The Red Arrow Diner first opened its doors on Lowell Street in Manchester, NH back in October, 1922. Its founder and original owner was David Lamontagne, who was married to Mabel. At one point in time in the 1950’s, there were a total of six Red Arrow locations throughout the Queen City and Nashua! With the economy challenges of the early 80’s, the Red Arrow became vacant for the first time in over 60 years. In 1985, the diner was listed for sale, along with many other downtown businesses. In September 1987, Carol Lawrence became the 5th owner of this Historic City Landmark. The local diner is the focal point of any community and the Red Arrow is certainly no exception. In May 1998, we made the decision to go “Smoke-Free.” This was absolutely unheard of in the restaurant business but Carol researched the concept and believed this was the future of dining. Although it was a little nerve racking, especially as we were picketed in the wee hours of the morning on the day we started, the results were nothing short of spectacular! Then in September of that same year we were voted “One of the Top Ten Diners in the Country” by USA Today. People traveled from all over the world and included the Red Arrow Diner on the list of places they must visit. But don’t take our word for it - ask to see our guest book or read the framed news articles from as far away as California! With all of our success, and perhaps for reasons we cannot easily explain, all kinds of celebrities flock to our doors. From Paul Newman to RuPaul, the diner walls are literally overflowing with framed pictures of our famous visitors! We are a favorite of Manchester’s very own Adam Sandler, of whom we are extremely proud. Be sure to check out his movies Eight Crazy Nights and Grown Ups 2 to spot the Red Arrow Diner! When Bare Naked Ladies came to town, they were so impressed that they wrote and performed a song about the Red Arrow Diner on stage at the Verizon Arena. Local musician Matt Farley also recorded a song about the Red Arrow Diner on his CD, Moe’s Haven. In 2007, we hosted Guy Fieri, host of the Food Network show Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. His visit brought a national spotlight to the Red Arrow Diner and helped us share what makes our diner so unique. Our episode featured our signature Blue Plate specials (which are served on an ACTUAL Blue plate), delicious cream pies, whoopie pies and our very own homemade Dinah Fingers (between the 2 diners we make over 600 each week!)
Beyond Hollywood, the Red Arrow Diner also is a hot spot for politician visits. During the last primary, most of the candidates stopped in for a visit, and many of them returned for a second or third time! We even saw the likes of Diane Sawyer (very tall, by the way), who immediately eyed our basket of Dinah Fingers. Needless to say, Red Arrow Diner is a favorite for all walks of life and a wide variety of palates! Over the decades, the Red Arrow Diner has undergone many transformations, but one thing will never change. We are committed to the time-honored tradition of bringing you a delicious home-style meal with the highest of standards in quality and consistency. This is how the Lamontagne Family began the Red Arrow Diner way back in 1922, and how Carol's family will carry on for many years to come.
