell the parking lot adjacent to their company headquarters just off exit 20 of I-93. He and a dedicated staff created a restaurant that incorporated a real 1950’s steel diner and the Tilt’n Diner was born!

In 1993, Alex and partner Don Brown opened the Italian Farmhouse in Plymouth. The Farmhouse has become a favorite for locals and tourists alike, with its fresh baked bread, brick oven pizza and warm, friendly atmosphere. Alex rescued and relocated a large glass greenhouse behind the restaurant. The brick-floored, carefully manicured greenhouse overflows with flowers and is a favorite spot for weddings and other celebrations.

In 1995, Alex worked with Meredith entrepreneur Rusty McLear to create The Inn at Bay Point and Boathouse Grille Restaurant. The restaurant was in a completely renovated bank building located right on the water in downtown Meredith. (In 2004, Alex and his staff worked to renovate the Boathouse Grille into Lago, an authentic Italian Trattoria.)

Twenty-five years after opening the original Common Man Restaurant, Alex opened the Common Man Windham. The new restaurant was located in a renovated barn that Alex had his eye on for quite some time. Alex was right about the location! The Common Man Windham is busy year-round serving Great American Fare to southern New Hampshire.

In 1996, he also opened the Common Man Company Store in Ashland, NH. The project was devised and spearheaded by Diane Downing, Alex’s longtime professional partner. The store offers a huge selection of Common Man gear, kitchen necessities, local craftings, toys, pottery, candles, and many unique gift items.

In 1998, Alex again teamed up with Rusty McLear and Don Brown in the creation of the Chase House Inn and Camp restaurant in downtown Meredith, NH. Camp is a small, fun place that serves up Great American fare with a Camp flair.

In 1999, Alex decided to replace the Capital City Diner with a Common Man Restaurant. He had the old structure completely taken down and built a charming New England town home and barn in its place. The Common Man Concord opened its doors in the Fall of 2000. The restaurant underwent renovations in 2007 to create a bar and grille area, deck seating and a mini version of the Common Man Company Store.

Also in 1999, Alex took another try at a seasonal place. He bought the old Frankensundae on the Bay in Meredith and turned it into Town Docks, a take-out or eat-in summer dining spot, complete with deck seating, tiki bar and Franky’s ice cream shop.

A test of the resolve and drive of the Common Man Family came in the summer of 2000, when an arsonist burned down the Common Man Lincoln. The shock and loss were felt throughout the company. But with the usual amount of gusto, Alex and his staff set to work with plans for rebuilding. The new restaurant is a match of the historic home and barn that housed the original.

In 2001/2002, the Common Man Family undertook a huge challenge. They took a 60,000 square foot, defunct mill in the town of Plymouth and, retaining 90 percent of the original building, ingeniously transformed it into the 37-room Common Man Inn & Spa, which includes event facilities and a restaurant. The project has won “Grow Smart” and “Main Street” awards and provides what many consider to be a new “center” for the town of Plymouth.

In 2004, Alex and his team opened Lakehouse at Church Landing, on the Bay in Meredith. Lakehouse has an Adirondack feel with hand-hewn exposed beams, fieldstone fireplaces, panoramic lake views and a large event space with seating for 300 guests.

In 2005, the Common Man Family opened the Common Man Merrimack in the renovated Hannah Jack’s Restaurant at exit 11 off the Everett Turnpike. The Common Man Merrimack is similar in design and interior detail to the original in Ashland.

Not pausing for a moment, Ray and his crew broke ground on Airport Diner located in the Holiday Inn on Brown Avenue in Manchester. The project included renovating and incorporating a real stainless steel 1950’s era diner and opened at the end of 2005.

With the planning for Common Man Claremont and construction work on Daniel Webster Project (an alcohol and drug rehabilitation center in Franklin, NH) well underway, it is easy to see that the drive and creativity Ray had when he opened his first restaurant in 1971 has never diminished.

Alex Ray & The Common Man Family’s Recent Charitable Work...

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In November 2006, The Common Man family of restaurants celebrated 35 years of serving residents of and visitors to New Hampshire, in what has grown from one location in Ashland, NH to 13 locations throughout the state.

To continue the restaurant family’s commitment to “doing well by doing good”, a mantra of owner Alex Ray since opening the first Common Man in 1971, the management team and Ray wanted to find a way to make a big impact to not only celebrate the anniversary, but make a difference in local communities.

The team developed a 35th anniversary charitable contest, and announced the program at an anniversary press conference, joined by numerous members of the Common Man staff, New Hampshire Governor John Lynch, NHLRA President Michelline Dufort, and other state officials.

The contest invited guests to stop in at any of The Common Man’s 13 locations and cast a ballot for their favorite New Hampshire charity, to put them in the running to win a $3,500 grant, or the grand prize for the top vote-getter statewide of $5,000. There was no purchase necessary to participate, and votes were limited to one per person, per day.

