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March 12. 2013 6:59PM
Owners of Mr. Mac's Macaroni and Cheese Valerie Anderson and Patrick Cain at their Manchester shop on Tuesday. (DAVID LANE/UNION LEADER)
Servings of Buffalo chicken, bottom, and Philly cheese steak macaroni
MANCHESTER - When Patrick Cain was building a career as an executive in the retail fashion industry, he was told consumers have an emotional connection with certain products. "I thought it was marketing nonsense," he said.
Then he started Mr. Mac's Macaroni and Cheese on Hooksett Road with his sister, Valerie Anderson, two years ago. Now, he's a believer. "It started when some guy about my age came in and said, with a twinkle in his eye, 'This is just how my mom used to make it, with tomatoes,'" recalls the middle-aged restaurateur.
While hamburgers and pizzas conjure up images of fast food, macaroni and cheese is the quintessential comfort food, especially when it comes in a casserole pan, baked in the oven with a golden brown crust. You won't find any stove-top mac 'n cheese made with orange-colored powder at Mr. Mac's, where 20 different varieties of the potluck classic are made fresh with each order.
The brother-sister team have been so effective in creating a concept, a look and a reputation for the unique Manchester eatery, that some diners mistake it for a franchise. It may well be, some day, but now more modest expansion plans are in the works.
Cain is scoping out locations in Nashua for the newest Mr. Mac's, which is likely to open in the year ahead. It will be the first step in branching out, and a test of how effectively the entrepreneurial duo can duplicate a formula that has worked so well for them in Manchester.
"The key to this is the uniqueness," said Cain, as he gestured around the small dining room with about 15 tables. "It's what keeps me up at night, knowing that we have a some great opportunities, but we have to do it the right way."
A new career
Doing things the right way was the key for Cain and Anderson from the day they conceived of Mr. Mac's in 2008. She was retired from a career in hospital administration, and he was looking for a change of pace from his job in retail. With their children grown and enough money between them to finance the endeavor, they decided to start a business together in New Hampshire.
She was still living in their hometown of Miami, but he had left the city years ago and was living in Nashua. After looking at locations in the Lakes Region, they abandoned the idea of a seasonal business, conducted extensive research, leased what had been an Amato's sandwich shop, and Mr. Mac's opened for business in November 2010.
"We'd heard about S'Mac, a restaurant in Manhattan that specialized in macaroni and cheese, so we started talking about something like that - something that wasn't on every street corner," Cain said.
He put his years of experience in merchandising to work, researching recipes, demographics and costs. "We had visions of being on the lake and doing macaroni and cheese," he said, "but realized we had to have the population."
Even though Manchester has a larger population than Nashua, Cain said expansion into the Gate City will require something larger than the 3,000-square-foot location on Hooksett Road, due to the anticipated traffic from nearby high-population Massachusetts towns.
The Manchester restaurant is already somewhat of a destination, having been featured on television's Phantom Gourmet and honored by New Hampshire Magazine in its "Best of 2011" promotion.
The menu, which also is available for delivery, consists exclusively of macaroni and cheese dishes in three sizes, ranging from the classic all-American ("just like grandma made") and cheeseburger mac, to more esoteric varieties like Mediterranean or Cajun. With 20 different signature casseroles, a create-your-own option, specialty sauces, seasonings, salads and desserts, the offerings are anything but repetitive.
Creating a team spirit
The owners say they have staffed Mr. Mac's with 10 percent to 20 percent more personnel than would be typical for a comparable operation to keep wait times to a minimum. But with a booming business in take-out, party trays on order and a dinning room full of customers on a Friday night, things can still get a bit hectic, Anderson said.
A lot of the staff comes from the culinary arts program at Southern New Hampshire University, and was already hard at work by 10 a.m. on a typical Tuesday morning, shredding cheese, prepping toppings, cooking pasta and blending the bachemel (white sauce) that is the foundation of each dish.
The tip jar on the counter isn't helping any of them with college expenses, because each month the staffers donate their tips to a charity of their choice. The wall is dotted with photos of giant checks in the $400 to $600 range donated to the New Hampshire Food Bank, Make-A-Wish, the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, and many other good causes.
