The Greater Keene and Peterborough Chamber of Commerce is opening a new Peterborough location in November.
The former Peterborough Chamber of Commerce location, next to the Big Apple gas station, has been sold and the new office for the merged Keene and Peterborough chambers will be in the Guernsey Building downtown.
CEO and President Luca Paris said the “goal is for the chamber not to feel Keene-centric” after adding the new office space in Peterborough.
“We want to re-establish connection to Peterborough and actually have people there to answer questions and connect businesses,” Paris said.
The office is expected to open to the public the first or second week of November, but right now they are still waiting for phone links, computers to be set up and the visitor center to be completed. Paris said he plans to make an announcement when everything is up and running.
He said the purpose of the chamber is to act as a “conduit to businesses in the community, collaborating with businesses and towns to create a vital and strong business environment.” As owner of Luca’s Mediterranean Cafe in Keene, Paris understands the hurdles businesses are facing now and believes it is important that they feel connected to one another and the community.
“As a restaurant owner during the pandemic, we couldn’t live in a silo without working with anyone else,” he said.
Paris hopes the chamber will help “create a synergy between businesses” and believes “we have a responsibility to make that happen.”
Paris wants to showcase all businesses, including nonprofits, restaurants and retailers, and wants them to work together to create a stronger community, to bring in events and to succeed.
“It feels right to be there,” Paris said of the new location in downtown Peterborough.
The new office is located at 45 Main St., Suite 105 and 106.