Via Community News Service, a VTSU-Castleton internship, for The Castleton Spartan and Lakes Region News
Perry’s Restaurant is a place that is defined by its freshly cooked food, a small town, and a loving loyal community.
Donna Perry opened Perry’s Restaurant in 1996 with the goal of bringing a jack-of-all-trades restaurant to the Poultney area, something the community was lacking at the time.
“When I used to work down the road from here, I would hear people complain all the time that there wasn’t a breakfast place up the street,” Perry said. “People talked about not being able to have real turkey dinners, and spaghetti and meatballs. So, I kept all that on my mind and that influenced my menu because customers wanted certain kinds of food that they couldn’t get anywhere else around here.”
Owning and running a restaurant is no small task and requires a lot of planning and the ability to handle stressful outcomes. This is something Perry knows all too well.
“It was kind of a nightmare getting started. We were supposed to technically open in August, but all the permits and all the other stuff made it take a bit longer,” Perry said. “There have been a lot of trials and tribulations over the years. One time the ice came off the roof and took down my whole exhaust system, the stack, the whole nine yards. We were closed for seven days because I had to have a welder, and a bunch of other guys come and fix things. Then that Saturday night the walk-in cooler died.”
However, despite the bumps and bruises along the way, Perry’s Restaurant has seen much success over the years, even bringing in people from communities outside of Poultney.
“I really feel that my customers are loyal. Sometimes I see customers come in at least three times a day, two or three times a week,” Perry said. “I like to joke with my customers and interact with them and if I see someone I’ve never seen before, I tell the girls to not be shy and ask if they’ve been here and how they heard about this place,” Perry said. “I was a bit nervous at first cause I had never owned a business before, but I think I nailed it.”
Perry’s employees have a real love and appreciation for the community as well, with many having worked with her for years.
Sarah Prouty has been with Perry’s for 26 years and loves seeing familiar faces and knowing the order before the customer even has to ask.
“I grew up here and I love it. I know most of the people that come in here and I can bring your drink a few times and know what you’re getting from then on,” Prouty said. “Donna is the best boss, easygoing, not hard on us at all, and I love working with her.”
Jesse Doane has been with Perry for 13 years and she’s had a similar experience of loving the customers, her coworkers, and of course the food.
“I love my coworkers. We laugh all the time and go on trips together. I just love the friendships that I’ve made over the years.” Doane said.
Pete Jennings and his wife Lynn have been coming to Perry’s Restaurant for almost 25 years to enjoy some banana pancakes and Perry’s signature prime rib. Not only is the food great, but the community is also a big part of Perry’s appeal.
“When I come here, I like to get breakfast and I like banana pancakes. They make those really good,” Pete said. “I like all the foods here, but I like dinner better. I love the prime rib here,” Lynn said. “Everybody’s been coming here for years, so we enjoy the company and we know everyone.”
John Edmundson and his wife, Joan, have been coming to Perry’s for around 20 years and they also love the community, the familiar faces, and of course the food.
“The atmosphere here is great, mostly because of the people that we meet here. You never have to walk in here and be by yourself. There’s gonna be one of your neighbors, one of your friends, and we even eat with people sometimes and don’t even know their names,”he said.
Edmundson’s love for Perry’s also extends to the lunch and dinner items, which always keeps him coming back.
“I love the Perry Burger, the chef salad, which is really good. Oh, and we also get the prime ribs too. It’s delicious and we love it,” he said.
Jim Durfee and his brother-in-law John Allen love coming to Perry’s for the atmosphere and food that’s hot and fresh.
“I’m from Queensbury, New York, but I come up every Thursday and we have a little coffee. Depending how we feel, but today it’s breakfast,” Allen said. “I’ll tell you one thing; it’s always hot food. We just went someplace last week and the food was all cold, and nobody wants cold eggs. So, that’s my highlight here, a good hot breakfast, I love that.”
Perry’s Restaurant is here to stay and there’s no doubt that people from Poultney as well as people from outside communities wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Somebody asked me one day, what do you base your success off o?. I said, it’s my customers and my staff,” Perry said. “If I didn’t have my staff then I couldn’t have made it. People forget that their staff is just as important as you are.”