BANGOR, Maine — Back in 1990, the corner of outer Broadway and Griffin Road was a vacant field. For the past 22 years, it’s been known as the home of a locally owned and operated restaurant, gas station, coffee shop, banquet facility and convenience store.
As of Dec. 18, Kev-Lan Restaurant and Convenience Store will go from the control of one Bangor family to another as Dysart’s buys the mammoth travel stop and gas station from the wife and daughters of Bangor entrepreneur Bud Grant.
“I feel very fortunate that if I myself can’t be here to work anymore, we’re very lucky to be able to turn this over to another local family to be locally owned and operated,” said Cheryl Noyes, general manager and one of the owners of Kev-Lan.
Noyes, who has owned the business along with sister Gale Longo and mother Bette Grant, said it seemed like the right time to curtail her six-days-per-week work schedule.
“This is retirement for us,” said Noyes, who remodeled the business about 18 months ago while expanding the restaurant and contracting the convenience store. ”My family wanted me to get done because of some health issues, and I’m 63.”
Noyes and Cary Weston, partner at Sutherland Weston Marketing, the public relations firm for Dysart’s, confirmed the official date of the changeover as Dec. 18. Neither would disclose the purchase price.
“It all basically came about the last few months,” Noyes said of the deal.
Dysart’s currently operates eight travel stops in Maine. Kev-Lan, which opened in December, 1991, will be the second-largest among them, after the Cold Brook Road location.
“The building is a tremendous asset and one of the discussions they’re having is what to do with it and how to move forward,” said Weston. “Dysart’s is always interested in adding businesses and expanding to become more competitive as well as reinvest in the community.”
The business — named for Bud Grant’s grandsons Kevin and Landon — currently employs about 20 full-time and part-time employees.
“At the moment, both the employees and business models are all on the table and there’s no definitive answer as to whether to expand or keep operations as they are,” said Weston. “That’s fluid and flexible, as they’re still evaluating the business, and looking at adding new services and products.”
Noyes, who worked for her father at Broadway Furniture and Grant Mobile Homes before coming to Kev-Lan on a “temporary” basis, said Kev-Lan already had a working relationship with Dysart’s, which has been supplying gas for the pumps for at least the past 10 years.
“It’ll be in good hands. I know they’ll do a good job,” said Noyes. “They have a lot more resources and experience than I’ll ever have.”
Dysart’s began with a trucking business in 1920 before David Dysart opened the first truck stop on Hammond Street in Bangor in 1934. It remained on Hammond until 1958, when it moved to Brewer, and eventually relocated to its current location on Cold Brook Road in Hermon in 1966.
Good place for a bus stop…..
Not really. Not as convenient to the highway as Big Dysarts, or even old Main St. Station.
Good place for a bus stop would be T2R9.
Really?? It is less than a mile from I-95…..and much closer to population…..plus Husson U…..plus taxi service…..plus the BAT….plus airport…..than it is now at the truck stop….
The last thing Broadway needs is more traffic, especially from September-June when you have 1200 Bangor High students heading in and out twice a day.
Did you mean the City Bus?
No, Greyhound……
Why is that place the size of an airport?
Bud was hoping for an I 95 expnsion or reroute that didnt happen.
Or a development focus from the city on outer Broadway.
Wasn’t there a rumor around town a while back that the new Civic Center or a mall might go in the big field across the street? In addition- I think there was some consideration of trying to extend the Burleigh road over to Stillwater Ave. If any of that had come to fruition that place would have boomed.
If Kev-Lan opened in December 1991, it is just shy of 21 years old, not 22, as
reported in the lead parapgraph.
A few days ago 14 years plus 18 months somehow equaled 16 years…
I guess arithmetic isn’t a strong suit over there.
“Back in 1990, the corner of outer Broadway and Griffin Road was a vacant field. For the past 22 years” 1990-2012=22 years
Since we are correcting the BDN today, it was E.R. Dysart who started the business back in 1920, not Dave. Dave took over from his father and expanded the business. Ed, Mary, and Tim are the third generation and are currently running the empire.
I wonder how David’s father E.R. would feel seeing this since David was born in the 30’s and started nothing.