Creating that team spirit among the crew and developing a customer-first philosophy are as important as the quality ingredients and high-tech ovens in the Mr. Mac's formula, said Cain, who calls himself a deciple of Walmart founder Sam Walton. While Mr. Mac's has no amibition of becoming that ubiquitous, it may well be coming to a corner near you.
dsolomon@unionleader.com
More cheese, please! Manchester's Mister Mac expanding into Nashua
Owners of Mr. Mac's Macaroni and Cheese Valerie Anderson and Patrick Cain at their Manchester shop on Tuesday. (DAVID LANE/UNION LEADER)
Servings of Buffalo chicken, bottom, and Philly cheese steak macaroni
Then he started Mr. Mac's Macaroni and Cheese on Hooksett Road with his sister, Valerie Anderson, two years ago. Now, he's a believer. "It started when some guy about my age came in and said, with a twinkle in his eye, 'This is just how my mom used to make it, with tomatoes,'" recalls the middle-aged restaurateur.
While hamburgers and pizzas conjure up images of fast food, macaroni and cheese is the quintessential comfort food, especially when it comes in a casserole pan, baked in the oven with a golden brown crust. You won't find any stove-top mac 'n cheese made with orange-colored powder at Mr. Mac's, where 20 different varieties of the potluck classic are made fresh with each order.
The brother-sister team have been so effective in creating a concept, a look and a reputation for the unique Manchester eatery, that some diners mistake it for a franchise. It may well be, some day, but now more modest expansion plans are in the works.
Cain is scoping out locations in Nashua for the newest Mr. Mac's, which is likely to open in the year ahead. It will be the first step in branching out, and a test of how effectively the entrepreneurial duo can duplicate a formula that has worked so well for them in Manchester.
"The key to this is the uniqueness," said Cain, as he gestured around the small dining room with about 15 tables. "It's what keeps me up at night, knowing that we have a some great opportunities, but we have to do it the right way."
A new career
Doing things the right way was the key for Cain and Anderson from the day they conceived of Mr. Mac's in 2008. She was retired from a career in hospital administration, and he was looking for a change of pace from his job in retail. With their children grown and enough money between them to finance the endeavor, they decided to start a business together in New Hampshire.
She was still living in their hometown of Miami, but he had left the city years ago and was living in Nashua. After looking at locations in the Lakes Region, they abandoned the idea of a seasonal business, conducted extensive research, leased what had been an Amato's sandwich shop, and Mr. Mac's opened for business in November 2010.
"We'd heard about S'Mac, a restaurant in Manhattan that specialized in macaroni and cheese, so we started talking about something like that - something that wasn't on every street corner," Cain said.
He put his years of experience in merchandising to work, researching recipes, demographics and costs. "We had visions of being on the lake and doing macaroni and cheese," he said, "but realized we had to have the population."
Even though Manchester has a larger population than Nashua, Cain said expansion into the Gate City will require something larger than the 3,000-square-foot location on Hooksett Road, due to the anticipated traffic from nearby high-population Massachusetts towns.
The Manchester restaurant is already somewhat of a destination, having been featured on television's Phantom Gourmet and honored by New Hampshire Magazine in its "Best of 2011" promotion.
The menu, which also is available for delivery, consists exclusively of macaroni and cheese dishes in three sizes, ranging from the classic all-American ("just like grandma made") and cheeseburger mac, to more esoteric varieties like Mediterranean or Cajun. With 20 different signature casseroles, a create-your-own option, specialty sauces, seasonings, salads and desserts, the offerings are anything but repetitive.
Creating a team spirit
The owners say they have staffed Mr. Mac's with 10 percent to 20 percent more personnel than would be typical for a comparable operation to keep wait times to a minimum. But with a booming business in take-out, party trays on order and a dinning room full of customers on a Friday night, things can still get a bit hectic, Anderson said.
A lot of the staff comes from the culinary arts program at Southern New Hampshire University, and was already hard at work by 10 a.m. on a typical Tuesday morning, shredding cheese, prepping toppings, cooking pasta and blending the bachemel (white sauce) that is the foundation of each dish.
The tip jar on the counter isn't helping any of them with college expenses, because each month the staffers donate their tips to a charity of their choice. The wall is dotted with photos of giant checks in the $400 to $600 range donated to the New Hampshire Food Bank, Make-A-Wish, the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, and many other good causes.
Creating that team spirit among the crew and developing a customer-first philosophy are as important as the quality ingredients and high-tech ovens in the Mr. Mac's formula, said Cain, who calls himself a deciple of Walmart founder Sam Walton. While Mr. Mac's has no amibition of becoming that ubiquitous, it may well be coming to a corner near you.
dsolomon@unionleader.com