The Common Man Family
The Common Man Family is a privately held, founder-led New Hampshire hospitality company operating since 1971 across 17 restaurants, four inns, two retail stores, an event center, and roadside convenience locations, serving local residents, tourists, and event planners through direct-to-consumer dining, lodging, catering, and retail channels.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1971
- HeadquartersAshland, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Common Man Family does
The Common Man Family is a privately held, founder-led hospitality company headquartered in Plymouth, New Hampshire, operating since 1971. It runs a diversified portfolio of 17 restaurants, four Inns (with on-site dining), two retail stores, an event center, and roadside convenience/gas locations — all within New Hampshire. The portfolio spans multiple restaurant concepts: full-service American comfort food (Common Man brand across Lincoln, Ashland, Concord, Claremont, Merrimack, and Windham), four 50s-style retro diners (Airport Diner, Route 104 Diner, Tilt'n Diner, Lincoln Diner), specialty waterfront and Italian restaurants (Lago, Lakehouse Grille, Camp, Town Docks, Italian Farmhouse, Foster's Boiler Room), boutique inns with 73+ rooms total, the Barn on the Pemi event venue, the Common Man Company Store, and the I-93 Hooksett Welcome Center partnership (public-private with the State of NH) featuring food courts, NH Liquor & Wine Outlets, Irving fuel stations, and Tesla charging.
The business runs on standard restaurant point-of-sale, online ordering (via DoorDash integration), and owned e-commerce platforms for gift cards (shop.thecman.com) — there is no proprietary technology platform. Revenue is generated through direct-to-consumer transactions across five streams: (1) per-transaction restaurant dining, (2) professional-services catering and event venue rental, (3) retail merchandise, (4) gift card sales (physical and electronic, prepaid multi-visit), and (5) room rentals at inn properties and lodging sites. Pricing is unit-based, publicly undisclosed at the menu level, with examples including a $30.99 prime rib dinner and $10 benefit-dinner meals, plus a standardized $25-per-organization charitable donation policy.
The customer base is horizontal and consumer-led: local New Hampshire residents and families (primary), tourists and I-93 travelers, wedding and corporate event planners, and nonprofit organizations for fundraising partnerships. Marketing is entirely direct, relying on social media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X), the Common Source email newsletter, organic website content including The Common Kitchen recipe platform, and earned media through regional outlets (WMUR-TV, NH Union Leader, Business NH Magazine). Each location runs community fundraisers as part of a formalized "Do Good" philosophy, with employees receiving paid Community Service Days.
The Common Man Family firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Common Man Family
- Legal name
- The Common Man Family and Great American Dining
- Website
- https://thecman.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1971
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- The Common Man Family is a privately held, founder-led New Hampshire hospitality company operating since 1971 across 17 restaurants, four inns, two retail stores, an event center, and roadside convenience locations, serving local residents, tourists, and event planners through direct-to-consumer dining, lodging, catering, and retail channels.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Common Man Family industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Hospitality and Restaurant Services
- NAICS
- Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (72111)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Family-Style Restaurants (THAFACAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Hotel & Resort Restaurants (THAFACAH)
Keywords
Where The Common Man Family is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ashland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
The Common Man Family business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Restaurant Dining: The primary revenue stream comes from food and beverage sales across 17 restaurants, 4 Inns with on-site dining, and multiple event venues. Locations range from casual diners to upscale dining, generating recurring per-transaction revenue from dine-in guests.
- Catering & Events: The Barn on the Pemi, Lakehouse Grille, and other venues host weddings, private events, and corporate functions, generating event catering and venue rental revenue.
- Retail Sales: The Common Man Company Store in Ashland and its online counterpart (shop.thecman.com) sell merchandise including fudge, penny candy, NH-made gifts, clothing, and branded items, generating direct retail revenue.
- Gift Cards: Sale of physical and electronic gift cards across all locations and online, creating a prepaid revenue stream that drives future redemption.
- Inn & Lodging: Common Man Inn & Spa Plymouth (38 rooms), Common Man Inn Claremont (35 rooms), The Lodge, The Ranch, and Tiny Guest Houses generate room rental revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Lincoln Diner Prime Rib Dinner — Friday and Saturday, 4–7 p.m. |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Spaghetti Dinner Benefit — Airport Diner fundraiser |
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | Charitable Donation Standard |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
The Common Man Family product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Common Man Family operates a portfolio of New Hampshire hospitality businesses including 17 restaurants (full-service, diners, and specialty concepts), 4 inns with a spa, event venues, retail stores, and convenience stores. Founded in 1971, the company provides dining, lodging, catering, and hospitality services to consumers across the state.
