Pembroke City Limits: Creating a community space for music, art, good food and a good atmosphere

PEMBROKE, NH – There are few certainties in this world: the sun will rise and we will all be taxed.

And for those familiar with southern New Hampshire’s entertainment scene, you can also guarantee that Rob Azevedo – the host of 95.3 FM’s “Granite State of Mind” and now entrepreneur – will find a new way to bring local artists and musicians promote.

He has undertaken his most ambitious undertaking yet.

With business partner Eric Klesper of New Boston, who will handle the books and business management – ​​as well as some bartending shifts – and the culinary talents of Kelley-Sue LeBlanc (aka KSL), owner of The Sleazy Vegan catering and food truck, Azevedo opens Pembroke City Limits, a restaurant and tavern in the historic mills of Suncook Village.

While Pembroke City Limits’ grand opening date has yet to be set, Azevedo insists it will happen on June 1, with a soft opening during Memorial Day weekend.

The idea for a restaurant had its genesis when Azevedo founded Pembroke City Limits, a makeshift venue he created for musicians to perform live in his 19th century barn next to his home in Pembroke, after he and his family moved there from Manchester three years ago moved. past.

In that rustic setting, Azevedo literally welcomed local musicians from his radio show into his home to play live music for friends and guests while he recorded “Granite State of Mind.”

As he looked outside one evening at the thirty vehicles parked on his lawn, it occurred to him that there might be more than a passing demand for such a place, but that there was a real need for a community space where art could be celebrated.

For Azevedo, finding a commercial location was the next logical step, so he began looking for spaces to lease in Suncook Village, where other business ventures are buzzing at the same time, such as additions to the Pembroke Pines Country Club and nearby construction of 150 new buildings by Brady-Sullivans. apartments known as 25 Canal.

Both Klesper and Azevedo, along with other entrepreneurs, believe Pembroke, located between Manchester and Concord, has the potential to become a hotspot. “(The other companies) did the market research. We just follow their lead,” Klesper said. “But we have our own thing here.”

Pembroke City Limits will also be a natural extension of the culture Azevedo created in the barn, but in order to open the restaurant — which serves wine, beer and food — he had to obtain the necessary permits while jumping through legal hoops with the city of Pembroke, where Azevedo said he has found plenty of support and assistance. He also hired all Pembroke contractors and workers to gut and renovate the space, which was formerly an antique store.

“The city (Pembroke) was great,” Azevedo said.

However, the food menu remained a missing piece for Azevedo, who admits he has limited culinary experience.

Meet The Sleazy Vegan, the award-winning food truck and catering company founded by LeBlanc in Manchester in 2022 that continues to wow carnivores with their plant-based alternatives.

LeBlanc said half of the menu will turn the heads of open-minded meat eaters and the other half will dazzle those familiar with the vegan diet.

“We have come a long way when it comes to plant-based alternatives. I challenge you to know which one is vegan,” she said. “(The menu) will be an invitation to the everyday person to be introduced to a familiar food, but in a plant-based alternative that is better for him or her.”

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In addition, Azevedo invites local musicians for monthly residencies. However, with residential apartments above the restaurant, everything remains low and acoustic, taking the neighbors into account.

“We’re going for an atmosphere where it’s not a pound-and-drink bar,” Azevedo said. “We’re trying to improve the artistry.”

Azevedo always thinks outside the box and doesn’t want to limit Pembroke City Limits to just music. He said he also plans to host authors and poets, as well as workshops for community members who want to learn more about the arts: culinary, literary, musical, visual and theatrical.

“We want to create an atmosphere where everyone feels comfortable here,” says Azevedo. “We’re opening the doors to places where people will feel like it’s theirs to use.”

Pembroke City Limits is located at 134 Main St. in Pembroke. It is open Wednesday through Friday from 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM, Saturday from 2:00 PM to 10:00 PM and Sunday from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM Phone: 603-264-1757; email: [email protected]

(You can follow Pembroke City Limits on Facebook for news and updates.)