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Dear Fellow Vermonter,
I must confess that I love diners. I have not eaten at every diner in Vermont, but I've been to most. I like diners because they are unpretentious, because the food is good, the prices are right and the staff are friendly. They are also often at the center of community activity.
One of the better-known and popular diners in Vermont is the Blue Benn in Bennington. After they purchased it in 1973, Sonny and Marylou Monroe ran the Blue Benn as a family for nearly five decades. When Sonny passed away in 2019, Marylou and their daughter Lisa carried on until the pandemic forced them to close. Customers far and wide then took to social media to share their memories and stories of this landmark diner. That’s when John Getchell, who often sat at the Blue Benn’s counter when he was a student at Bennington College, decided to answer the call. John moved back to Bennington in the midst of the pandemic to re-open the Blue Benn and honor the traditions of the Monroe family.
We had the opportunity to visit the Blue Benn and talk with John, workers, and customers to learn more about their story, their traditions, and – importantly – their menu!
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