Grand Openings & Ribbon Cuttings
Blue Claw Restaurant
If you're looking for a quiet deck with a few and some affordable first-class seafood you may want to check out the Blue Claw on Ceres St. in Portsmouth which held its official ribbon cutting June 30. Formerly Shepherd's Wharf, the homey eatery boasts some of the best lobster rolls and shrimp chowder in the Seacoast. Proprietors Darren Lee and Christy Kettering invite the community to join them on the deck next to the tugboats. Below, Darren and Christy cut the ceremonial ribbon joined by Chamber staff, Ambassadors and Board Members.
Longhorn Steakhouse
Longhorn Steakhouse, located at 41 Gosling Road in Newington, NH opened its doors to the public June 13.
Longhorn Steakhouse has taken the best of the West and created a place where you can relax and unwind in a comfortable, inviting atmosphere right here in Newington! Visit their website at www.longhornsteakhouse.com.
Below, the Longhorn crew, joined by Chamber staff and Ambassadors, cuts the ribbon officially opening one of the newest Seacoast restaurants.
Countrywide Home Loans
Countrywide Home Loans recently opened its doors at a special ribbon cutting ceremony held June 10 at the company's new offices at 147 Middle St. in Portsmouth. Pictured, from left to right, are Julie Burns, home loan consultant; Craig Goff, also a home loan consultant; Portsmouth Mayor Evelyn Sirrell; and Delvin Arnold, Countrywide's Portsmouth branch manager. To find out more about the company, visit www.countrywide.com.
Arte Toscana, the Art of Tuscany
Arte Toscana cut the ribbon to open their State Street gallery May 21. The gallery features paintings and ceramics exclusively from the region of Tuscany in Italy. Owners Brooke Savage and Paul Popple have selected each piece for its uniqueness, beauty and rarity. The gallery also features a sculpture garden with original pieces of sculptured pottery and garden accents. Two of the artists attended the grand opening. The public is invited to tour the gallery from 2-8 p.m., Sunday, May 23. Arte Toscana is located at 112 State Street, Portsmouth, N.H. Telephone: (603) 433-6002. Pictured left to right are: Kim Golding, art consultant and translator; Kim Case, production designer and webmaster; Portsmouth City Counselor John Hynes, Managing Partner Brooke Savage, Joann Actis-Grande, gallery director; Paul Popple, managing partner; and Artist Giuliano Ghelli.
Off the Wall Clothing Store
Cash-strapped parents and fashion-conscious teens rejoice! Off the Wall, Portsmouth's newest clothing store, offers something unique-gently worn, brand-name teen clothing. Only the latest styles make the cut-the same goes for the extensive inventory of new clothes, says owner Kristine Otis Bergquist.
Ms. Bergquist is pleased to announce a ribbon cutting ceremony to be held on site on Friday, April 23rd. at 10:00 am. Off the Wall is located at 31 Vaughn Mall, between the Water Monkey and Subway. Local media professionals and the public are encouraged to attend this event, which will help kick off a weekend-long open house.
To RSVP for the Open House or fro more information about Off the Wall, contact Kristine Otis Bergquist at 603-433-0023.
Swing in Golf
Bob Sheesley, Assistant Portsmouth Mayor Alex Hanson, Dale Albert and Kendra Frangos, Chamber membership manager, cut the ribbon March 23 officially opening Swing in Golf. Sheesley & Albert are partners in the new venture. The new business, located at 1 Raynes Ave. in Portsmouth, is a virtual golf course that can teleport players to 12 of the country's world class links--any time of year. For more on the new "club" in town, visit www.swingingolf.com. To download their brochure, click here.
Portsmouth Margaritas Hosts Grand Reopening
After more than a month of marathon renovation, the crew at the Portsmouth Margaritas Restaurant celebrated their grand reopening Oct. 27, 2003 with colorful Mexican flair. On hand for the event were: Portsmouth Mayor Evelyn Sirrell, Assistant Mayor Alex Hanson, Portsmouth City Councilor John Hines, Portsmouth City Manager John Bohenko, restaurant owners John and David Pelletier, John Lyons, member of the Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors; Jody Hughes, restaurant manager; Paul Timmons, director of marketing for the Margaritas chain of 15 restaurants and other staff members from the Chamber and the restaurant. Shawn Joyce, Margaritas president and CEO, invites Chamber members to the "new" restaurant which sports a new kitchen and equipment, a total redo of the dining room, lounge and bathrooms as well as the entire outside of the building. "It is all about customers, employees and community," said Joyce, "and we want to give them a great place to enjoy and say WOW!" For more on Margaritas, visit www.margs.com.
Centrix Bank Opens Portsmouth Branch
Centrix Bank opened offices Oct. 21, 2003 at 100 Market St. with an official ribbon cutting attended by Portsmouth City and Chamber representatives. On hand for the event were Portsmouth Mayor Evelyn Sirrell and several city councilors, Chamber President Peter Hamelin, and bank officials from the home office in Bedford, NH. Pictured left to right in the ribbon-cutting line are Portsmouth Mayor Evelyn Sirrell (with the big scissors), William Henson, director, Centrix Bank; Peter Hildreth, NH Bank commissioner; Joseph Reilly, CEO Centrix Bank; Steven Witt, senior vice president, Centrix Bank; and Lucy Gobin, CFO Centrix Bank. To find out more, visit
www.centrixbank.com
O'Naturals Restaurant Opens at 100 Market St.
Stoneyfield Yogurt's President & CEO Gary Hirshberg was on hand in Portsmouth Aug. 6, 2003 to open one of his newest health food restaurants--O'Naturals. Below, Hirshberg welcomes a crowd of city officials, business guests and staff members at the grand opening. Next to him is Alex Hanson, assistant mayor for the city. The O'Natural brand was created to provide a healthy alternative to junk food and as a philanthropic engine for the local community--in fact, a portion of the restaurant's Tuesday evening revenue goes to a local nonprofit. To find out more about O'Naturals, visit www.onaturals.com.
Image Arts Opens at 800 Lafayette Plaza
Jon and Sue Winslow certainly had their eyes on the "big picture" when they opened their graphic arts/photography store and studio June 16, 2003. The business, called Image Arts, specializes in digital photography services, large format printing, framing, business graphics and personalized gifts from customer images. Employee Don Turnage talks to guests about the store's services and store owners Jon and Sue Winslow look on. To find out more about Image Arts, visit the following link www.iaetc.com/0051/index.php
