Noah’s Place celebrates five years with ribbon cutting and community support

ROCKINGHAM — The Richmond County Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday to celebrate the fifth anniversary of Noah’s Place, a beloved local restaurant that has become a staple in the Rockingham community. The event recognized the restaurant’s milestone and highlighted its impact on the county since opening and moving to its current location two years ago.

Kristi King, president and CEO of the Richmond County Chamber of Commerce, opened the ceremony by welcoming attendees and sharing her appreciation for Noah’s Place and its relationship with the chamber.

“I want to thank everyone for being here today. This is a wonderful celebration to celebrate five years for Noah’s Place. I know it’s two years here at this location, but five years overall. I know it’s one of my favorite places… we just want to thank you for letting us be part of this. We’re grateful for the partnership that we for the chamber with you guys and we’re here to have a celebration and a ribbon cutting to celebrate this momentous occasion,” said King.

Rockingham Mayor John Hutchinson also took the opportunity to express his appreciation for the restaurant’s growth and presence in the community.

“I would be here whether there’s a ribbon cutting or not because we love Noah’s Place. We’re here frequently. We discovered it at the old location and have followed it to the new location and just excited for the growth you’ve had,” said Hutchinson.

Hutchinson acknowledged the challenges of the restaurant industry and praised Noah’s Place for establishing itself as a dependable local favorite.

“The restaurant industry is not easy — we see a lot of restaurants that come and go and Noah’s Place has quickly become a fixture in Rockingham and Richmond County and one of the major restaurants that we turn to and we congratulate you on that and thank you for it also. On behalf of the city council and the city itself, we just want to welcome you to this location and we want ask that anytime we can be a service to you or help you, please feel free to call, or just wait for us to come through your door,” he said.

Richmond County Commissioner Andy Grooms, echoed the community’s appreciation and thanked the restaurant for investing in the county.

“Once again, thank you for putting down roots in Richmond County. You guys have been serving up delicious food at a great price for five years now. I’ve been a longtime customer ever since you were at your last location. The board of commissioners wishes you all the luck … It is all about the community. You have invested in the community and we are very grateful for that,” said Grooms.

Owner Noé López-Santiago concluded the ceremony with heartfelt thanks to supporters, customers and community leaders.

“First of all, thank you everybody for coming out to celebrate five years of Noah’s. I really appreciate it. Thank you to all the customers, to Richmond County for always supporting Noah’s Place,” said López-Santiago.

Sandy Aguilar, López-Santiago’s wife, also acknowledged the hard work behind the scenes and the loyalty of both staff and customers.

“First of all we’re so thankful because we were able to stay open for five years. It hasn’t been easy, but it’s been worth it. Noah puts his heart and dedication every day making sure everything is done. Sometimes he’s on the grill too, but he works hard and he has an amazing staff that helps him. We feel blessed to have this amazing staff. We feel blessed because customers keep coming back and keep this place going, so we’re just so thankful and grateful with everything and everybody who supports us,” said Aguilar.