A New Hotspot….With a Punchline to Boot

Posted by Steve Boucher on November 23, 2009 at 11:58am

 

And on the seventh day, they laughed. Wait…strike that. They roared, they stood, they applauded and they vowed to return a few weeks later.

Now I’m no Perez Hilton or a high society schmoozer….in fact, my social calendar typically consists of Monarchs games and Ted Nugent concerts….but I have to admit that my social radar was working at peak efficiency last Friday night when I made the decision to attend Comedy Night as part of the grand opening of Boynton’s Taproom in Manchester.

The creation of co-owners Josh and Rachel Boynton, who spend their daytime hours operating Lifeshare, a Manchester headquartered human services organization, Boynton’s Taproom is a jewel of the Manchester millyard. It features a 50-foot mahogany bar directly imported from Africa, tremendous menu offerings such as an exquisite chocolate fudge fondue and a huge selection of wine and beer.

However, the real drawing card for this particular venue is its jam packed entertainment lineup. On Friday night, the sellout crowd was treated to a trio of nationally known comedians – Joe Yannety (writer and performer on “Classic Rock Morning Show” on WZLX Boston), Jimmy “PJ” Walsh (host of the Boston “Next Big Comedy Star Search”) and Kat Morris (Comedy Store in Los Angeles regular). To say that this all-star lineup was a tremendous hit for Boynton’s grand opening celebration would be an understatement. For two solid hours, people ate, drank, laughed and forgot about the state of the economy, the best recipe for stuffing and how to juggle Cub Scout meetings with football practice and dance lessons.

Places like Boynton’s Taproom remind us what a well rounded state we live in. We have entertainment, we have outdoor recreation and we have cultural amenities that rival those offered in much larger states. All of these “quality of life” attributes weigh very heavily in a business’ decision to expand in or relocate to New Hampshire. Economic development isn’t just about available land, tax structure and government subsidies – it’s about quality schools, open spaces and yes, entertainment offerings. And if you don’t believe me, ask any CEO who has made the decision to make New Hampshire a home base for his or her company.

I salute Boynton’s Taproom and every other New Hampshire business that is adding to the quality of life in the Granite State. I was pleased to hear that Boynton’s will be bringing in some nationally known recording artists over the next few months to supplement their already robust lineup of comedy shows and I have a good feeling about the long term prospects of this new operation. After all, when your primary selling points are great food, drinks and laughter, how can you possibly go wrong?

Steve Boucher is the Communications & Legislative Director at the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development. You can also visit him on the “No Bull Business Blog”