Elm Tree North restaurant holds grand opening celebration

By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
    HOULTON — Nearly two months after fire destroyed the Elm Tree Diner, tasty, home-cooked meals and desserts are once again being served as the restaurant has risen from the wreckage in a new form – Elm Tree North.
    Located behind the Shiretown Inn on the North Road, Elm Tree North held its grand opening Thursday to a large dinner crowd. The restaurant opening capped a busy two months for owner Gary Dwyer and restaurant manager Nancy Manton.
Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr
ENJOYING A MEAL — Amanda Hall of the Elm Tree North serves a plate to Jillian Moran, left, and Billi Ann Knapp Thursday afternoon at the North Street eatery.
    “It was a total team effort,” Manton said. “Basically, all of our staff walked in the door Oct. 12 and we’ve been working every day since then to get to this point.”
    It was a similar staff experience on Sept. 27 when a kitchen fire in the late hours of Sept. 27 flattened the popular eatery located on the Bangor Road. That fire originated in the ceiling of the kitchen and was caused by an electrical problem. The Elm Tree crew was on the scene the very next day going through the debris trying to salvage what they could.
    The Elm Tree Diner restaurant opened in 1945 and has been “the” place in Houlton for meals, deserts and coffee for decades. Dwyer purchased the establishment two years ago and expanded the eating area to accommodate more customers. Plans are in the works to rebuild that restaurant as well.
    The Elm Tree North features the same menu that restaurant patrons came to expect at the Elm Tree Diner.
    “All of our baked goods, such as bread, rolls and pies, are done right on premises,” Manton said. “It is the Elm Tree Diner menu at this point, with a few additions. Some of the daily specials, like meatloaf, were added to the menu because they were so popular.”
Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr
COOKING IT UP — Justin Drake, one of the cooks at the newly opened Elm Tree North, grills up a steak and cheese sandwich Thursday afternoon during the restaurant’s grand opening. The Elm Tree North offers the same menu that was offered by the Elm Tree Diner before it burned in September.
    With seating for 140 individuals, the capacity is nearly double that of the original restaurant. Because of the increased seating capacity, additional staff was needed. About 45 staff members are now employed by Elm Tree North.
    “We really are your familiar, home-cooked comfort food that people have come to expect,” Manton said.
    To celebrate the opening, the restaurant gave away T-shirts and gift certificates throughout its opening weekend. The restaurant is open 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.