The Corner of Elm and Hanover Runs on One Kitchen and Two Clocks

At the corner of Elm and Hanover Streets in Manchester, the kitchen that feeds the coffee crowd all day starts a second shift at night. In the evening it cooks for a different storefront with a different menu, and the bar there serves no alcohol at all.

The Moka Pot at 8 Hanover Street and Without at 889 Elm Street are two separate businesses. They share one kitchen and one core group of owners, and they were set up to run at opposite hours. In a May 2026 preview, co-owner Dan Haggerty explained it to Manchester Ink Link: "They're connected, but not. They're two separate entities, and share a kitchen, but they are separate businesses. Moka Pot is open 7 to 4, Without will open at 5."

That one-hour gap between the two shifts explains the whole corner. The zero-proof bar is the evening half of a plan to keep one corner busy from breakfast until late at night.

How One Address Became Two Businesses

The setup was built over about a year, one storefront at a time:

1. The former City Hall Pub space at 8 Hanover Street was reworked into a larger Moka Pot. The cafe celebrated its expansion with a ribbon cutting in February 2026.
2. The cafe's old, smaller space next door was held back for a new idea. At the February ribbon cutting, co-owner Nick Carnes hinted that New Hampshire's first nonalcoholic bar concept was taking shape there.
3. Pop-ups in spring tested the drinks after hours in the Moka Pot space. One was held May 4, where guests sampled drinks planned for the menu.
4. Without opened at 889 Elm Street on August 12, 2026.

The cafe is owned by Carnes, Haggerty, Dan Redmond and Angelica Castro Andrade. Haggerty and Carnes are the pair behind Without. Carnes describes the location as Manchester's Arts District, and he said the cafe's design was meant to support the creative scene around it. At the February ribbon cutting, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce President Heather McGrail told Manchester Ink Link that "this one has more of a community feel than any over the last two years."

Why Bar Owners Built a Bar With No Alcohol

Haggerty already owns two places within a short walk of the corner: Stash Box at 866 Elm Street and Industry East at 28 Hanover Street. According to Ink Link, he spent several years working out the zero-proof idea and looked at sites between those two bars before landing on the space beside the Moka Pot.

He got the idea from his own customers. Haggerty told Business NH Magazine, in a story first reported by NHPR, that regulars at his bars were showing up less often:

"The majority of them had said, 'Well, we're dialing back the drinking. We're also trying to save money. We're not going out that much.' … So we said, well, let's give these folks a place to go because we want to see them more."

He told the magazine that what customers were saying matched the numbers from his bars. He also kept his expectations modest: "We're not out here to make millions. This is just to add something to the culture." And he gave the line people will repeat around downtown: "If there can be 400 Greek pizza places that also serve chicken tenders, there can be one bar that doesn't serve liquor."

Haggerty also told Ink Link why Manchester in particular: "If there's one city in New England that could use it, I would say it would be Manchester," pointing to how many downtown nightlife options are built around alcohol. Other zero-proof businesses have opened around the state this year. Business NH Magazine reported that Gnomies opened in Concord this summer as a cafe, dry bar and board game lounge. Without stands out because the people behind it already run Elm Street bars.

What the Second Shift Serves

Without describes itself as "Manchester's premium non-alcoholic restaurant" on its website. Haggerty described it more simply to Ink Link: "We are just a restaurant/cocktail bar that doesn't serve alcohol. It's not kava, it's not an alternative."

When WMUR's NH Chronicle visited in September, it found low lighting, a full bar and a feel closer to a high-end cocktail bar than a juice counter. Carnes told the station the team makes its own syrups and shrubs and uses dehydration and fermentation. The crew made the Purple Chronicle on camera, with a blueberry shrub, fresh-squeezed orange juice, nonalcoholic bitters and a purple foam on top. Carnes said the aim is drinks good enough that customers aren't thinking about what's missing.

Drinkist Angelica Belo and chef Joshua Heu, a native Hawaiian, built the menu. The kitchen leans toward Hawaiian and South Pacific flavors and small plates meant for sharing. Here are some of the drinks and dishes that have come out of that kitchen and bar:

• Star Gazer: blackberry, honey and black sesame
• Ripple Effect: a house-made strawberry kiwi shrub with Szechuan white peppercorns
• Dancing with Myself: macadamia nuts, pandan foam and Thai basil
• An espresso martini made with oolong tea
• Food the website features: scallion pancake tacos with ground pork, beef sliders, popcorn Korean chicken with mac salad, and poke bombs

Before opening, Haggerty said everything was made by hand except one or two zero-proof spirits. "People don't even know what kalo is!" he told Ink Link, talking about the crispy fried kalo from the preview menu. Menus change, so treat these as examples of the style. Check @without_nh for current hours and offerings before you go.

The room was owner-built too. Ink Link reported that Carnes and Haggerty did most of the redesign themselves in greens and bronze patina tones, and built a 70-foot patio on Hanover Street overnight.

The Coffee Shop Is the One Pouring Beer and Wine

There's a twist at this corner. Manchester Ink Link reported in September that the cafe, which closes at 4 p.m., holds a beer and wine license for nightly events. The bar next door pours nothing alcoholic.

Evenings at the Moka Pot have filled up with programs that turn the coffee shop into a small venue. The same Ink Link report listed chess club, poetry nights, comedy club and coffee nights. The cafe's music series, Live From the Countertop, has its own format. In an October 1 show, songwriter Matt Litzinger picked two albums from the Billboard Top 100, played three songs from each, and then played three or four originals. Doors opened at 6 p.m. and the music started at 7, according to the Bandsintown listing. When there are events, Haggerty told Ink Link, guests can order food from the shared kitchen.

Comedy fills most of the upcoming calendar. These 7 p.m. shows at 8 Hanover Street are listed on VenuNite's Moka Pot page:

• Friday, December 4: Larry Venturino
• Saturday, December 5: Winston Hodges, billed from Kevin Hart's Funny AF on Netflix, with Sarah May and more
• Saturday, December 12: Fresh Meat! Early Bird Special!
• Saturday, January 30, 2027: Matt Ruby, hosted by Lloyd "Legacy" Sharp
• Saturday, February 20, 2027: Raanan Hershberg

One Evening, Two Doors

With the shared kitchen and split hours, you can plan a full day or night around one corner without moving the car. Here's how the schedule lays out, based on the hours the owners and listings have given:

Hosting a December night out where some people drink and some don't? This corner works for both. One group can have dinner and Purple Chronicles at Without and then catch the December 5 comedy show at the Moka Pot. Everyone gets the same night, and nobody has to explain their order.

Following who opens what on Elm and Hanover is part of how The Morgan Moves Team keeps up with the neighborhoods we serve. If you live near Elm Street and want to know how this changing downtown affects what your home is worth, start with a conversation. Request Your Free Home Valuation.