There’s something special about a beginning.

A little exciting. A little emotional. Maybe even a little nerve wracking.

That’s exactly how it felt launching the very first episode of Beyond the Plate with Carol Podcast.

And I knew right away there was only one person I wanted sitting across from me.

My son, Tyler.

Because this first episode wasn’t just about food. It was about where it all started.

When I started Beyond the Plate with Carol Podcast, I knew I wanted the first episode to feel personal.

Not polished.

Not scripted.

Real.

And there was no one more real to me than Tyler.

He didn’t just grow up around the restaurant business. He lived it. He was raised in it. He has worked just about every position there is. He understands it in a way you only can when you have been surrounded by it your whole life.

So sitting across from him for Episode 1 didn’t feel like an interview.

It felt like home.

We spent a lot of time talking about Hap’s Roast Beef in Portsmouth, and I have to say listening to him talk about it made me incredibly proud.

Because this wasn’t just about taking over a roast beef shop.

It was about building something.

He poured himself into every detail.

The food, of course.

But also the branding.

The customer experience.

The little touches like the doodles for kids, the wax paper, the social media, even the bathroom.

And if you’ve been there, you know exactly what I mean.

It’s fun.

It’s creative.

It’s thoughtful.

And it feels like him.

One of my favorite parts of this episode of Beyond the Plate with Carol Podcast was learning about the North Shore roast beef world.

I had no idea how serious it was.

How passionate.

How detailed.

It’s a culture.

And what stood out to me most was how much Tyler respected that.

He didn’t just jump in.

He studied it.

He learned.

He experimented.

He worked to get it right.

That matters.

Because in this business, people can tell when you care.

Of course, this conversation wasn’t just about Hap’s.

It was also about what comes next.

Tyler and Amanda just welcomed their beautiful baby girl, my first granddaughter, and I can tell you everyone who said that feeling is different were right.

It is.

So with that new chapter, they made the decision to close Hap’s at the end of July.

Yes, it’s bittersweet.

But it’s also exciting.

Because sometimes you have to make space for what matters most.

And right now, that’s family.

This episode reminded me exactly why I wanted to start Beyond the Plate with Carol Podcast in the first place.

Yes, we’re going to talk about food.

Of course we are.

But it’s never just about what’s on the plate.

It’s about the people behind it.

The stories.

The families.

The risks.

The creativity.

The passion.

That’s what makes it all matter.

This first episode meant more to me than I can really put into words.

Because I didn’t just get to launch something new.

I got to do it with my son.

And I got to share a story that is such a big part of my life.

So if you haven’t listened yet, I hope you will.

Because this one?

This one was about more than just food.

It was about where it all began.

Watch and listen to my full conversation with Tyler and hear the story behind Hap’s Roast Beef, family, and the beginning of this journey.

LISTEN + FOLLOW

New episodes every Tuesday -- Beyond the Plate with Carol

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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