WEST BRATTLEBORO-After two years running it, Royal Diner co-owner Bo Foard and partner David Manning have closed its doors and are quietly talking to folks who’ve expressed interest in buying the building it’s in.
“It’s been a pleasure, but we’re moving on,” said Foard by phone on Jan. 19, noting there was not a particular issue or problem; the time had just come for him to wrap it up at the Marlboro Road property.
“I just kind of reached the end of what I thought I could do there,” he said. “The energy the place needed to make it move forward. I tried really hard to staff it, and that’s really hard in this environment.”
He called Manning and said, “You know, I think I’m done.”
“It was a quick decision,” Foard said. “I think it’s time to create businesses for someone else, but we’ve had a lot of fun. And I reached a point where it wasn’t fun anymore, and we’re moving on.”
While he doesn’t participate in social media, Foard did get a friend to post for him and he’s aware of the various and vocal opinions about his tenure and the closure.
“There’s a lot of Monday morning quarterbacking about what should be done there,” said Foard. “I love the restaurant business, but I don’t have the bandwidth to do what I was doing at the Diner long term.”
Foard still co-owns The Porch restaurant on Putney Road in Brattleboro with Gretchen Hardy, the hands-on manager there.
He is also owner and founder of Foard Panel Inc., which designs, manufactures, and installs structural insulating panels.
Foard said the Royal Diner has “some seasonality to it” but that it’s been packed, especially in summer. And he’s enjoyed the ride.
“I had awesome customers and friends, and we’ve had a lot of fun. I made the decision so fast I can’t believe I did it, but I was really confident my time there was ended,” he said.
“I think we’ve set the stage for the next person,” Foard said. “We’ve done a ton of work there, and the physical plant is always going to need work. It’s a 1937 Worcester dining car. What makes it funky and cool also makes it challenging.”
Foard said he and Manning have had “a ton of inquiries and shown it more than a few times” and are hopeful one of those folks will take it on. If not, the partners intend to list the property with a real estate agent.
“Somebody’s going to have to have the financial wherewithal to take this on,” he said. “I’m more than willing to help out new owners. We’ve put a lot of sweat equity into the place and we’re pretty proud of it, and I was really happy with my staff and the food we produced.”
But “it just got to the end for me, and I have so many things going on,” he said. “This didn’t go the way I wanted it to.”
“I think I was looking for the next Gretchen, and it didn’t happen,” he said with a laugh.
Foard wants folks to know what’s happening with the diner’s old neon sign.
“A lot of people ask, ‘Where is the neon sign?’, which we got working for the first time in, like, 10 years,” he said. “This spring someone came in and said, ‘Your sign’s on fire.’
Thanks to Dennis Tier, of Deni and Bev Tier Signs in Dummerston, “that sign’s going to be totally restored, like brand new.”
“I look forward to the new owners having this masterpiece,” Foard said.
This News item by Virginia Ray was written for The Commons.