There are some conversations that just feel easy the second they start -- and this one was exactly that. Sitting down with Pat Mills from Bonfire felt like catching up with someone who truly gets what it means to build something in this industry, protect it, fight for it, and still care deeply about the people around you. That kind of honesty always stands out to me.

And honestly, I loved this episode because it wasn’t just about a restaurant or a bar. It was about Manchester, community, service, grief, resilience, and all the things that happen behind the scenes that most people never see. When you’ve spent as many years as I have in hospitality, you can feel pretty quickly when someone is in this business for the right reasons -- and Pat absolutely is.

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If you’ve ever walked down Elm Street, you know Bonfire has a presence. It’s one of those places people recognize right away, and once Pat started describing it, I was smiling because it really does have its own personality.

He talked about how every table is different, which I love. There are kegs, regular wooden seats, a truck bed, and even a ski lift from Pats Peak. That kind of detail tells you a lot about a place before you even order anything. It’s fun, it doesn’t take itself too seriously, and it gives people something to remember.

Pat put it simply: “We have every table in the restaurant's different.” That is such a perfect description of Bonfire. It feels like a place built with character on purpose -- not because someone was trying to be trendy, but because they wanted it to feel like something. And I love that.

He also shared that Bonfire is more than just food and drinks. Between live music, the downstairs game room, private events, and Sunday line dancing, it’s a place people come to experience, not just visit. I have to say it again because I mean it -- I am absolutely going to try that beginner line dancing night. O M G. I love that it starts at 5:00 too. That is my kind of timing.

One thing I appreciated so much about this conversation was how real Pat was about the hospitality business right now. No fluff. No pretending. Just honesty.

He said, “It’s not the industry is not what it used to be,” and that came up more than once in our conversation. Anyone who owns a restaurant, bar, diner, or really any hospitality business knows exactly what he means. So much has changed in the last few years -- customer habits, staffing, late-night traffic, socializing, even how younger people gather.

That part of the conversation really hit me because I see it too. At Red Arrow, we’ve all had to adjust. You can’t run your business based on what worked ten years ago and expect the same result now. The world is different. Downtown patterns are different. Customers are different. And the people who are still standing in this industry are the people willing to tell the truth about that.

Pat had a line that really stayed with me when he said, “The only thing in my simple brain that I can come up with is the socialization.” He was talking about why so many younger people just aren’t going out the same way they used to, and honestly, I think there’s a lot of truth in that. We used to meet people face-to-face. We used to go out because that was how you connected. Now so much happens through a screen.

That doesn’t make hospitality less important -- it makes it more important. Places where people can gather, talk, laugh, eat, dance, celebrate, and connect still matter. Maybe now more than ever.

This episode went way beyond Bonfire, and I’m glad it did.

Pat is involved in so many organizations and causes in Manchester, and when we started talking about that, it opened up a whole different side of the conversation. We touched on the Child Advocacy Center, Friends of Anya, Make-A-Wish, Salvation Army, Queen City Rotary, Hope New Hampshire, Special Olympics, Swim With a Mission, and more. It is a long list -- and it says a lot about who he is.

What stood out to me most was that he didn’t talk about any of it like he was looking for credit. He talked about it like someone who simply believes showing up matters. When I asked him why he does so much, his answer came back to how he was raised and the importance of giving back. That felt very real to me.

The Friends of Anya part of our conversation especially stayed with me. He described it as a place where grieving kids can be with other grieving kids -- not in some stiff formal way, but in a setting where they can color, read, talk, and just be themselves. That matters. Sometimes the most important thing you can do is create space where people don’t feel alone.

And then there was the story of Lizzy.

That part of the episode was heartbreaking. You could feel how much it still lives with him. There are moments in this business when staff stop being staff and become family. Anyone who has been in hospitality long enough knows exactly what I mean. You hire young people, watch them grow up, cheer them on, worry about them, and care about them like they’re your own. Hearing Pat talk through that loss and the guilt he carried was incredibly powerful.

One of the lines that hit me hardest was when he said, “I know who you are. I know you, Pat.” You could feel the weight of that moment in the room. It was raw and human and honest -- and I think that is exactly why conversations like this matter.

Another big part of this episode was downtown Manchester -- what it’s been through, what’s improved, and what still needs work.

Pat spoke very openly about how hard it is to rebuild confidence once people stop feeling comfortable coming downtown. That’s a real issue, and I appreciated that he didn’t dance around it. Whether you agree with every detail or not, what matters is that this was an honest conversation about the reality business owners face when public perception changes.

As someone who has spent decades in hospitality in New Hampshire, I think these conversations are important. You don’t fix anything by pretending it isn’t happening. You fix things by caring enough to talk about them, keep investing, keep showing up, and keep believing your city is worth fighting for.

And that’s what I heard underneath everything Pat said -- not negativity, but investment. He cares about Manchester. You don’t speak that passionately about a place unless you care deeply about what happens to it.

You know I had to end on food.

I always love asking guests where they go when they’re not at work, because restaurant people notice everything. They notice consistency, service, atmosphere, and whether a place really delivers night after night.

Pat gave some great answers. He talked about Ignite as one of his favorites and had a lot of praise for the consistency there. He also mentioned Pizza Man and The Crown, which made me smile because I love hearing what people in the business notice about other operators. Restaurant owners know how hard it is to do this well, so when they compliment another place, it means something.

And of course, by the end of it, we were right back where I’m always happy to be -- talking about food.

Actually, one of my favorite lines from the whole episode might be when Pat said, “Let’s talk about food.” Honestly? Yes. Always.

This episode reminded me that the best hospitality stories are never just about the menu.

They’re about the people who build the places. The things they carry. The losses they survive. The causes they support. The city blocks they believe in. The way they welcome people in anyway -- night after night, year after year.

Pat brought all of that into this conversation, and I’m really glad he did.

So if you haven’t watched this episode yet, go do that. And then maybe make a night of it -- head downtown, visit Bonfire, try the line dancing, grab some food, and support the people still putting their heart into this city. You’re going to hear a lot more than a business story in this one.

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ABOUT CAROL ERICKSON

Carol Erickson has owned Red Arrow Diner since 1987 -- four locations across New Hampshire, open 24/7. She started Beyond the Plate to tell the real stories behind the people who make New England's food and hospitality scene what it is. Not just what's on the menu. What's behind it.

Red Arrow Diner: redarrowdiner.com  |  @redarrow24diner