General FAQs
Food & Beverage FAQs
Entertainment FAQs
Do you have wi-fi?
Yes. And it’s free! But please be a good patron and buy a drink or food if you plan to stay a while, so we can keep the wi-fi free.
Can I plug in my laptop/phone/ipod? I ran out of batteries!
Nope, sorry. We don’t have an electrical outlets for public use. The main reason is that business electricity is about three times as expensive as your electricity at home and we don’t want to transfer the cost of charging your laptop into charging you more for your cup of coffee. Please come prepared with a full battery if you plan to hang out with your computer, and we will do all we can to give you a really high quality cup of coffee at a fair price.
Can I play music on my laptop?
If you have headphones feel free.
Do I have to buy something if I want to use your Wi-Fi?
Yes. We are happy to provide people with free wi-fi, but as a result we need you to be a respectful customer and buy something. You are enjoying our atmosphere and taking up a table, so please help us keep these services free by being a responsible patron. Please note ordering a free glass of tap water does not count.
Are children allowed in True Brew?
Of course they are! Just keep in mind that on some nights we have loud music, and we have spotted people consuming beer and wine. Use your best judgment to decide what is appropriate for your family. Children are not permitted in our ELM (Entertainment & Live Music) room.
Can I buy gift cards?
Absolutely! In any denomination you like.
Where can I park?
Metered parking is available on Warren Street for 2 hours at a time. There is a parking garage directly across the street, and another one down Main St. behind Red River Theatre.
For entertainment at night parking is available for free after 5 pm and is always free on the weekends.
Can I rent True Brew for a function?
It’s been done in the past. Feel free to drop us a line at truebrewbarista@gmail.com
Can I hold a business meeting at True Brew?
We are always happy to serve your business needs. Please be respectful of the staff and other patrons by ordering food and drinks and realizing that we can’t turn off the music to accommodate you. If you let us know in advance (and ask nicely!) we may be able to save a table for you. You cannot bring your own food or drink.
Do you have newspapers at True Brew?
We do not. There is a Concord Monitor dispenser right outside our door, however, and sometimes people leave the papers they were reading behind.
Do you sell True Brew T-Shirts?
Not at the moment, but we usual print some special for Market Days in July. Let us know ahead of time if you’re interested in buying one!
Can I take my shoes off to curl up on the couch?
No. We know True Brew feels as cozy as your own living room, and we’re happy you’re so comfortable here, but due to health codes, fire codes, and respect for our other patrons and staff we ask you please keep your shoes on!
Are you hiring?
Right now we’re still a small operation, but in the near future we will be looking to add more staff. We look for talented people who aren’t afraid to work hard and have fun. Personality is key. Drop us an email with your resume at truebrewbarista@gmail.com, or come by the shop with a hard copy of your resume. We’ll keep it on file for 6 months. Please note, because you will be serving liquor if you work at True Brew you must be at least 18 years old.
Why do you ask me so many questions? I just want a latte!
Here at True Brew we believe in your power to choose, and have exactly what you want. Here are the questions we ask every time you order a drink, if you want to study:
1) For here or to go?
2) What size would you like? Small, medium or large?
3) What kind of milk would you like? We have all types of dairy, soy and almond.
4) Dark, medium or decaf for your bean?
Feel free to customize any other part of your drink — you can have half-caf, more or less foam, half syrup, double syrup, an extra shot of espresso, we aren’t great at math but we’re pretty sure the possibilities and combinations are endless!
Afraid of decisions? Overwhelmed? Hate questions before you’ve had your coffee? Feeling adventurous? There’s one magic sentence you can say to your barista to make it all go away: “Make it how you like it.”
Where’s your kitchen?
What you see is what we are. We don’t have a fryer or stovetop.
Do you serve lunch?
Yes we do! We serve panini sandwiches from 11am until close. The selection does change from time to time, but we usually carry turkey, ham, roast beef, artisan breads and a variety of veggies and cheese.
What the @#*$ is a barista ball?
A tasty, healthy homemade treat! The recipe is a shop secret, but we can tell you they contain peanut butter, honey, protein powder, milk powder, gluten-free organic rice krispies and are typically rolled in wheat germ. About the size of a donut-hole, and coming in under 150 calories apiece they are delicious and seriously addictive.
