The Galley Hatch after 40 Years

The Galley Hatch prepares to celebrate 40 years in business, we look both back and toward the future....

Special to the Seacoast Scene

Seacoast Scene, Wednesday, July 7, 2010

[The following article is courtesy of Seacoast Scene.]
The Galley Hatch Staff

As The Galley Hatch prepares to celebrate 40 years in business, we look both back and toward the future.... In early January 1970, my parents, Mike and Kay Tinios, and myself, John, first looked at the location in Hampton that now is a seacoast landmark. On that cold January Saturday, Mike, who first considered Hampton as a possible location, brought Mom and me to the site. At the time, the property was a small restaurant called The Mustard Pot, and as we sat in the parking lot, a good 20 minutes passed before a car drove by. But Dad persisted, and sold his wife and son on Hampton.

Over the span of 40 years, The Galley Hatch has had four major expansions and several renovations. The restaurant has employed several thousand people and served well over 4 million guests. It has become a meeting place and well known landmark in Hampton.

Kay Tinios has been the "out front" personality and leader of the service staff for most of its history, and built a reputation for warm, personal hospitality. This, along with the philosophy of buying the best and freshest products and having a high quality kitchen staff to execute the menu, has given The Galley Hatch it's well known consistency over the years.

Mike Tinios always tried to stay on top of the food and beverage trends that the regulars wanted. Together as a family we were successful in building an independent restaurant that both served the local community and gave back to it. As a family we always felt fortunate to be in Hampton, a great community to grow with and some of the nicest people you'll find anywhere.

One of our proudest accomplishments has been maintaining so many long term employees, who have been integral to the success of the business. They have been role models for new staff members and exemplify the "whatever it takes to please our guests" philosophy that is the cornerstone of customer service at The Hatch. Some of our staff members like our Operations Manager, Harry Bobolas, and his wife Lesley, along with Ellie Whitney, have been with us since the very beginning. People make the difference in the dining experience because they truly are the difference.

As we now look towards the future, we want to thank the community and our loyal customers who have supported us through the years. To this end, we have created The Hampton Card as a way of implementing our new loyalty program, while giving back to the community we've called home for 40 years. The Hampton Card will allow customers to accumulate appreciation points every time they visit The Hatch, and as points accumulate, we will give back gift certificates in the form of vouchers to be redeemed on future purchases. We are proud to announce that we will be donating half of the $20 purchase price of the card to Hampton schools, while at the same time giving the customer a fifteen dollar voucher to spend at the restaurant. We have always believed that investing in your business and community is the only healthy way to succeed. We will continue to invest in keeping The Galley Hatch fresh and updated. We're considering bringing back breakfast in the future, and possibly adding to our lounge area. We want to be a part of preserving Hampton as both a great place to do business as well as to live. We see our plate full well into the future and hope that we can continue to be part of Hampton's success.