The votes came in fast and furious over the month of December, and in the end, more than 7,000 ballots were cast for more than 1,000 New Hampshire non-profits. The contest generated an enormous amount of buzz throughout New Hampshire communities, in the non-profit sector and in local media. From the inception of the contest to the final prize blitz, numerous media outlets covered the contest, including the state’s top television station WMUR-TV, New Hampshire’s statewide newspaper, The Union Leader, many daily and weekly newspapers and local radio stations.

The winners were surprised in early January in a “Publisher’s Clearing House” style blitz (see photos on page 6) across the state, with a prize team comprised of owner Alex Ray, CEO Jason Lyon, Vice President Diane Downing and Erica Murphy, Director of Communications and Community Relations, stopping at all 14 winning organizations to present the donations, balloons and gift baskets made up by The Common Man Company Store.

The New Hampshire Humane Society took the top spot for the most votes garnered statewide, winning the $5,000 prize. The charities receiving $3,500 each were The White Mountain Adaptive Ski School at Loon Mountain in Lincoln; The Barbara Christophel Fund in Plymouth; The Pemi Bridge House in Plymouth; The Circle Program in Plymouth; Main Street Program in Plymouth; Ashland Community Food Pantry in Ashland; CHMM Community Caregivers in Center Harbor; Community Health and Hospice in Laconia; Spaulding Youth Center in Northfield; Families in Transition in Manchester; Granite State Senior Games in Manchester; American Cancer Society New England Division in Bedford and Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter in Nashua.

Thanks!

35 Years!

YOU made it possible.theCman.com

35th Anniversary Charitable Contest

Members of The Common Man family jumped in with great enthusiasm to assist with the launch and execution of this program. Dozens of employees joined in the kick-off announcement, and once the program began, wait staff was charged with giving ballots to all customers, hosts/hostesses took ballots from people just stopping in to vote, and managers and general managers took tallies of the votes every day and sent a list of the charities and the votes to the director of communications for tracking. The energy and excitement about this contest that came from employees was one of the key factors in making it a success.

In all, $50,500 was donated to the 13 non-profits that received the most votes at each of our locations, and the one top vote-getter statewide. Beyond the impact of the donation, which was significant for some of the organizations where $3,500 makes a huge difference to their bottom line, the media attention that was garnered by the contest helped raise awareness of the winning charities to encourage others to support them, whether through volunteering, donations or other means. An announcement of the winners, their photos and links to their organization web sites was placed on the Common Man home page, and they were included in the Common Source, a monthly e-newsletter to more than 6,000 subscribers, to help raise the visibility of the organizations.

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While the Common Man’s commitment to New Hampshire has always been strong, in 2005, the family of restaurants took on an even greater role and reached out beyond the state’s borders, to Louisiana and Mississippi, to help victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Just days after the hurricane struck and caused unbelievable devastation, Alex Ray couldn’t take watching the news reports from home anymore, wondering what could be done to help. He packed up the company van with cooking supplies, food and clothes, and drove himself down to the stricken areas to speak with people first hand and offer any help he could.

During his two-week stay in the affected areas, he found himself volunteering at the Baton Rouge River Center where he directed kitchen operations to feed more than 2,500 victims who had evacuated and lost their homes, running rescue missions with the SPCA into New Orleans to save pets who had been left behind, and making soup, coffee and other food for volunteers at yet another site where rescued animals were being brought in by the hundreds.

Meanwhile, back here at home, CEO Jason Lyon and the rest of Ray’s Common Man staff jumped into action, setting up a “Common Effort” relief fund and converting all restaurants to benefit sites, hosting dinners over two nights for hurricane relief. Management and staff at each restaurant was charged with organizing the event, gathering community donations for raffles and encouraging attendance. The Common Man company store in Ashland also participated, donating a portion of all sales to “Common Effort,” and proceeds from a golf tournament and pancake breakfast were also donated. In all, the staff raised $108,000 for hurricane relief.

In November 2005, three months to the date the hurricane struck, the Common Man donated a total of $54,000 to the American Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity, to assist with hurricane relief efforts. In December 2005, Ray returned to the affected areas, and personally donated more “Common Effort” funds to local organizations, church groups and others who were still working to help hurricane victims rebuild. He has also made donations to other New Hampshire residents and school groups who made trips to New Orleans and Mississippi to help with the rebuilding efforts, and he continues to seek out ways to help even today.

Help for the Victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

Common Man Owner & Founder, Alex Ray in New Orleans in 2005

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STATEWIDE GIVING SPREE

Common Man Family 35th Charitable Contest Photos

Awards Received and Positions Held by Alex Ray & The Common Man Family...