Dysart’s began with a trucking business in 1920 before David Dysart
opened the first truck stop on Hammond Street in Bangor in 1934. It
remained on Hammond until 1958, when it moved to Brewer, and eventually
relocated to its current location on Cold Brook Road in Hermon in 1966.
Congrats. Will miss the old Kev-lan crew, but Dysarts knows how to run a truck-stop!! Hope they expland on the restaurant. Actually there are many of truck stop across the US way further off the interstate than Kev-lan. Hartts Trucking actually uses a site at the old Bomarc missile base as their base of operations. I believe they have over 600+ trucks. You see them going up Broadway and Burleigh Rds all the time. Looking forward to seeing this business grow.
Good bye Governors
Governors is not going anywhere.
exactly.The Dysarts are smart. this will be a larger scale travel stop.
Exactly…they are not going anywhere but down in sales. That food is not what it once was. Tater Tot home fries won’t cut it against Dysarts.
Just as I said Ron Paul would not become the next POTUS I am telling you right now that Governors off of Broadway will not go out of business anytime soon, it is just not going to happen because Dysarts is going to open a new location.
Every great eatery has something special…what do they have that people crave?
Governor’s will be safe as you stated. I was dead wrong. According to Tim Dysart (last night on WLBZ) they are not even going to operate a restaurant.It will be similar to their other gas/convenience stores with sandwiches etc. There goes meatloaf night at Kev Lan!
I was excited about this move for Dysarts, until I found out the former mayor Cary Weston was in charge of marketing.. I do 3 to 5 thousands in business in fuels and food with Dysarts on a yearly basics. That is all over now..
There are some great people that work for Sutherland Weston.
And then there are some others.
You’ve GOT to be kidding!
Sutherland-Weston is an incredibly successful marketing firm in Bangor. Many local businesses use their services: Hammond Lumber, CES Inc., Penobscot Theatre, Beal College, Collins Center for the Arts, WS Emerson, Bangor Symphony Orchestra, Bangor Federal Credit Union… and the list goes on and on.
Of course the list goes on and on, Cary as mayor pleased the chamber members with city spending. 100 millon city revenue dollars that was to benifit all the companies you listed in one form or another. with the arena and waterfront.. Why wouldn’t they hire his company. Seems it would be payback for his kindness with taxpayer revenue.
I saw one of the Dysarts at Home Depot buying a truckload of plywood this morning. They are boarding up the place after losing your business. Thanks a lot…I love the pot roast and pies. Now what do I do now ?
Dysarts is a good company, I just wished they would pick their allies differently. Westshores; nothing will happen with the lost of JUST ONE customer..
What’s your favorite meal at Dysarts?
irish nachos to start, then split a seafood plater,/ liver and onions, they don’t have this one any more but the beef stew in a bread bowl. and we tip well.. what happened to their coffee pots?
I’m not sure Mr. Weston is worth giving up all of that-he’ll fade from your memory:but the liver and onions won’t. They must have wasted a lot of coffee. You can still get all you want. You’ll cave in when you get the “hankerin.” I guess you could get Irish nachos at Geaghan’s with some wings and beer.Have a good weekend!
lol
Where is Dysarts? Is it one place or many? Why is it famous
It’s the biggest truck stop in Maine. It’s just south of Bangor off I 95. The food is way better than average truck stop fare. The Dysarts have convenience stores, and sell oil, wood pellets, fire wood etc as well. They also have an operation in Southwest HBR. This additional spot will give them another fuel and food operation about 8 miles from their location in Hermon on the east side of Bangor. Order the pot roast special and any pie. No worries!
Ok thanks. I have never taken that exit.
Puff one up and you’ll be ready for 2 pieces of pie!!!
The food can only improve with Dysarts at the helm, although my last half dozen trips to big Dysarts has been disappointing too. Kev-Lan food was cafeteria light.
I know that for some, this has come as a shock. Others, i am sure wonder why it took so long. I truly hope that the Grant’s will do the right thing and offer the longtime associates that have worked for Bud for decades, a decent severence package. He was not an easy person to work for but his people were loyal to the very end. I know if Bud were still here, he would want his people to be taken care of.
Terry!!!