Six months and counting at Over the Edge

Over the Edge Sports Bar features a great beverage selection, numerous large screen TVs, and a menu that's always being updated.

While it's been well over two years since he first envisioned creating a sports bar and pizzeria combo at the corner of Main Street and M-52, Chris Moyle is happy that his 20+ months of planning and hard work is finally paying off.

"It was way more work than I thought I was getting into," he confesses. "We knew from the start that there was lots of work to be done, and then we had the back of the building collapse. We discovered the floor in that building was dirt, then asphalt, then cement, then more dirt and cement flooring. There was not a day that something didn't come up. When we decided to put the door in the side of the building, we learned that there was another serious structural problem; we are lucky we found it when we did."

From the seeds of the idea to completion, Moyle says his dream was close to two years in the making. Ollie's Pizza moved into the west half of the building in November and Over the Edge Sports Bar opened on the east side in early December. And Moyle has been busy working and planning ever since.

Even after 23 years in business here in Manchester, there is always something new on the horizon for Moyle with his ventures. After a trial period in June where the restaurant served prime rib on Sunday afternoons, they will go "live" with the idea as a Friday night staple, starting this Friday, July 7. Their Sunday brunches went well throughout the spring and while things have slowed for the summer and will change to a buffet-style lunch for a while, Moyle expects to go back to brunch in the fall.

"You need volume for a brunch," he explains. "Summer, especially this time between when school lets out and all of the July events get started, is a slower time. So we have to adapt."

But he's always looking forward to the next big thing, and new ways to attract patrons. Trivia Nights from 7:30 to 9:30 pm on Wednesdays are always busy; he's planning "Rock and Roll Bingo" to follow, starting the second week in July. He's also hired a series of acoustic bands to play on Thursday nights this summer; the bands will start at 9 pm so those who have enjoyed a Gazebo Concert can head down to Over The Edge for a beverage and more musical entertainment as the evening winds down.

The biggest thing in the works will be the Sesquicentennial celebration, which is taking place right in his front yard.

"We are planning a bar Olympics in the parking lot," he enthuses. "Giant Jenga, Pong skills, Flip Cup, a quarter bounce, Flip Football, a giant Connect 4, Corn Hole and a Bounce Battle. There will be outdoor service and a DJ, with a band indoors after hours until 2 am."

He's also mulling over the idea of having a "Bicycle Night" (as opposed to Bike Night) on Mondays this summer, where families are welcome to ride their bikes to the restaurant, park them out front, and enjoy dinner specials together.

"Now THAT will be a Bike Night!" he says. "Whatever I do, I will try to to make it fun, and family oriented."

Now that he's got six months under his belt, Moyle can chuckle a bit when he thinks back over the long months of construction and even the setbacks he encountered.

"I should've written a book," he says. "The number of residents, especially long-time residents, who came in and reminisced with me about the days when this was the grocery store ... and then when they decided to feature me in the Historical Society calendar. I was really surprised when I saw that there used to be two-story buildings here, and even one where my parking lot is now. There were so many stories."

It sounds like there will also be a long list of stories to be told as Over the Edge Sports Bar becomes a new Manchester legend.

Chris Moyle has been in business in Manchester for 23 years.

The exterior of Over The Edge and Ollie's Pizza, at the corner of M-52 and Main Street, has been completely remodeled.

For as little as $1 a month, you can keep Manchester-focused news coverage alive.

by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.