Elm Tree will rebuild

By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
    HOULTON — One week ago, Gary Dwyer’s world was turned upside down when he received a phone call that his business — the Elm Tree Diner — was on fire. Despite the efforts of the Houlton Fire Department to save the structure, the building was a total loss, bringing an end to an era for the popular eatery.
    Or did it?
    Dwyer announced Monday that not only does he intend to rebuild the Elm Tree Diner at its Bangor Street location, but he also plans to open a temporary restaurant at the former Atrium/Governor’s establishment on the North Road.
    Starting next Monday (Oct. 12), restaurant manager Nancy Manton and the rest of the crew of the Elm Tree Diner will start clearing out the North Street restaurant to get it ready for a grand opening, hopefully within the next month.
Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr
MAN WITH THE PLAN —  Gary Dwyer, right, owner of the Elm Tree Diner goes over blueprints with restaurant manager Nancy Manton Monday afternoon at his office in downtown Houlton. Dwyer announced that he would indeed rebuild the popular Bangor Road restaurant and also stated plans to open a restaurant in the former Governor’s /Atrium restauarant until the new Elm Tree Diner can be completed.
    Dwyer signed the lease agreement with Marty Gervais of the Shiretown Inn and Suites on Monday.
    “Absolutely, our plan is still to rebuild on the Bangor Road,” Dwyer said. “We have made the commitment to rebuild, but now we have a plan. We still need to get all pieces put together for rebuilding the Elm Tree. I don’t know how long that will take.”
    Dwyer said it was Nancy Manton, his restaurant manager, who came up with the idea of opening a new restaurant at the former Governor’s location. Dwyer’s first reaction was, “No.”
    “I told Nancy, ‘I don’t think so,’” he said. “But after I slept on it, I thought ‘Why not?’ It’s a win-win for everyone.”
    Dwyer said he notified his staff Tuesday of his plans to open on the North Road. The Elm Tree Diner employs about 25 individuals.
    “We had two weeks off and that’s it,” Manton said. “By moving into [the former] Governor’s, we now don’t have to be rushed into making a decision on the [Bangor Road] restaurant. We get to continue our business, and this gives us flexibility.”
    “We don’t have to rush into selecting a style of building, or how we want to do it,” Dwyer added. “This plan puts our beloved staff back to work right away.”
    The new restaurant will be called The Elm Tree, LLC, while The Elm Tree Diner moniker will be reserved for the Bangor Road establishment. Both Dwyer and Manton estimated it would take about 30 days to get the North Road business ready for opening.
    “If we can do it more quickly, we will,” he said.
    The Elm Tree LLC will feature the same menu diners grew accustom to at The Elm Tree Diner. A banquet room is also included in the building, and Dwyer said that could open up new avenues for his business.
    “We will do what we need to do, to satisfy the customer,” he said.
    No decision has been made on whether the North Road restaurant will remain open once construction on The Elm Tree Diner is complete,
    One of the more interesting items to be decided by Dwyer and his crew is what style the new Elm Tree Diner will take. The existing structure will be demolished and a completely new structure built in its place. The new building must be the same size as the former structure — roughly 3,500 square feet — due to code issues, Dwyer said.
    “We don’t know what look we want the new restaurant to have,” Dwyer said. “But we have a direction now and that’s a pretty good thing.”