What if a $20 card could introduce you to new restaurants, bakeries, shops, activities, and local services in New Hampshire -- while businesses could join the program for free? That is the idea behind 603 Perks, and founder Helen Ryba joins Carol Erickson of Beyond the Plate with Carol to explain exactly how it works. Helen, who also owns Green Envy Wellness, walks Carol through the annual 603 Perks card, how participating small businesses set their own offers and restrictions, and how customers find and redeem those offers. Helen says that at the time of recording, around 200 businesses had joined. The program includes Greater Manchester businesses and participants in places such as Concord and Salem, with hopes of reaching more of New Hampshire. They also talk about a collaboration with Granite State Ambassadors, a free sign-up process for local owners, and why discounts can be a more measurable way to bring people through the door than expensive advertising. Of course, the conversation turns into a New Hampshire food tour. Hear about Belmont Hall & Restaurant, Evviva Trattoria's Italian street fries made from eggplant, independent bakeries and sourdough, Daily Dough Co. cinnamon rolls, Sun Asian Bistro in Derry, a Milford noodle kitchen, and Manchester stops including Buba Noodle Bar, Bravo, Ignite, Cotton, Crown, Wild Rover, and more. At the end, Carol and Helen explain the additional paid video-feature opportunity for businesses, why real food photos matter, and Helen's report of 1.6 million Google Maps views on her restaurant photographs. This episode explains what the 603 Perks consumer card is, how New Hampshire businesses can become participating merchants at no membership cost, and how Carol's separate content features can help a business tell its story. Prices, availability, and individual deals discussed are examples from the recording, not guarantees of currently active offers. Check the live participating-business directory before visiting. 📍 603 Perks -- New Hampshire local businesses and experiences 🔗 603perks.com Carol Erickson ran the Red Arrow Diner for nearly 40 years, and today she hosts Beyond the Plate with Carol, a New Hampshire-based podcast covering food, restaurants, and hospitality all across New England. Every episode, Carol sits down with the chefs, entrepreneurs, content creators, and everyday people with an interesting New England story to tell -- from family-owned restaurants and food trucks to creators and local business leaders like Helen Ryba. It’s not just about the food -- it’s about the journeys, the community, and what drives people to go beyond. This episode is sponsored by Belmont Hall & Restaurant. Manchester, NH -- family-owned for over 90 years. belmonthall.net | Instagram: @belmonthallandcatering | Facebook: @belmonthallandcatering This episode is brought to you in part by 603 Perks -- free for local businesses to join. Want to put your business in front of more people? With a featured listing, Carol personally visits and creates a video that captures what makes your business special -- then it’s promoted through 603 Perks and Beyond the Plate with Carol. 603perks.com 🔔 Special Thursday episode -- hit SUBSCRIBE and turn on notifications for more New England food and hospitality stories. Regular episodes arrive Tuesdays. Find Beyond the Plate everywhere: linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNH 0:00 - Welcome to Beyond the Plate 0:10 - Carol welcomes Helen Ryba 0:36 - What is 603 Perks? 0:49 - The $20 annual card explained 1:00 - Free membership for local businesses 2:13 - Discounts as a marketing investment 2:30 - How easy it is to enroll 3:02 - Belmont Hall perk examples 4:20 - Why keeping dollars local matters 5:06 - Partnering with Granite State Ambassadors 6:12 - Lifetime cards and visitor discovery 7:05 - Green Envy classes and savings 8:18 - The Back Nine and a hotel offer 9:06 - Evviva Trattoria and street fries 10:14 - Belmont Hall sponsor message 11:08 - How to find participating businesses 11:29 - The Break Room and new experiences 13:01 - Axe throwing, a range, and some laughs 14:01 - The spooky doll workshop story 15:22 - Discovering micro-bakeries 17:51 - Daily Dough Co. cinnamon rolls 18:48 - Business-to-business perks and services 19:55 - Helen and Carol invite local businesses 21:08 - Sun Asian Bistro and banh mi 23:04 - Milford noodles and Manchester food stops 25:55 - Bravo, Ignite, and Pizza Co. 27:47 - Cotton, Ignite, and Crown favorites 29:11 - Wild Rover, fries, and loaded soup 30:40 - Hidden gems and the video partnership 31:33 - Google Maps and 1.6 million photo views 32:16 - Why food photography matters 34:14 - Carol gets recognized while dining 35:18 - How to sign up and support local
