A variety of new restaurants including Subway, a bistro, pub and gelato parlor have opened their doors in the past four years, adding variety to Hanover's dining options.
Despite having been open for only three weeks, Hanover's newest restaurant, Market Table, already hosts a steady stream of customers, according to owner and chef Nicky Barraclough.
"So far the biggest challenge has been that, from day one, we were busier than we expected," she said, laughing.
Barraclough decided to open a new restaurant at the suggestion of customers at her Norwich restaurant, Allechante. Market Table is Barraclough's fifth restaurant. She has owned four others in Vermont, Connecticut, and London.
The restaurant's simple dcor consists of modern furniture, stone floors and natural light in the dining room and adjoining bakery.
"I would describe our food as modern American," she said. "We take high quality, local, seasonal ingredients, and cook them very simply, but with a lot of attention to detail."
Barraclough said her restaurant has satisfied a void in the town's dining scene by trying "something new and different with food."
Barraclough also attributed the restaurant's successful first few weeks to her close involvement in every aspect of the restaurant.
"Do I like to work 120 hour weeks?" she said. "No, but this is my passion. This is what I do, and all I've wanted to do for the last 20 years."
The Dartmouth community has so far comprised a significant portion of Market Table's clientele, Barraclough said.
Market Table also hopes to open an outdoor patio section in the near future, according to Barraclough.
This past spring, Morano Gelato, which previously sold its products in Rosey Jekes, opened its own store on Main Street. Owner Morgan Morano, who lived in the Upper Valley for several years as a child, spent time living in Italy intermittently for six years prior to opening the business, she said.
Morano's brother, Jordan Morano, who is manager of the shop, said business since opening the new shop has far exceeded his expectations.
Morgan Morano said that her father, who dreamed of opening a gelato shop, served as her inspiration for creating her own shop.
She also said she liked the Hanover community and noticed that there was a niche for expanded international cuisine in the area.
Although the shop has remained busy since it opened on April 30, both Jordan and Morgan Morano expressed concern about business in the winter, when people might be less interested in buying gelato.
To address these concerns, Morano Gelato also offers espresso beverages and pastries, and is considering selling sandwiches and salads as well, according to Morgan Morano.
She said, however, that the restaurant will remain first and foremost a gelato shop.
Salt Hill Pub, like Market Table, is an offshoot of its owners' previously established restaurants. Brothers Joseph and Josh Tuohy own three Salt Hill Pubs in Lebanon, Newport and Hanover, according to manager Jess Potter.
The restaurant's yellow walls are bedecked with Guinness posters and Irish flags in an effort to recall the Irish pubs in the owners' grandparents' Galway hometown in Ireland, Josh Tuohy said.
The restaurant's menu consists of both traditional Irish pub fare and American food.
"We focus on things that generations have known and loved," Potter said. "You know, a really good burger or a really good fish and chips."
Unlike the Newport and Lebanon locations, the Salt Hill Pub in Hanover features a full bar. While the pub caters mainly to those over 21 after 9 p.m., the dining room hosts a diverse mix of families, couples and college students during the evening. The pub also features various forms of entertainment both during dining hours and at night, according to Potter.
"Pub Trivia is a big draw, and so is the live music," she said. "We have local bands come in later at night on weekends, and every Thursday we have live Irish music for the dining room."
