New Coffee Shop in Meredith

[Overlake97]

The building that once housed the Meredith Bay Coffee Shop, just south of Meredith on Rt 3, is sporting a new sign: "Hello Moose! Coffee House," with a cartoon image of a Moose on it. Anyone know anything about this?

[baygo]

Originally Posted by Overlake97

The building that once housed the Meredith Bay Coffee Shop, just south of Meredith on Rt 3, is sporting a new sign: "Hello Moose! Coffee House," with a cartoon image of a Moose on it. Anyone know anything about this?

Wow this is great news. Leslie and I loveed the old place. Heading over right now to learn more :-)

[baygo]

Just went by there and I can add that their sign reads "opening soon" and "smallbatch bakery". I hope soon means soon :-)

[garysanfran]

And that the last owners just retired. I hope the new entrepreneurs are successful as well. I love to see people realize their dreams. It's a drive-to destination, but seems to work well...

Best wishes to the New Owners!

[Jeanzb1]

It’s the MELLO MOOSE! It’s owned by Maureen and Mark Mello! Opening very soon!!


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[Overlake97]

I drove by pretty fast today, but I think the sign said Opening on Tuesday, 6:30 to 2PM. [However, I also originally thought the sign said Hello Moose, when it actually said Mello Moose!] Maybe someone else can confirm that Tuesday is their opening day.

[Jeanzb1]

Yes, it is Mello Moose, and the sign does say opening Tuesday.


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[WINNOCTURN]

Are they going to serve RASPBERRY Scones?

The prior Owners offered the most delicious SCONES in the Lakes Area!

Maybe they will post some of the THINGS they will be offering?

[joey2665]

http://www.laconiadailysun.com/speci...3-coffee-house

Doesn’t look like they will be offering any baked goods such as pastry scones buns or donuts.


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[Newbiesaukee]

Originally Posted by joey2665

http://www.laconiadailysun.com/speci...3-coffee-house

Doesn’t look like they will be offering any baked goods such as pastry scones buns or donuts.


[/url]

Maybe not scones, but in the article they discuss baked goods, sandwiches, etc.

[Eyeboat]

I hope the hours are extended a bit. It is pretty hard to get a cup of coffee in Meredith after 4pm

[baygo]

Leslie and I went by for coffee and a breakfast sandwich this morning and really enjoyed it. This place is an instant must for conversations about the best Lakes Region coffeehouse

[garysanfran]

Thanks for posting. I wish the Mello's the best.

Heading south down Rt. 3, where this place is located, is one of the most gorgeous views in the Region.

[joey2665]

Originally Posted by garysanfran

Thanks for posting. I wish the Mello's the best.

Heading south down Rt. 3, where this place is located, is one of the most gorgeous views in the Region.

I agree the view coming down Route 3 after the turnabout heading towards Weirs Beach is incredible!!!! I think most people miss it because they are not paying attention or expecting it.

[webmaster]

Originally Posted by garysanfran

Heading south down Rt. 3, where this place is located, is one of the most gorgeous views in the Region.

This one?:

[garysanfran]

Dat's da view!!!

[joey2665]

Love that view. It's what initially drew me to the lake.

[VitaBene]

Love coming over that hill, especially on a motorcycle!

[Mr. V]

I sure hope the coffee is fresh; I've got standards to uphold.

[Fiberhen]

The baked goods are great,.....but the quiche is phenomenal...goat cheese and leeks, a cup of great coffee....the friendly chats, the view from the porch....a great way to start my day...
Keep up the great work Mark and Mo...

[Biggd]

Going up tomorrow for a work weekend. I think I will give it a try Sunday morning.

[joey2665]

Originally Posted by Biggd

Going up tomorrow for a work weekend. I think I will give it a try Sunday morning.

How was it? I stuck with my favorite yesterday and had a great breakfast at the Union Diner

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by joey2665

How was it? I stuck with my favorite yesterday and had a great breakfast at the Union Diner

I never made it. My wife called me at 8pm Saturday night and told me my daughter was going to the hospital. Grandchild #6, Luke Thomas O'Hare, was born at 12:08. So I jumped in the truck and headed home. I got stopped on Rt104 for speeding but the officer was nice enough to let me off without a ticket.

