Burgerfest Celebrates 15 Years Of Raising Money For CHaD

CONCORD, NH — It has been 15 years since the Barley House Restaurant and Tavern in Concord and North Hampton began raising money for the Children's Hospital at Dartmouth and this year, the owners have a goal of raising $15,000 from the event.

The annual Burgerfest event, which first started in 2005 as a collaborative effort to raise money for ChaD via Fred's Fund, a city charity that also was raising money for the hospital, combines burger offerings paired with beer and spirits. Businesses sponsor the burgers and beers and match donations, usually, around $1 each. The restaurant comes up with some creations each year.

Each year, the effort usually leads to about 3,000 burgers being sold and somewhere in the neighborhood of around $10,000 raised each year. This year, Brian and Deb Shea are shooting to notch it up just a bit.

"We wanted to help kids, that’s the bottom line," said Brian Shea, who has owned and run the Barley House for two decades. "My Dad went to Dartmouth and spent his life giving back in time and service as an orthopedic surgeon, so it felt right."

This year's sponsors include NH Distributors, Lucky's Barbershops, Mason & Rich P.A., S & W Sports, Merrimack County Savings Bank, Rumford Stone, Grappone Auto Group, Baroff and Craven, Attorneys at Law, Twin States Harley-Davidson, and Cole Gardens. In North Hampton, Gus’ Bike Shop, Pioneers Board Shop, Sagamore Golf Club, and Meredith Village Savings Bank are joining the cause. The bank helped finance the second Barley House location in North Hampton in 2015.

NH Distributors sponsors beer orders. This year, the restaurant will be offering Concord Craft Safe Space IPA, Stoneface IPA, Jack’s Abby House Lager, the seasonal treat 603 Summertime as well as the timeless Bud Light and other brews, Brian Shea said.

Video from 2019:

Deb Shea said that due to the new coronavirus, hospitals in the region have been "hard hit," which makes the family and the restaurant's employees want to help children and their families even more.

Video from 2016:

"Giving to others is always an uplifting experience," she said. "We challenge our employees every day to 'Make Someone’s Day Better.' From June 15, to June 20, we hope to do just that."

Video from 2015:

The burgers, in the past, have offered several different varieties including pork, turkey, veggie, vegan, and seafood, too. But why burgers?

"I always loved burgers as a kid, and obviously I still do, so we launched Burgerfest in 2005, and it took off from there," Brian Shea said.

The Barley House in Concord is open from noon to 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday. In North Hampton, it is open noon to 10 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Burgerfest will run from June 15 to June 20 in Concord and June 18 to June 21 in North Hampton. For more information, visit thebarleyhouse.com.

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