Terry Dalton officially became the new owner of the Stuart Family Restaurant in October.
“I’ve always dreamed of owning my own restaurant,” Dalton said. “I enjoy the food industry and then I was with Wendy’s for several years, and I was ready to own my own business again.”
He previously tried to purchase Tony’s Pizza, but that venture fell through. Now, Dalton said the biggest change at Stuart Family Restaurant is the hours of business.
The restaurant will be open seven days a week. Monday-Thursday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Dalton also plans to implement some changes to the menu in the coming weeks.
“We’re looking to do Jessie Jones hotdogs, my plan is to” potentially “do a potato bar and a salad bar for lunch only, like 11-2, and then I’d like to do homemade personal pan pizzas,” he said.
On Sundays, Dalton said he is considering narrowing the menu down to about four meats and vegetables, seafood, or lasagna that can be paired with combos.
If possible, Dalton said he wants to be able to make breakfast every day, provided he can get more cooks and a little more kitchen help.
Adding that he is currently learning the restaurant’s recipes and how to prepare the food because all of the offerings are homemade.
“Our fish is really popular, and we bread that ourselves. So, it’s hand-breaded, fresh seafood. A lot of people don’t realize that,” he said. “We cut our own steak, we cut our own meat, we cut our own cheese.”
Dalton said the previous owners, a father-son duo, decided to sell after 12 years as they were driving from Clemmons, or a three-hour round trip, to the restaurant.
“The son would open, and the father would close. The son had hip surgery and it’s not going well, and he’s been out of work for over a year,” said Dalton, who also is a member of the Stuart Town Council. “So, the dad has been leaving at 8 a.m., getting here at 9:30 a.m. opening up and doing all the prep, working until 8 or 9 p.m., and leaving here to get home at 10:30 p.m. He’s ready to retire.”
Dalton, who is the fifth owner of the eatery, said one thing he’s been surprised about is how far people will travel to eat at the restaurant.
“The other day, we had people from Roanoke, High Point, Greensboro, Archdale, people come from Rocky Mount. I’m totally impressed with how far people come to eat here,” he said. “It’s not uncommon every single night to see someone” drive more than an hour “to come here.”
Dalton said the community seems to be excited that he purchased the establishment.
“I’ve heard nothing but positive, everybody’s happy. The biggest thing they’re happy (about) is we’re open on Sundays and Mondays. That’s the number one thing I hear because there’s nothing (open on) Sundays and Mondays around here,” he said.
The Sundays the restaurant has been open have resulted in a full house, Dalton said, with people waiting at the door to get in, adding the restaurant’s drive-thru window will remain open.
“We do a lot of business through drive-thru. People call their orders in and swing by to pick them up. We do pretty well there,” he said.
Changes to the interior include the installation of new LED lights, refurbished tables, and other minor changes.
“We’ll do a little remodeling on the inside, nothing” too major, Dalton said. “Everybody seems to like it the way it is.”
A new sign for the exterior is expected to be installed before the end of the year.
Since taking over, Dalton said he has hired six new employees and he hopes to hire another four or five workers, “which is always good to hear, that you’ve got an increase in your employment staff.”
Those interested in applying for a position should go to the restaurant and ask for an application.