Product overview
The Common Man Family is a hospitality company operating 17 restaurants, four Inns, a Spa, two stores, and event venues across New Hampshire. The portfolio includes six Common Man full-service restaurants, four 50's-style diners, six specialty waterfront and Italian restaurants, boutique lodging properties, The Flying Monkey entertainment venue, The Barn on the Pemi event center, retail stores, and Common Man Roadside convenience locations. The company also operates The Common Kitchen online recipe platform and manages charitable initiatives including the Common Man for Ukraine Relief Fund. Founded in 1971 in Ashland, NH by Alex Ray, the company employs more than 650 people and is known for its 'Do Good' community-focused mantra.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Common Man Restaurant: Core American comfort food restaurant brand with multiple locations across New Hampshire
- The Common Man Inns
- Common Man Diners
- Common Man Roadside
- The Common Kitchen
- Common Man for Ukraine
- Common Man Ukraine Relief Fund
Products and services
- Common Man Restaurants Full-service restaurants offering casual American fare at multiple locations across New Hampshire, serving families, travelers, and local diners with a consistent brand experience.
- Common Man Diners Diner-format restaurants serving classic diner fare including breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a casual, family-friendly setting at multiple New Hampshire locations.
- Common Man Specialty Restaurants Specialty and elevated dining concepts offering varied cuisines and atmospheres for special occasions, date nights, and destination dining in New Hampshire.
- Common Man Inns Lodging properties including inns with spa amenities (Plymouth), additional inns (Claremont), The Lodge, and The Ranch, providing overnight accommodations for travelers and guests of the restaurants and event venues.
- The Barn on the Pemi Event venue hosting weddings, private parties, corporate events, and celebrations with on-site catering and event coordination services.
- The Common Man Company Store and New Berry's on the Common Retail stores offering branded merchandise, gifts, apparel, and specialty products for consumers and gift purchasers.
- Common Man Roadside Convenience retail stores offering grab-and-go food, beverages, and everyday essentials for travelers and local consumers across New Hampshire.
- Catering & Events Services Catering and event services provided off-premise and at venue locations for private gatherings, corporate functions, and special occasions.
- Common Man Gift Cards Gift cards usable at participating Common Man Family restaurants, diners, and venues for consumer gifting and personal use.
Quantifiable outcome
- More than 50% employee retention rate for 10+ year tenures in an industry known for high turnover
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use The Common Man Family
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Common Man Family technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
The Common Man Family partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Pemi-Valley Habitat for HumanitycoreThe Common Man donated The Flying Monkey Movie House & Performance Center to Pemi-Valley Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit that will continue entertainment operations while using proceeds to build affordable housing for low- and middle-income residents in 27 towns around the Pemi-Valley and Lakes Region. All Flying Monkey employees will stay on under nonprofit leadership.
- Brave SelectionscoreBrave Selections of Rhode Island imported Villa Tinta Odesa wines from Ukraine for distribution across the US, with $2 per bottle donated to Common Man for Ukraine. Brave Selections was founded specifically to support Ukrainian wine culture and the families behind it.
- Martignetti CompaniesminorMartignetti Companies distributed Odesa wines (Villa Tinta) from Brave Selections to NH Liquor & Wine Outlets and Common Man restaurants across New Hampshire.
- World Central KitchencoreThe Common Man partnered with World Central Kitchen for hurricane relief efforts following Hurricanes Helene and Milton in late 2024. The company matched guest donations up to $100,000 combined for both World Central Kitchen and American Red Cross. Donations totaled $27,514.14 to World Central Kitchen after matching.
- American Red CrosscoreThe Common Man matched guest donations for American Red Cross hurricane relief efforts, raising $65,074.16 (after matching) for disaster relief. The Red Cross provided ongoing updates on relief operations in hurricane-affected areas.
- Granite United WaycoreGranite United Way served as the fiscal agent for the NH Relief for Ukraine Fund, enabling secure donation processing and fund distribution. The partnership facilitated the transfer of donations to Polish Rotary District #2331 for distribution to Ukrainian refugees and those in war-torn Ukraine. Granite United Way is a merger of 6 local United Ways serving most of New Hampshire and Windsor County, Vermont, engaging 1 in 3 NH residents annually as donors, volunteers, or program beneficiaries.
- Plymouth Rotary Club and Warsaw Rotary ClubcoreRotary Clubs of Plymouth, NH and Warsaw, Poland partnered with The Common Man family and Alex Ray to deliver humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Polish Rotary District #2331 managed fund distribution to ensure funds reached intended purposes. Club members traveled to Poland and Ukraine to assess needs and deliver supplies.
- WMUR-TVminorWMUR-TV served as a media partner for the NH Relief for Ukraine Fund campaign, helping spread awareness of the statewide fundraising effort alongside iHeart Media, Granite United Way, NH Fisher Cats, and Rotary Clubs.
- iHeart MediaminoriHeart Media partnered with The Common Man on the NH Relief for Ukraine Fund campaign to amplify awareness of the fundraising effort across New Hampshire.
- New Hampshire Fisher CatsminorThe New Hampshire Fisher Cats (minor league baseball team) partnered on the NH Relief for Ukraine Fund, hosting a benefit night that raised more than $10,000, with 50% of ticket sales and 100% of 50/50 raffle proceeds donated.