[joey2665]

Originally Posted by Biggd

I never made it. My wife called me at 8pm and told me my daughter was going to the hospital. Grandchild #6, Luke Thomas O'Hare, was born at 12:08. So I jumped in the truck and headed home. I got stopped on Rt104 for speeding but the officer was nice enough to let me off without a ticket.

Wow. Congratulations!!!!!!!!! Very nice of the officer

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by joey2665

Wow. Congratulations!!!!!!!!! Very nice of the officer

Weather permitting, I will try again next weekend.

[Biggd]

I tried to get in there this morning but there were no parking spaces to be had so I drove off. I don't know if it was just because of all the snow but they have to increase parking. It's a destination eatery, if people can't park they will go somewhere else as I did.

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[Eyeboat]

Wife and I were there last week. The Lattes were great and we loved the turkey sausage breakfast sandwhich.

[Spider Girl]

Good to hear your experience was good. Ours not so much. We both had the breakfast sandwiches, mine with bacon and his with sausage. WAY too greasy and the bacon was burned (not crispy ... burned). And the vibe didn't feel welcoming (like the menu is posted on one side, but we were told to move to the other end of the counter -- where the menu was no longer visible -- to place our order). Made us mourn Ellen.

We will probably go back one day to give it another try, but we were very disappointed. Would really like to see them succeed, but think they need to actively solicit customer feedback.

[baygo]

Originally Posted by Spider Girl

Good to hear your experience was good. Ours not so much. We both had the breakfast sandwiches, mine with bacon and his with sausage. WAY too greasy and the bacon was burned (not crispy ... burned). And the vibe didn't feel welcoming (like the menu is posted on one side, but we were told to move to the other end of the counter -- where the menu was no longer visible -- to place our order). Made us mourn Ellen.

We will probably go back one day to give it another try, but we were very disappointed. Would really like to see them succeed, but think they need to actively solicit customer feedback.

How unfortunate that you were "very disappointed" with your initial visit. We also really liked Ellen a lot and I am one of those who is resistant to change. To that point I have to state that Mo's welcoming smile ushered me through and I've been back several times. The issues you bring to light can remind all of us of just how challenging the restaurant business can be. The same piece of bacon can be undercooked for one person while over cooked for the other. I went by this morning and purchased my 7th bacon egg and cheese breakfast bagel since they opened. (This item is stressing my efforts to eat gluten free) Each has been consistent in its preparation.

I've witnessed significant growth in their traffic and overheard a lopsided majority of people volunteer positive feedback on the way out the door.

I like you, too wish them well and I hope they succeed. We do however have a different understanding of how we can play a role in helping. When you do go back, if you find something is less than your liking perhaps if you pull Mo or Mark aside and express your disappointment you'll provide them the opportunity to make it right.

I am in no way affiliated with this place other than as a customer. As a matter of fact I own a seasonal competing business. I rely on the Mello Moose to continue doing a great job and delivering a great product as it will provide a tool of motivation for me with my staff.

[Taz]

I prefer my bacon burnt to a crisp (black). The bacon in the above photo is not even well done let alone burnt.

[Hillcountry]

Originally Posted by Taz

I prefer my bacon burnt to a crisp (black). The bacon in the above photo is not even well done let alone burnt.

To each his own on bacon cooking...that said, burnt to a crisp is not my idea of great bacon. C’est La Vie!

[MMCH]

We are sorry that you did not have a good experience at the Mello Moose and hope that you might try us again in the future. We have had many positive customer interactions. And yes, we are not Ellen, however we hope to bring a great coffee house back to the area. It may take some time but we are willing to put in the effort! We truly believe customer feedback is important to our business. We are always available to speak with our customers about the likes, dislikes, and improvements that we can make. We wished we had the opportunity to talk to you about your disappointment while you were there.
Hope you give us another try in the future! Mark and Mo

[garysanfran]

is perfectly cooked!

Jeez, I'd hate to be in the restaurant biz, or any other that had to deal with the general public.

