The following article appeared in The Weekend Edition of The St. Albans Messenger on January 30, 2010
Vermont Breakfast Company opening for lunch, dinner, too
Jeffersonville restauranteur now in FairfaxBy LISA M. BOUCHER, Messenger Correspondent
John "Jack"Foley, chef and proprietor of the Vermont Breakfast Company in Fairfax, with his daughter, Cheyenne Sabad, restaurant
manager. The tentative plan is to open next week.
FAIRFAX — For all those who've speculated about the fate of the former Country Pantry, the landmark restaurant that closed here last month: The wait is almost over.
In a matter of days now John "Jack" Foley, owner of 158 Main in Jeffersonville, will don his chef's hat and start cooking up culinary delights for the at "The Vermont Breakfast Company."
"I have an fantastic staff and incredible crew at 158 Main, they are the reason I'm able to do this," said Foley on how he is going to handle having two establishments.
Foley is an affable man, who has a myriad experience in the food/restaurant industry in varied settings across the country. He was looking at opening a second restaurant in Milton when a friend suggested he wait a bit, because the Country Pantry space might be available.
That friend, who works for Burlington Foods, was correct.
Foley was soon in touch with Gabe Handy, the owner of the building and in a matter of days the two had an agreement.
Foley will be the chef and his daughter, Cheyenne Sabad, would be the manager.
"I had three others looking at the place. One was from California who was going to turn it over to his son," said Handy. "I didn't feel comfortable making a deal and doing business with someone so far away who was going to let their son run the business."
Handy has since had several people tell him that Foley was the best choice considering the reputation of 158 Main.
Foley happened to be the first person to walk in the door in mid-December when the Pantry was closing down. He admitted he had been wanting the place for a couple of years.
"Well, today is your lucky day," Handy told him.
Foley said that Handy is basically "giving him a whole new restaurant."
For weeks contractors have been replacing the infrastructure in the 25-year-old building that once also housed a Laundromat. The electrical system, plumbing, insulation, flooring, and drywall have been replaced.
"It's real nice that Gabe's putting together a first class building," said Foley. "And I think we're going to be able to put together a first class restaurant to go with it."
Foley said he and Sabad, whose background is primarily in marketing, eventually would like to open restaurants in Burlington and Montpelier and that's the reason they came up with the Vermont Breakfast Company moniker.
"We feel that we can brand that name better than 158 Main," Foley said of the fact that some people still ask him what that name means and he still explains it's the street address.
"Ironically, this is 951 Main and we thought about calling it that, then wondered if we decided to open another restaurant if it would have to be on Main Street. So The Vermont Breakfast Company seemed a little easier to work with."
While the name speaks to the morning meal, the restaurant will serve lunches and dinners. Foley plans a menu similar to his 158 Main offerings but tailored to Fairfax and offering specials. He will serve beer, wine, and mixed drinks, too.
Foley believes that Vermont is a brand in itself and he is working toward making a mark with his own "locally grown" eatery, with an in-house bakery and freshly cooked foods. It's a concept he said developed while working in Florida about 10 years ago.
"I take a lot of pride in what we do at 158 Main," he said. "I think we put out a really good product."
Foley's uncle publishes Bartender Magazine (Bartender.com, Foley Publishing Co.) and over time he hopes to develop an organic juice bar for his restaurants.
Hours of operation are initially intended for 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. However, Foley is flexible as to whatever works for the community, noting that opening earlier for commuters would not be a problem if there were business to support it. The same would hold true for remaining open later than 9 some nights.
"When we first opened 158 Main, we opened at 5:30 a.m. My brother was convinced that people were going to come off Route 15 to 158 Main for breakfast," said Foley with a chuckle at the mistake. "After a month we went to 7:30. Business will dictate what the hours will be."
Regardless of the hours, Foley is looking forward to getting to work. "The Country Pantry was one of the best spots in Franklin County, as I'm sure everyone knows," said Foley. "It's situated in a nice area, here you can draw from Milton, Georgia, Fairfax, and St. Albans. People talked about the Country Pantry in Jeffersonville."
Of course Foley and Sabad are hoping they'll soon be talking about the Vermont Breakfast Company.
