News

Aug 16, 2023

TC’s Pantry introduces “business choice” day

GENERAL MANAGER CLAREMONT – A Pleasant Street eatery is featuring meals based upon the suggestions of local businesses as a fun way to vary its menu and promote the vitality of the Claremont

GENERAL MANAGER

CLAREMONT – A Pleasant Street eatery is featuring meals based upon the suggestions of local businesses as a fun way to vary its menu and promote the vitality of the Claremont community.

Theresa Darling, owner of TC’s Pantry LLC, 35 Pleasant St., said about a dozen businesses – including the Eagle Times – have or will participate by suggesting their favorite meal.

“Every Wednesday, there will be a new business featured,” Darling said. “Some chose something that I regularly make. Others tell me about something their mother or grandmother made and want to see how I would make that.”

The first business to kick off the fun was Luke Avery with Avery Insurance, 3 Parsons Ave., Claremont. His choice was a chicken Caesar wrap.

“That wrap was popular and gave me the idea,” Darling said. “I like to talk to my customers, ask them what they like to eat, and challenging myself on food I haven’t cooked before.”

Second was Kylie Russell, owner of Kylie’s Kreations, 32 Pleasant St. She chose chicken tetrazzini wrap that also proved to be a favorite.

The Eagle Times, a business neighbor of Darling’s, was third in the grouping. Graphic Artist Sydney McAllister, Charlestown, chose a chicken bacon chipotle wrap. It, too, was a hit with Darling’s customers.

Other businesses that have participated or soon will are Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Claremont, Martha Maki with Edward Jones—Claremont, Oasis Teen Shelter and Support, William Wallace Prefab/Building Products, Nic from Nics Naks and Games, and Claremont Spice and Dry Goods.

Darling’s mantra is “local, local, local.” It doesn’t matter if that refers to her always made-from-scratch with local ingredients cooking, supporting local causes and organizations or building community among Claremont’s growing business base.

“I provide lots of gift certificates, especially for Penny Sales,” she said. “My ingredients come from local businesses including Liberal Beef, Black River Produce, Peter’s Stand, Orchard Hill Breadworks, and Tuckerman’s Beer.”

Regular customers are also encouraged to make requests, Darling, a Charlestown native and resident of Acworth for the past 17 years, said.

“I opened my storefront on Pleasant Street two years ago,” she said. “I opened right before the street construction. I had a good fall and winter and then the street was closed. I fed the construction workers – they came in almost every day. That helped.”

She said she chose her location “because it had everything I needed – the fixtures and equipment.”

“I had been looking for a place for a while and I found this location,” she said. “It had been a southern comfort food-themed restaurant and was home to the 100-Mile Market before.”

She said most of her business comes from her loyal customer base complemented by use of social media, Facebook and word of mouth.

She got into the business a bit by chance.

“I love cooking,” she said. “I was always a good cook. When my daughter was born, I watched a lot of cooking shows. I learned how to cook everything. Now, I don’t think there is anything I can’t cook. The business started because I was making pot pies. Then, I started selling them to friends and family and it grew from there. Besides the store, I have a wholesale business with products at the Acworth Village Store, the Monadnock Coop, and the Brattleboro Coop. I also used to host Friday Night Dinner Nights at the Acworth Village Store.

On the special Wednesday business shoutout specials, she said the promotion is rewarding.

“My lunch customers are business owners or work locally and they are busy,” she said. “I see them get excited about food. We talked about ways to make food better. This idea grew out of those conversations. It is a hit.”

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