The new Common Man Roadside Market & Deli was partly inspired by Alex Ray, a New Hampshire legend who has a passion for saving old buildings and an investor in The Common Man Family of Restaurants.
The 3,500-square-foot Common Man Roadside Market & Deli builds on Ray’s influence. Brad Pernaw, managing partner for Common Man Roadside, says the company “goes to great lengths to make the c-store look 100 years old while still incorporating future design elements.” Common Man owns and operates two c-stores and manages two state welcome centers.
In its newest site, a three-register checkout counter stands between two main entryways. The main floor of the store is a collection of kiosks rather than rows of shelves. And across the rear of the store is Common Man’s foodservice area with an open kitchen and a varied made-to-order menu. “We wanted the kitchen to be prominent and a focal point,” Pernaw says. The decision to go with made-to-order foodservice fare was made prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, that decision has proven a godsend with self-service food programs being downscaled across the industry.
“We decided a while ago not to offer roller grills,” says Pernaw. More recently, the company launched online ordering through the Common Man app. Next on the development schedule: drive-thrus.
An overview of the checkout counter at Common Man Roadside Market & Deli.