- Harvard Pilgrim Health CareminorHarvard Pilgrim Health Care partnered with The Common Man and NH Magazine on the Meals of Thanks program, providing more than 700 meals to NH neighbors in need for Thanksgiving 2020. Meals were distributed to The Way Home in Manchester and area food pantries through the NH Food Bank.
- Rotary Clubs of New HampshirecoreMask Up NH was a partnership between The Common Man family and Rotary Clubs of New Hampshire to distribute 67,000+ breathable, washable, reusable cloth face masks free of charge to Granite State residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Common Man's antique trolley served as the 'MaskMobile' for community distribution stops.
- Rusty McLear / Mill Falls at the LakecoreLongtime strategic partner Rusty McLear co-developed multiple properties with The Common Man family, including: the Inn at Bay Point and Boathouse Grille (1994, later transformed into Lago), Camp restaurant at The Chase House at Mill Falls (1998), the public-private partnership for NH Welcome Centers on I-93 (2013-2015), and Common Man Inn & Restaurant Claremont (2009) converting decrepit brick mills into hospitality properties.
- State of New HampshirecoreThe Common Man entered a public-private partnership with the State of New Hampshire in October 2013 to transform the NH Welcome Centers on I-93 in Hooksett. The project delivered new Common Man Roadside food courts (10,000 sq ft), 20,000 sq ft NH Liquor & Wine Outlets, 3,000 sq ft interactive visitor centers, NH General Stores, 16 Irving fuel stations, Tesla charging stations, and 300+ parking spaces per direction. Northbound center named for late Executive Councilor Raymond S. Burton.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Common Man Family competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Hilton Worldwide: Global lodging operator. Broad incumbent comparable for the Common Man Inns' lodging economics, distribution benchmarks, and franchise option-set as The Common Man considers scaling.
- Darden Restaurants: Large multi-concept full-service restaurant operator (Olive Garden, LongHorn, Capital Grille). Comparable in structure (multi-brand full-service operator) and as a reference point for full-service restaurant unit economics and cost discipline.
- Bloomin' Brands: Multi-concept restaurant operator (Outback, Carrabba's, Bonefish). Useful broad incumbent comparable for portfolio restaurant management and casual-casual full-service operations.
- Marriott International: Global lodging franchisor and operator. Applicable broad-incumbent comparable for lodging unit performance and benchmarking Common Man Inns against branded lodging economics.
- Cracker Barrel: Country-store + restaurant hybrid operator. Comparable to Common Man Roadside's convenience-store-plus-food concept and to the multi-store retail/food adjacency.
Regional players
- Woodstock Inn Brewery: Upper Valley (NH/VT) hospitality operator combining lodging, restaurant, and brewpub operations — directly comparable multi-concept family in northern New England with overlapping event and tourism exposure.
- LaBelle Winery: New Hampshire winery with restaurant, wedding/event venue, and on-site lodging — directly comparable to Common Man's event-and-hospitality platform and competing for the same wedding and corporate-event market in NH.
- The Meadow (Brook Farm Project / Stonewall Farm venues): NH-based rustic event and wedding venue adjacent to Common Man's Barn on the Pemi; comparable for the events and lodging adjacency, though narrower scope.
Direct peers
- Lindley Hospitality Group: New England-based multi-concept restaurant and events operator. Comparable to Common Man as a founder-led, multi-unit hospitality group serving regional markets with diversified formats.
- Bedford Village Inn: New Hampshire-based hospitality operator combining a historic inn, fine dining restaurant, and wedding/event venues. Closely comparable to Common Man's lodging-plus-events-plus-restaurant stack in the same regional market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Common Man Family social profiles
Digital presenceThe Common Man Family financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Common Man Family leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
The Common Man Family subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries25 records
The Common Man Family funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Common Man Family M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Common Man Family
What does The Common Man Family do?
The Common Man Family operates a portfolio of New Hampshire hospitality businesses including 17 restaurants (full-service, diners, and specialty concepts), 4 inns with a spa, event venues, retail stores, and convenience stores. Founded in 1971, the company provides dining, lodging, catering, and hospitality services to consumers across the state.
Is The Common Man Family a public or private company?
The Common Man Family is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was The Common Man Family founded?
The Common Man Family was founded in 1971. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is The Common Man Family based?
The Common Man Family is headquartered in Ashland, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Common Man Family make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Restaurant Dining is the primary driver. The others are catering & Events, retail Sales, gift Cards and inn & Lodging.
Who are The Common Man Family's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Hilton Worldwide, Darden Restaurants, Bloomin' Brands, Marriott International and Cracker Barrel. Regional players are Woodstock Inn Brewery, LaBelle Winery and The Meadow (Brook Farm Project / Stonewall Farm venues). Direct peers are Lindley Hospitality Group and Bedford Village Inn.
Does The Common Man Family have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Common Man Family.
What industry is The Common Man Family in?
The Common Man Family's product category is Hospitality and Restaurant Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFACAC, Family-Style Restaurants, with a secondary code of THAFACAH, Hotel & Resort Restaurants. Its NAICS code is 722511 and its SIC code is 5810.