Erik Lesniak: 20 Years of Showing Up for Manchester | Ep. 30

How do you spend 20 years building relationships in one city — and then find an even better way to give back? In this episode of Beyond the Plate with Carol, I sit down with Erik Lesniak, Business Liaison for the City of Manchester's Economic Development Office. Erik spent nearly two decades with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats before stepping into a brand-new role helping small businesses navigate and thrive in Manchester. WE TALK ABOUT: 20 years with the Fisher Cats and why he made the jump What a Business Liaison actually does (hint: it's all about relationships) The Salvation Army and ringing bells since 2005 His son Jaden's miracle story — 47 days in the NICU Being named 2025 St. Patrick's Parade Grand Marshal Why walking Manchester every day matters Dave's Hot Chicken and recruiting businesses to the city His favorite lunch spot: Dun Thai — CONNECT WITH MANCHESTER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: 🔗 Website: manchesternh.gov 📘 Facebook: Manchester Economic Development Office MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: 🍗 Dave's Hot Chicken 🍜 Dun Thai (South Maple Street) ⚾ New Hampshire Fisher Cats 🔔 Salvation Army of Manchester 🛍️ Mall of New Hampshire — BEYOND THE PLATE WITH CAROL: Real stories. Real people. Real conversations. Carol Lawrence is the owner of the iconic Red Arrow Diners — open 24/7 in Manchester, Londonderry, Concord, and Nashua. Each episode, she sits down with entrepreneurs, chefs, and community leaders for honest conversations about food, business, and everything in between. 📺 YouTube: youtube.com/@beyondtheplatewithcarol 📘 Facebook: facebook.com/beyondtheplatenh 🔗 Red Arrow Diner: redarrowdiner.com — #ErikLesniak #ManchesterNH #QueenCity #NewHampshire #FisherCats #SalvationArmy #GrandMarshal #BeyondThePlate #CarolLawrence #RedArrowDiner #NHBusiness #EconomicDevelopment #SmallBusiness #CommunityLeaders #NewEngland