Episode 21: Inside 815 Cocktails & Provisions
Sarah Maillet & Ryan McCabe on building one of Manchester NH’s most unique cocktail and dining experiences

I’ll be honest — I LOVE walking into a place and immediately feeling like I belong there.

Not in a “fancy night out” kind of way… and not in a “grab a quick bite and go” kind of way either. I mean that in-between space where you can sit back, settle in, and just be for a while. That’s exactly how I feel every time I think about 815.

And after sitting down with Sarah and Ryan, it made SO much sense why that feeling is there. This isn’t a concept they stumbled into — it’s something they built on purpose, piece by piece, over the last 10 years.

They’ve created something really special in Manchester, and honestly… you’re going to want to hear this one.

One of the first things that stuck with me in this conversation was how intentional they were about the feel of 815.

They didn’t want loud. They didn’t want rushed. They didn’t want people talking over each other just to be heard.

They wanted something that felt like a living room.

And honestly… you can feel that the second you walk in.

Sarah described it in a way that made me smile — you might see someone coming straight from a construction job sitting next to someone dressed for a wedding… and it just works. That kind of space doesn’t happen by accident. That’s hospitality done right.

After 39 years in this business, I can tell you — creating a place where everyone feels comfortable? That’s not easy. That’s something you earn.

I’ll admit it — I’ve heard people say, “Oh, they don’t really do food there.”

And I’m like… YES they do. And now more than ever.

What really stood out to me was how their food program has evolved — especially after bringing their chef back and renovating the space.

Ryan talked about how their kitchen has always had limitations (and honestly, every restaurant has something like that), but instead of letting that hold them back, they leaned into it and got creative.

Now? People are coming in specifically for the food.

And I get it. Between the house-made focaccia (which they sell “by the brick” — I LOVE that), the charcuterie, the sandwiches, and even something like a broccoli Caesar that somehow converts people who don’t even like broccoli… it’s clear they’re doing something right.

That kind of shift doesn’t happen unless the team is all-in.

This part of the conversation — I could have stayed in it all day.

Because Sarah said something that I wish more people understood:

YES.

There’s this idea out there that owning a restaurant is this fun, glamorous thing… and I always say the same thing — why do you want to do that? 😄

It’s hard. It’s unpredictable. It takes everything.

And what I loved about their dynamic is how honest they are about that — communication is hard, challenges happen, things ebb and flow. But they’ve built respect over time, and they know how to balance each other out.

That’s the difference.

I’ve seen so many beautiful places open and close because the people behind them didn’t truly understand what it takes. Sarah and Ryan came up in the industry. They’ve bartended, they’ve worked the floor, they’ve done the work.

You can feel that in everything they’ve built.

If you’ve been in this industry long enough, you know there are moments that test everything.

For them, it wasn’t just COVID (which was hard enough — imagine running a second-floor cocktail spot during that time). It was the renovation that really pushed things.

Six months closed. Budget blown. Starting over in a lot of ways.

And still… they came back.

That’s grit.

I always say — if this business was easy, everybody would do it. And moments like that are exactly why not everybody makes it.

But they did. And now they’re on the other side of it with something even stronger.

There’s no one single reason.

It’s not just the cocktails (which, by the way, are incredible — they’ve been building that program for 10 years).

It’s not just the food (even though that’s clearly having a moment right now).

It’s not just the space.

It’s the combination of all of it — plus the fact that they’re still there, still hands-on, still paying attention to every detail.

One of my favorite things Ryan said was how grateful he is to share the workload — because this business is heavy. Having someone you trust next to you? That matters more than people realize.

And Sarah talking about time — how valuable it is, and how owning a business gives her the ability to shape it (even while teaching hot pilates on the side — which I thought was amazing, by the way).

It all comes back to intention.

When I think about 815 now, I don’t just think about a cocktail bar.

I think about a place that reflects the people behind it.

Creative. A little unexpected. Welcoming. Real.

And that word “provisions” — we talked about that too — it really does say everything. It’s not just food. It’s not just drinks. It’s the full experience of being taken care of when you walk through the door.

That’s hospitality.

And they’ve built it their way.

Seriously — go.

Walk up those stairs, step inside, and just take it in for a minute.

Order a cocktail. Try the focaccia (don’t skip that). Sit a little longer than you planned to.

And then tell me you don’t feel it too.

Because places like this — the ones that last, the ones that grow, the ones that become part of the community — they don’t happen by accident.

They happen because people like Sarah and Ryan pour everything they have into them.

Listen to the full episode here:
youtube.com/watch?v=TL0CyOBRy8U

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Have you been to 815? What’s your go-to order? Tell me — I want to hear it!!

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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