Kaitlin McNicholas, left, of NXT Coffee Bar, and Lauren Collins Cline of Slightly Crooked Pies. Photo/Stephen Dennis

MANCHESTER, NH – What does Taco Tour look like for a participating vendor as thousands of attendees descend on downtown Manchester?

I embedded myself in two local businesses for the day to experience the labor of love that was the culmination of several months of planning and a collaborative process.

When I met up with Kaitlin McNicholas, owner of NXT Coffee Bar, and Lauren Collins Cline, owner of Slightly Crooked Pies, at 1 p.m. on Thursday, May 28, it was clear the neighboring businesses had been in full swing since the morning. This was going to be McNicholas’ second year involved with Taco Tour, and for Cline, her first go at the event after opening her storefront just two months prior.

“I thought it was great to share a space with a neighbor this year,” McNicholas said, adding, “It was fun to collaborate and offer items that could be paired together.”

For NXT Coffee Bar, the idea of their menu came together just about a year ago, once their first Taco Tour was under their belt. A combination of authentic hot and iced beverages made within a day of the event for customers to enjoy, which consisted of the Cafe Horchata, Agua de Jamaica, and Cafe de Olla.

In their inaugural appearance, Slightly Crooked had prepared a trio of their “hand-pies,” which already passed as an empanada lookalike. With flavors consisting of Peach-Mango with Tajín, Cherry Chocolate, and Apple-Cinnamon Churro, their pastries would be a strong complement to their tablemate.

At 1:30 p.m., the pair made their way down Elm Street to sign in and claim their spot in the purple block, as designated by the official event map. For them, that meant setting up shop at the intersection of Elm and Spring Street, after being asked to shuffle down a couple of times by a friendly staff member from the Greater Manchester Chamber.

After a few trips back and forth from their shop locations, McNicholas and Cline were set up and in position well ahead of the official start time when members of various city departments made the rounds to make sure their operation was up to code. This included a city health inspector, an employee from the Department of Revenue, and a member of Manchester’s Police and Fire departments.

Shortly after, the owner of the Crescent City food truck positioned on our left informed us that in his rush to arrive on schedule, he had forgotten a table, which normally accompanies a television displaying his menu. McNicholas didn’t hesitate and briskly walked back to her cafe down the road to grab an easily portable pop-up table to serve as a solution. The gesture was returned with the offer of some pork tacos and homemade cookies.

Once things kicked off around 4 p.m., business was a steady stream. McNicholas had several regulars come by, while quite a few customers were excited about the opportunity to finally try Cline’s hand-pies after seeing the buzz related to their storefront opening earlier in the spring. Both businesses were told by several attendees that they had been marked as “must-hit” locations on their printed maps.

This was the first Taco Tour without rain in several years, but it was not without its weather challenges. At various points, the wind knocked over stacks of cups or garnishes for the drinks. Then, just past the midway point of the event, the wind blew open Cline’s cash box, and dollar bills scattered across the sidewalk. In the moment of panic, several bystanders and customers jumped in to chase down and collect each bit of currency and ensure its proper return.

Both businesses clearly benefited from their shared presence at the table, with dozens of customers stepping up to initially purchase a drink or dessert, and sliding over to try the alternative afterward.

Our table neighbors to our right were a crew from Elliot Hospital, who came over to sample some beverages and vibe to the music that NXT Coffee had bumping from their portable speaker.

And while the pair of McNicholas and Cline were hard at work serving up patrons, they were still able to get in on enjoying an assortment of tacos. In an expert-level move, they both shared a list of their preferred spots with friends, regular customers, or their employees who were out having fun off the clock, who came through with multiple taco drops throughout the course of the night.

The Horchata from NXT and the Apple-Cinnamon Churro hand-pies were the biggest hits of the evening by far. Cline sold out of her entire supply by about 7:30 PM, and McNicholas had just enough leftover blends to offer to customers at the cafe the next morning.

That’s right. Both of these businesses, after breaking down their space, returning to their shops, cleaning their equipment, and closing up for the night after 9:00 PM, had plans to open up for regular hours early the next morning.

“It was amazing,” Cline said, reflecting on her first Taco Tour experience on this side of the table. “I did more business and met more people in four hours than I did at the Hopkinton Fair last year.” McNicholas also noticed the uptick in business compared to her first attempt the year prior. She attributed this to improved weather for patrons, a better location, and the fact that she’s had a year to be on people’s radars.

Cline’s biggest takeaway from year one was listening to how businesses that have been participating for years have adapted their approach from lessons learned, and she believes that helps make the event better for all involved as it moves forward.

“Everybody helps each other out,” McNicholas chimed in, as she was in the process of consolidating her supplies. “It really shows the community of small business owners that exists within the broader community.”

Stephen Denis is part of the Granite State News Collaborative’s Civic Documenter program. He will be contributing stories from towns in the Greater Manchester area.

This story was produced through the Civic Documenters Program, a collaborative effort to train community members to access and report on local municipalities. For more information visit https://www.collaborativenh.org/civdocnh