Our Story
Introducing Keri
Keri Laman graduated from Boston University with a degree in hotel and restaurant administration in 1990. Over the next ten years, she earned her stripes in some of the most prestigious restaurants and hotels in Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts. She has said that she was lucky to have great bosses who were tough and pushed her hard. She was told by a former employer that she had “a fire in her eyes and a very rare and powerful passion.” Her real world experience confirmed something she had known all through school…that her real passion was for the service and business elements of food service.
Keri founded Tidewater Hospitality Resources in May 2000. Her company provided temporary and permanent staffing and training services for a multitude of clients in the food service industry. This venture led to the start-up of Tidewater Catering Group in 2003, in the up-and-coming Amoskeag millyard. Tidewater Catering has since become the premier catering company for both business and private clientele.
Keri expanded her business portfolio again in 2006 when she branched into contract food service, providing New Hampshire-area colleges, businesses and museums with daily on-site food service. This division continues to expand throughout the Greater Manchester area.
In 2013, Keri recognized a need for great food and drink for business professionals in the millyard area. She responded to that need by opening Waterworks Café in the spring. Keri wanted the café to be sensible and well thought out – a place that would be good for the entire millyard. A place that would provide inspiration and respite from a busy day.
The two newest additions to Keri’s restaurant roster are Bayona Café and Unity Café. Each Café provides a unique culinary environment for patrons to enjoy Tidewater’s fresh and inventive fare.
The Riverside Room, in the Waumbec Mill (Fall 2013) was designed as a fresh, exciting private event location. Its inherent millyard charm combined with an upscale and elegant ambiance and seating for up to 100 people has made it an instant hot spot for any type of event.
And with all of this, Keri has remained committed to the communities she serves as well. Keri donates to local charities and non-profits like the Palace Theatre, NeighborWorks Southern New Hampshire, Child & Family Services, Families in Transition, Share Our Strength, Boys and Girls Club of Manchester, and The Moore Center.