You could get into an argument over garbanzo beans vs chickpeas that could sacrifice friendships.

I have been in San Fran too long...Thanks for the other post reference.

[TiltonBB]

Originally Posted by MMCH

We are sorry that you did not have a good experience at the Mello Moose and hope that you might try us again in the future. We have had many positive customer interactions. And yes, we are not Ellen, however we hope to bring a great coffee house back to the area. It may take some time but we are willing to put in the effort! We truly believe customer feedback is important to our business. We are always available to speak with our customers about the likes, dislikes, and improvements that we can make. We wished we had the opportunity to talk to you about your disappointment while you were there.
Hope you give us another try in the future! Mark and Mo

Perfect response from the restaurant owner! On this forum we have seen other business owners respond and react negatively to comments and criticism and I think that hurts their business immensely. I wish you much success.

[Eyeboat]

The day we visited I believe Mark may have been in the back. The lady that waited on us, not Mo, was very nice, inviting, and all smiles. Definitely give MM another try sooner rather than later.

[winnipiseogee]

What a great place and addition to Meredith. I've been in at least a half dozen times now and the coffee, baked goods, and breakfast sandwiches have all been great. Plus, everyone there is incredibly nice.

Its wonderful that Meredith has a great coffee shop again!!!!

[Spider Girl]

Appreciate the response from the owners, and I will give you another try. In my defense, one of the reasons that I didn't say anything that day was because you were busy when we were leaving, and I didn't want to bring up issues in front of other customers. My recommendation is that you stop by tables, introduce yourself, and solicit feedback (as in "anything we can do to improve your experience?") directly. That way you will get to know us, and we you. Because you are new and trying to make the best impression, you need to be especially careful that what you serve is the top notch -- every time. If the bacon in my sandwich was like that pictured, it would have been fine. When I say burned, I mean BLACK and bitter.

But ... that was then, and the Forum feedback indicates that most people are enjoying this new restaurant. I'll chalk it up to opening jitters.

[sky's]

omg. Mark as a previous customer of yours in the sign business you always treated me and my business the best with great attention to detail. i wish you and your wife the absolute best and i personally have no doubt you will do very very well in your new venture. best wishes

[Long Island Baba]

With all the chatter here on the Forum I stopped into the new shop today. The sign said "Dirty Chai". Not knowing what that was, I asked and found out it was Chai with a shot of expresso. Certainly known to Starbucks fans, but likely not Dunkin diehards like me. The drink was available in vanilla or spice. I chose vanilla. I tell you it was marvelous! Absolutely marvelous!
I decided to stay and have a breakfast sandwich, the egg and cheese on croissant. It was light, fluffy and went down in a few bites.
There was also a small sampling of muffins and other small bites (cookies, eclairs, etc). Vegan and gluten free labels were on the display.
I was very pleased with my first visit and will keep them on the radar.

[Biggd]

My wife and I went for beakfast there this morning. Very nice welcoming atmosphere. The food was very good. We sat in the little room off to the left overlooking the lake.

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[joey2665]

Originally Posted by Biggd

My wife and I went for beakfast there this morning. Very nice welcoming atmosphere. The food was very good. We sat in the little room off to the left overlooking the lake.

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Excellent going to give it a try in a few weeks.


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[MaidenCove07]

Originally Posted by TiltonBB

Perfect response from the restaurant owner! On this forum we have seen other business owners respond and react negatively to comments and criticism and I think that hurts their business immensely. I wish you much success.

I agree, nicely said! Looking forward to giving you a try!

[Jeanzb1]

Seriously, this was THE BEST bacon, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich I have ever eaten!! Tons of thick-sliced local bacon 🥓. I loved every bite! We will become regulars! 🤪


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[Biggd]

Just wondering if they will open Sundays in the summer. Seems to me that would be a busy morning.

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[Doobs41378]

Originally Posted by Biggd

Just wondering if they will open Sundays in the summer. Seems to me that would be a busy morning.

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Agree. There is this pizza place on 16 in Ossipee that is closed on Mondays but they don’t open on Memorial Day and Labor Day when the traffic volume in front of their place is insane.