Sometimes we roll them in flax, so they are fully gluten-free, but make sure and ask before hand if gluten is an issue for you.
Who comes up with the names for your drinks?
Sometimes us (The Robert James, Dirty Irish Mexican, Mocha Monkey), sometimes they are named after our customers (The Gina, The Nick), sometimes the company that makes the flavors has cute names too (Fluffy Bunny, Shamrock Shimmy)!
Why do you have two kinds of espresso? Isn’t espresso supposed to be dark?
Espresso just refers to a brewing method — basically, making coffee with the espresso machine, not a roast of bean. We offer a rotating variety of medium and dark roasted beans for our espresso to suit a variety of taste buds. If you went to Italy, they probably did serve you a dark bean for your espresso, but this is New Hampshire! Live free or die!
Do you have soy milk?
Yep! Two kinds of soy and almond milk!
How come you run out of my favorite flavor shot/milk/tea from time to time?
We believe in delivering you the freshest possible products. That means that occasionally we run out of popular menu items, even though we try our hardest not to.
Can I buy coffee beans?
Yep! We sell beans or ground coffee. Ask your barista about what we have on hand.
Can I buy loose tea for home?
Absolutely! You can buy loose tea by the ounce in a stainless steel tin or a paper bag for $3 per ounce. Coffee is sold by the pound or 1/2 pound, whole bean or ground to order.
Why does it take so long when it is busy?
Mostly because the staff you see is the staff we have. There are no busy little mocha monkeys downstairs making your espresso or breakfast sandwich. If there’s a line and you have time to wait, make yourself comfortable on one of our couches! We’re going as fast as we can.
Why don’t you serve liquor?
We currently serve beer, wine and cordials. We are planning to get our full liquor license sometime in the near future, but until then, let us whip you up a delicious cordial latté — think Irish Coffee!
What’s up with the weird beers?
We do our best to be a little different here at True Brew, and that means offering you some of the best of what is out there, that’s a little different than what you could find everywhere else. Keep an open mind and try something new. You just might love it (we do, however, keep PBR on hand if you must have it).
Do you have draft beer?
Yes we do! We currently have seven draft lines, with a rotating selection of craft beers.
Should I tip?
Tipping, while not mandatory, is pretty customary in the service industry, and is always greatly appreciated. The rule of thumb is 10% of the total bill for good service, 15% for great service, 20% for exceptional service. So if you have a great time, tip your server for his/her hard work.
I play guitar. How do I get a gig?
To start the process, email our booking agent, Lucas, at baristabooking@gmail.com — send us a link to your facebook page or your personal website. If we like what we hear we’ll email you back. Please understand that we don’t get to check our email every day.
How much do you pay musicians?
We charge a reasonable cover at the door for the majority of our music (a few bands do play for donations to charity) so we are able to compensate our musicians. Get in touch for numbers and details.
Can I sell merchandise?
Yeah, CDs, T-shirts, … the works. Go crazy!
What is the room capacity?
We have capacity for 123 inside and about 28 outside on our patio, with loads more room in the square, provided the people in the square aren’t trying to take their beers off the patio!
Do you have a sound system?
We do, but it’s best to chat with Lucas to see if what we have will accommodate you.
What is the set time/ length?
Shows start between 8 – 8:30 and finish up by midnight.
How large is your stage?
We don’t have a raised stage, but our new ELM room has plenty of space to accommodate your band. One of the groups that plays here is six people and they fit just fine.
What is the best way to promote ourselves in your area?
The Insider, The Concord Monitor, the internet! Word of mouth is always the best – tell all your friends!
Where can I send promo CDs, posters, or other materials?
True Brew Barista, 3 Bicentennial Square, Concord, NH 03301
Do you have an open mic?
Occasionally. Nothing set in stone, but if we don’t have music booked for one of our regular nights we do sometimes put out the call for open mic. Check our facebook to get updates.
Sometimes I hear jazz, but other times I hear folk or hip-hop. I don’t like rap. Why do you play music like that?
We enjoy diversity in all things, from art and food to music. We do our best to provide everyone with a friendly, laid-back and relaxing atmosphere. Basically we believe that good music is good music – sometimes the music we are playing will be to your liking, other times it probably won’t. Like the weather in New England give it enough time and it will change.
Can I dance?
Actually, no! We don’t have a dancing license. (No joke!)
