He helps run a Facebook community of 212,000 people who love food in New Hampshire. He is a truck driver by day. He organized the food trucks at Granite State Comic-Con. He flew to New Zealand in 2024 for a budget endurance car race -- and got sent to the penalty box.

Jason Hopkins is one of the admins and moderators of New Hampshire Eats, one of the largest food communities in the state. Carol sat down with him at her original Red Arrow Diner on Lowell Street in Manchester -- the first At the Plate episode filmed here -- and they talked for over an hour about food, community, racing, and what it really means to build something that belongs to everybody.

In this episode:

• Why Jason picked the Red Arrow Diner -- and what he looks for in any restaurant (hint: it's the nose, not the eyes)

• The inside story of how Phil Meyer cold-DM'd Jason out of nowhere and NH Eats went from 10K to 212K members

• The Halal Kitchen post that brought out the best of the NH Eats community -- and a few of the worst

• The New Zealand trip: arriving at 5:30am, a borrowed $500 race car, and a house that was a literal toy museum

• What Jason actually does as a moderator -- and why banning someone is always the last resort

• The Nourish New England Christmas Market -- 15,000 people, snow, and a box truck full of playhouse pieces

• Lightning round: Tucker's, Big Dave's Bagels, Littleton Diner, 581 North Portsmouth, and more

Find New Hampshire Eats on Facebook: facebook.com/groups/nheats

Find Nourish New England: nourishne.org

Find Jason on Facebook: facebook.com/lemons.lounge.guy

📍 Red Arrow Diner -- Original Manchester Location

61 Lowell Street, Manchester, NH

Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

redarrowdiner.com

🔔 New At the Plate episodes drop on Thursdays -- hit SUBSCRIBE and turn on notifications so you never miss one!

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Facebook: Beyond the Plate NH

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This episode is sponsored by Red Arrow Diner.

4 NH locations: Manchester, Concord, Londonderry, and Nashua -- open 24/7.

redarrowdiner.com | Instagram: @redarrow24diner | Facebook: Red Arrow Diner

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ABOUT BEYOND THE PLATE WITH CAROL

Carol Erickson, owner of Red Arrow Diner since 1987, sits down with the people behind New Hampshire's food and hospitality scene. It's not just about the food -- it's about the journeys, the community, and what drives people to go beyond.

📍 Red Arrow Diner -- 4 NH locations, open 24/7

🔗 redarrowdiner.com

Follow Beyond the Plate:

Instagram: @beyondtheplatenh | TikTok: @nhbeyondtheplate | Facebook: Beyond the Plate NH | YouTube: @beyondtheplatewithcarol

Follow Carol: Instagram @carolsew24

🔗 linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNH

Follow Red Arrow Diner: Instagram @redarrow24diner | Facebook: Red Arrow Diner

TIMESTAMPS

• 0:00 -- Intro

• [~1:30] -- Why Jason chose the Red Arrow

• [~3:00] -- What is New Hampshire Eats?

• [~5:00] -- 212K members -- the growth story

• [~6:30] -- What makes NH Eats special

• [~8:30] -- Carol uses NH Eats when she travels

• [~9:30] -- The Halal Kitchen post and community reaction

• [~11:30] -- What catches his attention in a restaurant (the nose test) 😂

• [~12:30] -- Sketchier the neighborhood, the better the tacos 😂

• [~13:30] -- Alibaba Aftermath -- Manchester's hidden gem

• [~15:00] -- NH overshadowed by Boston -- but the food scene is changing

• [~17:00] -- Daily comics -- started during the pandemic

• [~18:00] -- Jason orders pork pie at the Red Arrow

• [~20:00] -- Robin the longtime Red Arrow server

• [~22:00] -- How Phil recruited Jason from Merrimack Valley Eats

• [~24:00] -- Dancing Lion -- the foodie awakening in 2012

• [~26:30] -- Day job: truck driver for Nor Eastern Sheet Metal

• [~28:00] -- Go-to spots in Gofftown and Concord

• [~30:00] -- Granite State Comic-Con and the food truck connection

• [~33:00] -- Jason's moderator lane -- banning as a last resort

• [~35:00] -- Nourish New England and the Christmas Market

• [~37:00] -- Tribute to Scott Rant

• [~39:00] -- Lemons Facebook handle explained -- $500 race cars

• [~41:00] -- New Zealand trip -- flying for a race

• [~43:30] -- New Zealand food culture -- meat pies and Burger Fuel 😂

• [~46:00] -- Jason's foodie origin story -- growing up in Bow

• [~48:30] -- Long haul trucking and exposure to food across the country

• [~51:00] -- Lightning Round

• [~53:00] -- Best NH meal nobody's talking about -- 581 North Portsmouth

• [~54:00] -- Penalty box -- first and only race 😂

• [~55:00] -- Who else in NH does breakfast right?

• [~57:00] -- Closing