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[Biggd]

We went this morning but didn't realise it was closed.

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[gravy boat]

My understanding is that they are open Tues-Sat until 2 pm. Once the summer season picks up they may increase or change their hours, is my guess.

Parking is a challenge as the Town of Meredith only allows them a certain number of spaces. They would love to have more but the Town is limiting that. Owners said people can certainly park behind their cars when they are busy - they park on the left side of building if you're looking at the building from the road. (FYI - trash is picked up on Mondays so no fear blocking the dumpster other days of the week.)

The iced coffe is excellent, by the way - love that the cubes are made from coffee so never gets watered down.

GB

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by gravy boat

My understanding is that they are open Tues-Sat until 2 pm. Once the summer season picks up they may increase or change their hours, is my guess.

Parking is a challenge as the Town of Meredith only allows them a certain number of spaces. They would love to have more but the Town is limiting that. Owners said people can certainly park behind their cars when they are busy - they park on the left side of building if you're looking at the building from the road. (FYI - trash is picked up on Mondays so no fear blocking the dumpster other days of the week.)

The iced coffe is excellent, by the way - love that the cubes are made from coffee so never gets watered down.

GB

I would think Sundays during the summer season would be worth opening but I also understand the need for a couple days off each week. Maybe they can close another day during the week.
I have an Auto repair business and always opened at least a half day on Saturday but as I get older I would rather have all my weekends free. I started closing on Saturday just during the summer months but now I close every Saturday. You just don't make enough to pay extra help to man the shop on a Saturday.

[joey2665]

I would think that closing Monday and Tuesday would be better than Sunday and Monday especially during the busy season but as someone who owned a family business for 30 years that was open 6 days a week and sometimes 7 days I completely understand the need for family and down time. The money just may not be worth the extra income and loss of quality time.

[Jeanzb1]

Marc told me that during the summer they will be open Sunday mornings until 11:30. Closed Mondays.


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[thinkxingu]

I go out of my way to support (good) mom-and-pops that choose life over money. As I see it, I enjoy when I can get it rather than lament when I can't.

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[BroadHopper]

Hospitality and Food services uses traffic analysis to determine viable opening days. It is still trial and error.

Perhaps there is enough commuting traffic between Laconia/Meredith to justify a coffee shop in that location. That is where you may find the big chain shops such as Dunkins or Aroma Joe's. Since I don't see one, there is probably not enough traffic on that route.

So the Mom and Pop's diner such as George Diner et al fills the bill. A local hang out for the retirees as well as workers to get their java in the morning fit the bill. This is where a coffee shop can exist here. As for when to open is very tough indeed. As every morning is a good morning to open. It is up to the owner/operator to determine what will be best for them and still cover expenses.

Tough call.

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by thinkxingu

I go out of my way to support (good) mom-and-pops that choose life over money. As I see it, I enjoy when I can get it rather than lament when I can't.

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I tell my wife that all the time!

[joey2665]

Originally Posted by BroadHopper

Hospitality and Food services uses traffic analysis to determine viable opening days. It is still trial and error.



Perhaps there is enough commuting traffic between Laconia/Meredith to justify a coffee shop in that location. That is where you may find the big chain shops such as Dunkins or Aroma Joe's. Since I don't see one, there is probably not enough traffic on that route.



So the Mom and Pop's diner such as George Diner et al fills the bill. A local hang out for the retirees as well as workers to get their java in the morning fit the bill. This is where a coffee shop can exist here. As for when to open is very tough indeed. As every morning is a good morning to open. It is up to the owner/operator to determine what will be best for them and still cover expenses.



Tough call.

That location is a well traveled high traffic area. I think issue might be the limited parking as to why this might not be an ideal location for the chains shops. Would be very difficult to have a drive thru where this store stands which all the chains have. I love mom and pops and truly hope they make it.


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[Biggd]

Originally Posted by joey2665

That location is a well traveled high traffic area. I think issue might be the limited parking as to why this might not be an ideal location for the chains shops. Would be very difficult to have a drive thru where this store stands which all the chains have. I love mom and pops and truly hope they make it.


