Ray Duhaime: The Man Who Put Moe on the Map & 35 Years of NH Branding | Ep. 44

For 35 years, Ray Duhaime has been quietly helping New Hampshire restaurants stop advertising for other people's brands -- and start owning their own. As founder of Private Label Specialties in Goffstown, NH, Ray created the Arrow Root Beer you order at the Red Arrow Diner, the Moe Java mug sitting on your counter, and the T-shirt with the dictionary definition of "diner" on the back. Most people have no idea who he is. That changes today.

In this episode, Carol and Ray go back 35+ years -- from the early days of delivering cases of root beer out of his ex-wife's car, to beating Coke and Pepsi in blind taste tests, to the moment a Red Arrow regular named Moe Couturier grabbed a Sharpie and drew a face on a plain diner mug -- and Ray figured out how to put it into production. They also get into what it actually means to private label your beverages (the FedEx van analogy alone is worth watching), how his daughter Caitlyn now designs all the labels, why his general manager Paul's secret sauce is doing things customers never even see, and Ray's advice from a mentor that stopped him in his tracks: "You can work 24 hours a day if you want to. I don't want to."

Oh -- and Carol goes off script at the end to talk restaurants, and they both end up planning a trip to Moo in Boston. You'll want to stay for that.

Private Label Specialties -- plspecialties.com | 11 Lance Lane, Goffstown, NH | (603) 669-6632

Follow Ray: Instagram @privatelabelspecialties | Facebook: facebook.com/PLspecialties

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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.

Follow Carol: Instagram: @carolsew24 | Linktree: linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNH

Proudly sponsored by:
Red Arrow Diner -- 4 NH locations, open 24/7 | redarrowdiner.com
Follow Red Arrow Diner: Instagram: @redarrow24diner | Facebook: Red Arrow Diner