Common Man Founder and Owner Alex Ray:2007 National Restaurant Association Cornerstone Humanitarian Award2007 Good Samaritan Award from Pastoral Counseling Services, Inc.Corporator, Meredith Village Savings BankBoard of Directors, New Hampshire Public RadioBoard of Directors, Co-Chair Capital Campaign, Bridge House2006 NH Travel Council Business Person of the Year Award2006 Entrepreneur of the Year from Northeastern Economic Developers Association2004 Hobart Award from the Plymouth NH Chamber of Commerce 2004 Phi Beta Kappa Award for Excellence from Plymouth State University1998 Businessman of the Year from the Plymouth NH Rotary Club1996 Restaurateur of the Year from the NH Lodging & Restaurant AssociationHonorary Culinary Doctorate Degree, Johnson and Wales College, Providence, RIFounding Trustee of the New Hampshire Hospitality Compensation TrustFounding Contributor to the New Hampshire Lodging & Restaurant Association’s Catastrophic FundActive Member of the National Restaurant AssociationFormer Board of Directors, Easter Seals of New HampshireFormer Board of Directors, Speare Memorial Hospital, Plymouth, NHFormer School Board Member, Holderness Central School, Holderness, NHFormer President, Ashland Chamber of Commerce

The Common Man Family:- 2007 Business NH Magazine Top 100 Private Companies- 2007 Business in the Arts Award from Barnstormers Theater- 1999 - 2007 NH Restaurant Neighbor Award from the National Restaurant Association- 2006 NH Travel Council Business Excellence Award- 2006 New Hampshire Magazine’s “Best of New Hampshire” Best Homestyle Cooking, Best Crabcakes, Best Casual Restaurant, Best Regional Restaurant - The Common Man Concord

- 2007 New Hampshire Magazine’s “Best of New Hampshire” Best Comfort Food Restaurant, Best Crab Cakes, Best Regional Restaurant in the Merrimack Valley - Common Man Concord

- 2005 New Hampshire Magazine’s “Best of New Hampshire” Best Casual Restaurant, Best Day Spa - The Spa at the Common Man Inn, Best Regional Restaurant - The Common Man Concord

- 2004 National Restaurant Neighbor Award from the National Restaurant Association- 2004 New Hampshire Magazine’s “Best of New Hampshire” - Best Casual Dining

- 2004 National “Good Neighbor” Award from the National Restaurant Association- 2004 PlanNH Merit Award - Common Man Inn- 2003 Main Street Excellence Award, The Common Man Inn & Spa, Plymouth, NH- 2003 Grow Smart Award, The Common Man & Spa, Plymouth, NH- 2003 New Hampshire Magazine’s “Best of New Hampshire” - Best Crabcakes

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New Hampshire’s Common Man Family

Directions, Menus, Gift Cards and Common Man Store at theCman.com

Where it all began...Common Man Ashland - (603) 968-7030Since 1971 we’ve been serving Great American Fare in our brick village home and Step Above Lounge.

Common Man Lincoln - (603) 745-DINEServing “Great American” dinners year-round in our farmhouse and barn.

Common Man Concord - (603) 228-DINEServing up Common Man classics for lunch and dinner. Great gathering rooms for your next event or meeting.

Common Man Merrimack - (603) 429-DINEStop in for the Great American Fare you love!

Common Man Windham - (603) 898-0088Enjoy dinner year-round in front of our giant field stone fireplace.

Our Inn...Common Man Inn & Spa, Plymouth 1-866-theCman / theCmaninn.com / (603) 536-2200Thirty-seven spacious rooms with great views, Foster’s Boiler Room (536-2764), event facilities, and our Spa (238-2845).

Our Common ManCompany Store Ashland - (603) 968-3559We stock your favorite Common Man goodies, toys, candles, linens, dishwares, soaps, lotions, our Spa’s product line, Common Man-made fudge, penny candy, gift baskets & more!

In Meredith, NH’s Lakes RegionLakehouse at Church Landing(603) 279-5221 - Experience our Adirondack-style dining room, freshly-prepared creative American cuisine and panoramic lake views.

Lago - (603) 279-2253Authentic Old World Italian fare and classic Italian American favorites on Meredith Bay.

Camp - (603) 279-3003Serving dinner in a camp setting featuring a fieldstone fireplace, unique menu and cozy lounge.

Town Docks - (603) 279-3445Lunch, dinner & ice cream daily. Open summers.

For the Whole Family...Italian Farmhouse, Plymouth(603) 536-4536 - Fun Italian food and atmosphere with great brick oven pizza. Our Greenhouse is a beautiful place for your special event!

Tilt’n Diner, Tilton - (603) 286-2204Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner year-round in a real 50’s diner! More than a diner... a way of life!

Airport Diner, Manchester - (603) 623-5040Enjoy real diner fare and great friendly service on Brown Avenue on the way to Manchester Airport. B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner, F = Functions, R = Brunch

Lincoln (D,F)

Plymouth (D,F)

Meredith (D)

Meredith (D,F)

Meredith (Summers, L,D)

Ashland (L,D,F)

Plymouth (B,D,F)

Windham (R,D)

Concord (R,L,D,F)

Meredith (B,R,L,D,F)

Merrimack (R,D)Exit 11 - Everett Turnpike/Rt. 3

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Manchester (B,L,D,F)Exit 2 - off I-293, Brown Avenue

Tilton (B,L,D)

Ashland (Food & Gifts!)

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