Dutch Mill Diner gets new owner

The iconic Dutch Mill Diner on Route 7 in Shelburne will continue on for a third generation after former owner James Bissonette sold the family business to his son, Michael Bissonette and his wife, Jessica, in March.

Although the Dutch Mill has a rich history dating back to the 1920s, the property’s current legacy began when it was acquired in 1968 by Charles Bissonette and his wife, Corrine. They built the restaurant in 1995, but operated the adjacent motel for nearly five decades.

In 1972 they added a campground and brought back the original name, The Dutch Mill, along with the original blue color scheme.

The couple’s youngest son, James and his late wife, Marilou were the heartbeat of the daily food service that started in the 1990s and Marilou continued to be a focal point of the business until her death on July 18, 2022.

“My parents bought this place and put every penny that they had into this and rented rooms (at the motel) for $7 a night way back then,” James said. “But look at the empire that has been made. It’s because of my two parents.”

With the switch in ownership, patrons can expect the same classic menu for breakfast and lunch — seven days a week — along with a few new traditions.

James said that his son Michael, the new owner, was only seven when the restaurant started and has been heir to the property since his birth.

“I was hoping that in years to come when he became a man, he would be able to have torch handed to him,” he said. “It definitely happened and it’s just so gratifying for me that two dreams, the creation of the restaurant and the second dream that Michael is the owner and running it.”

“His wife, who I hired at 15 over the phone, also worked for me. Then she and Michael became an item together, which was a great scenario and I couldn’t be more pleased.”

His son, who turns 35 in April, explained that the restaurant has always been like a second home as it’s been the only job he has had since he was 15.

“I can remember the day they opened, and I was grabbing dishes or picking up cigarette butts, bussing tables. Then I started cooking,” Michael said.

“I’ve done it my whole life and I’ve really been a big part of running out in the last 10 to 15 years since I got out of school. It’s been my my job my whole life, it’s something I’ve always done and know how to do and have tried to grow,” he said. “It’s been our family business, but a lot more of my personal joy as well.”

Running the restaurant has not always been easy, especially during the pandemic. James said the battle of the last three years would have been lost without some of his loyal staff, including his two cooks, Chuck Gambrel and Rich Cross and, of course, Larry Young, who has been with the business since 1970.

“It was definitely scary for a couple months,” he said. “We had to close for a minute wondering if this is going to be it. We’re lucky, we really have made some serious strides since then. Since last winter things have been really growing because we’ve picked up a lot of people that heard about our place through doing takeout. Never to say COVID-19 was a good thing, but in some ways, we’ve definitely made some strides like I think some other restaurants have.”

Motel property renovations

Expected plans for a new, 30,000-square-foot hockey rink and a new assisted-living facility next to the restaurant were proposed to the town’s development review board in 2021, but the developer, David Shenk with Shenk Enterprises, has said that the new proposal is moving forward without the previously proposed hockey rink.

The new plan features the demolition of the motel structure to make way for a 16-person assisted living facility that will include a commercial kitchen, laundry facility and nursing care run by the Howard Center. The facility was once housed in the former Burlington College building run by the Catholic Diocese, Shenk said, and were told they had to move when the property was purchased by Burlington College. It has since occupied an aging, two-story house in Burlington, which is not ideal for folks with mobility issues, said Cathie Buscaglia, the Howard Center’s director of innovation.

“It’s not a transient population,” Buscaglia said. “Many of the 16 people have lived together for more than a decade. So, it’s a really stable group of people in that way.”

The new facility will be one floor and generally has four staff members, and nine parking spots.

Michael Bissonette explained that the motel acted more as long-term efficiency apartments with some tenants occupying the rooms for over a decade. They have all moved out since infrastructure improvements began last week.

As a new chapter turns, the hope now is that the fourth generation of Bissonettes will continue on the legacy of the Dutch Mill for years to come.

“There’s been a lot of challenges, and a lot of days where we haven’t known if we would make it, but there’s also been a lot of days where we say, We’ll see this through a couple more generations.’”