WEDCO Helps Burnt Timber and Other Local Businesses Achieve Success
WEDCO Helps Burnt Timber, Others…
“They have served as business advisor and mentor while also connecting [us] with resources.”
While Eddie Michno, Owner and Head Brewer of Burnt Timber Brewing & Tavern, refers to himself as “a one-man show” when telling stories about how he first opened in 2016, it is more humorous than real. “I’m the beneficiary of a lot of great people and businesses who stepped up to give me a hand,” he said. “I did not start Burnt Timber on my own.”
One of his most ardent supporters has been Wentworth Economic Development Corporation (WEDCO), whom Michno credited as “instrumental.” “They have served as business advisor and mentor while also connecting me with resources,” he said.
In addition to making introductions to other organizations or small business owners for advice, these resources have sometimes been financial. Michno has received a small loan from WEDCO to purchase equipment to keep up with demand as well as a grant that allowed him to hire an accountant “to help put [his] finances in order.” “I’ve taken courses, too, that have helped to educate me on all kinds of things that have helped me run this business more effectively and efficiently,” he added.
According to Denise Roy-Palmer, WEDCO Executive Director, Michno’s experience and consequent success is “exactly what [they] want to see.” “Our primary purpose is to create jobs for area residents by assisting established or developing businesses become successful,” she said. “It has been very gratifying to see Burnt Timber use us as a resource and tell others about our work.”
WEDCO’s value as a resource, Michno noted, was never more apparent than in early 2022 when he was presented with the idea to expand his business into the space next door, formerly occupied by Mise En Place. “It was a big decision, one I had to weigh carefully,” he stated.
Discussions with WEDCO and Roy-Palmer, though, helped Michno recognize an expansion made sense. Completed this past June, this expansion has nearly doubled Burnt Timber’s interior space while increasing outside seating. The expansion also reflects their continued evolution as a restaurant with on and off-site catering and expanded menu with an emphasis on local ingredients. “We have great beer, food, and a vibe,” said Michno, “but what people may not realize is there is a strategy behind what we do. WEDCO has been and continues to be a big part of that strategy for us and other businesses throughout the Lakes Region.”
Expressing enthusiasm for Burnt Timber’s continued growth, Roy-Palmer said she hopes established, new, or businesses relocating to the area turn to WEDCO. “Look to us for capital, experienced advice, and a receptive attitude,” she said.
WEDCO is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) regional economic development corporation founded in 1993 for the sole purpose of promoting economic growth in the eastern Lakes Region. To learn more about WEDCO, visit wedco-nh.org.
About Burnt Timber Brewing & Tavern
Located at 96 Lehner St, Wolfeboro, NH, Burnt Timber is a brewery restaurant known for rotating craft beer, full cocktail menu, slow cooked food (slow food), and small party catering. We feature fermented vegetables and salt-cured meats we smoke over apple wood. We partner with local businesses like Katie’s Kitchen, Wotton Farm, Corvus Cairn Farm, Niman Ranch and others to provide our patrons with the very best seasonal food.
We donate to charities like Make-A-Wish® New Hampshire and others, because we believe we get back what we give. We have a bike club, running club, and mug club, and we feature private dining, catering menu, and live music throughout the year, including in the summer in our new outside beer garden with an open-flame outdoor kitchen.