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My wife and I drove by that place many times when it was for sale and she always said "I would like to buy that place and open up a coffee house". Of course that meant I should open up a coffee shop there and she would work there. I prefer just to just sit and eat my breakfast there.

[joey2665]

I’m with you. Food service is a though business with long hours. I thought about it a few years ago but after 30 years of 14 hour days 6 days a week in the construction industry I decided not to. .


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[Biggd]

Originally Posted by joey2665

I’m with you. Food service is a though business with long hours. I thought about it a few years ago but after 30 years of 14 hour days 6 days a week in the construction industry I decided not to. .


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I go to the lakes region for stress relief. Running a business is very stressful, even a successful one.

[joey2665]

Originally Posted by Biggd

I go to the lakes region for stress relief. Running a business is very stressful, even a successful one.

That is my one hesitation about moving to the lake full time. I think many go there to relieve stress (it is the one place that has always done this for me) and I do not want to loss that if it becomes my permanent residence.

[Billy Bob]

The hours of operation, days open, very limited capacity , lack of opportunity to grow indicate this is not so much a serious business as it is some type of hobby or fulfillment of a dream of some type. The chance of turning this into something of value that can be sold at some future time doesn’t look promising.
A good number of these small businesses that start up around the lake have no chance of going anywhere from the day they open.
That understood as long as they are having a good time then great go for it.

[Biggd]

I would think that the owners would consider their endevor a serious business. Just because it's not a business that's going to make you millions of dollars doesn't mean it's not a viable serious business venture. I wish them all the sucess in the world and will keep going as long as the food quality remains consistant.

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[Rusty]

Originally Posted by baygo

How unfortunate that you were "very disappointed" with your initial visit. We also really liked Ellen a lot and I am one of those who is resistant to change. To that point I have to state that Mo's welcoming smile ushered me through and I've been back several times. The issues you bring to light can remind all of us of just how challenging the restaurant business can be. The same piece of bacon can be undercooked for one person while over cooked for the other. I went by this morning and purchased my 7th bacon egg and cheese breakfast bagel since they opened. (This item is stressing my efforts to eat gluten free) Each has been consistent in its preparation.

I've witnessed significant growth in their traffic and overheard a lopsided majority of people volunteer positive feedback on the way out the door.

I like you, too wish them well and I hope they succeed. We do however have a different understanding of how we can play a role in helping. When you do go back, if you find something is less than your liking perhaps if you pull Mo or Mark aside and express your disappointment you'll provide them the opportunity to make it right.

I am in no way affiliated with this place other than as a customer. As a matter of fact I own a seasonal competing business. I rely on the Mello Moose to continue doing a great job and delivering a great product as it will provide a tool of motivation for me with my staff.

It doesn't look like a very good breakfast bagel to me, I'm not sure I could eat it.
Although it might have looked better if it hadn't of been wrapped in aluminum foil for an extended period if time.
The presentation for what you get there might have been a better image for us to see.

[baygo]

Originally Posted by Rusty

It doesn't look like a very good breakfast bagel to me, I'm not sure I could eat it.
Although it might have looked better if it hadn't of been wrapped in aluminum foil for an extended period if time.
The presentation for what you get there might have been a better image for us to see.

I took and shared the picture to show how much/little the bacon was cooked in response to another post. Food is very difficult to photograph. It did look much better in front of me and tasted even better.

I've enjoyed two sandwiches there once a week ever since.

[Jeanzb1]

Delicious homemade English muffin, an egg perfectly cooked, lots of yummy local thick-cut bacon, and gooey cheddar
cheese — what is not to LOVE?!?!


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[joey2665]

Going to give it a try hopefully next weekend


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[Biggd]

I'll be up next weekend too, going to try it again Sat morning.

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[Liquorish]

Finally got a chance to try the Mellow Moose, great experience, friendly staff, beautiful baked good, and a terrific egg sandwich! Loved the iced coffe cubes, keep up the good work.

[joey2665]

I tried it a few week ago also. Went twice. My daughter loved the coffee and the baked goods and egg sandwiches were also good.


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