I have been in the restaurant business for almost 40 years. And every once in a while, I sit down with someone and I just think -- okay. This one is special.

That's how I felt after talking with Tom Boucher.

Tom is the CEO and majority owner of Great NH Restaurants -- the family behind T-BONES, Copper Door, and Cactus Jack's. Nine restaurants. Over 850 employees. Forty years in New Hampshire. And a foundation called FEEDNH.org that has given back over $1.5 million to nonprofits right here in our state.

But the number that stopped me most was this one: he turned down a full academic scholarship to Villanova to stay and wait tables. At 22. And he has zero regrets.

Tom will tell you it was unplanned. He left Villanova, took a holiday-break server job at T-BONES Hudson in 1986, and just never left. But when you listen to him talk about it, you realize it wasn't accidental at all. He knew.

"I could picture myself owning a restaurant someday." Those were his exact words to his dad. And his dad believed him.

Within three months he was asked to manage the kitchen. He'd never worked in a commercial kitchen. He said sure anyway. By 1991 he was general manager of Bedford T-BONES. By 2004, CEO.

I have been watching people come up through the restaurant industry for almost four decades. And what Tom describes -- that moment you get bitten by the bug -- I know exactly what he means. You either feel it or you don't. Tom felt it immediately.

One of my favorite moments in this conversation is the Copper Door origin story. Tom and his wife Dana were sitting at Shorties in Bedford -- a restaurant that used to be in that space -- having margaritas. Dana drew a sketch on a cocktail napkin. She said the place should be called the Copper Door.

That napkin is now framed at the entrance of the restaurant in Bedford. And the sign on the actual copper door reads: Pull with passion.

"When you actually touch the actual copper door, you're touching one of their five senses." That's Tom. And that's the kind of intentionality behind everything Great NH Restaurants does.

March 13, 2020 — I don't know a single restaurant owner who doesn't remember exactly where they were that day.

Tom was at Copper Door with his leadership team. His investor partner walked in, hung up the phone, and said: "That was Governor Sununu. He's coming on in 10 minutes. Restaurants are closing at midnight."

Tom tore up his agenda. He and his team spent the rest of the day trying to reach 900 employees to tell them not to come in. He called it surreal. He said he still gets chills telling the story.

He also went in front of the state legislature that spring and shared his actual numbers. Revenue down 80%. Losing $140,000 a week. He has no fear walking into those rooms. He believes small business owners need to show up and make legislators see the real numbers. I respect that enormously.

Tom and his late partner Mark Fenske started FEEDNH.org in 2014. FEED stands for Families, Elderly, Education, and Disadvantaged. Eleven years later, they have given back over $1.5 million to New Hampshire nonprofits.

I'll be honest with you. As someone who has been in this industry in New Hampshire for almost 40 years, and as someone who has sat down at his restaurants as a guest -- knowing that the people behind the food are also behind something like FEEDNH just makes me proud. Proud of what we do in this state.

CASA of NH. The Boys & Girls Club. Manchester School of Technology. These are real organizations doing real work for real people in our communities. And Great NH Restaurants is funding them.

If you want to learn more or apply for a grant: feednh.org

I'm not going to give it all away here. You need to listen to the episode for this one.

But I will tell you this: Tom revealed something on Beyond the Plate that he has not talked about publicly before. A new concept. A new direction. And if it happens -- it is going to be SO good for New Hampshire.

Watch the full episode and you'll hear it straight from Tom.

If you haven't been to Copper Door, that needs to change. If you haven't tried the CBC at T-BONES -- it has been on the menu since 1986 and the original price was $4.95, by the way -- go get one. And if you want to see what it looks like when a company gives back with intention, go to feednh.org.

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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