STRONG — The Black Dog Cafe will open its doors at 5 a.m. on Wednesday, serving breakfast for early risers.

New Vineyard couple Eric and Barbara Heath have been renovating the restaurant next to Beal’s Store on Main Street and they anticipate a very busy weekend.

“On Thursday, we plan to serve Thanksgiving dinner, with all the fixings,” Eric said, as he readied the kitchen for opening day. “We’ll have a regular menu with ‘comfort foods,’ and standard items, too.”

The couple put Will Richards in charge of the kitchen, and he has promised to deliver many creative recipes on the list of breakfast, lunch and dinner entrees. The Cafe will be open each Wednesday through Sunday at 5 a.m. for breakfast and lunch. The menu also will include Sunday brunch specials, such as eggs Benedict. Everything is home-cooked, including the appetizers.

In the future, the Heaths also hope to offer customers a glass of wine or beer with meals. Dinner will be served on Friday and Saturday. After this opening week, they’ll serve dinner on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays until 9 p.m. On Sundays, they will close at 2 p.m.

Both have years of prior experience in the restaurant industry. Eric Heath ran the Nostalgia Tavern in Kingfield for more than a decade, and Barbara has worked at the Dugout Bar and Grill in Farmington. As restaurant owners, they’ll have long days, the couple agreed, but they know the routine and have family members who’ll be happy to help. First in line to volunteer was Stephen Heath, Eric’s father.

“My dad has been teaching for 43 years,” he said. “He really likes to be busy, and now that he’s retiring, I think he’ll be here a lot.” 

They picked the Cafe’s name to celebrate their love for all canines, Barbara explained.

“We are both dog lovers, and we had a black Lab, Duggan, who meant so much to us,” she said. “We lost him to cancer, but now we have another black Lab, Marley, and he’s wonderful.”

They also plan to run the restaurant as a tribute to all dog-lovers. The walls are decorated with paw prints and other dog-themed decorations. The motto on their business card promises that everything they serve will be “doggone good food!” An important part of their plans will rely on their customers.

“We hope people will bring pictures of their dogs to put on the walls,” Barbara said.

For more information or takeout orders, call 684-4486.