“2019 was the worst time in history to buy a restaurant,” said Amy Cabana. “COVID shut us down the following year. There are effects of the pandemic that people still don’t understand.”

Cabana spoke in Porters, the dining option of the Birchwood Inn in Temple. The establishment offers lodging as well as food and has been operating in various capacities since the Revolutionary War. It is listed on the National Register of Historical Places. 

Cabana and her husband Matt are the owners and still operate the inn. Earlier this year, they decided to turn the restaurant side of things over to Nellie Belanger, who had a distinct vision for the operation, Belanger’s experience ranges from catering in Sonoma County, Calif., to preparing dishes at MacDowell. She joined the operation in July.

“I knew that ultimately I wanted my own menu,” Belanger said. “I never wanted to be that person who said ‘I wish I had tried to do that.’”

As a child, she actually played in the building where she now works when it was owned by Judy and Bill Wolfe.

Cabana credits Darcy Conway, a longtime friend of Belanger,  with creating the interiors of Porters.

“She did an amazing job of re-imagining this space,” said Cabana.

Conway also does whatever needs to be done. 

“If it means weighing pasta, tapping kegs or making sure people get good service, I do it,” Conway said. 

The inn consists of three guest rooms and three apartments. The menu downstairs is characterized as “new American" by Belanger.

“I got a specific sense of the dietary restrictions some people have while at MacDowell,” she said.

An example of this style she noted is tofu tikka masala. “We also have American chop suey, and I want to make sure that someone can get a fat burger. Simple food with fine dining attention,” said Belanger.

“My style is perfection,” Belanger said. “Impeccably well-prepared food using the finest ingredients.” 

Patrons have noticed the new choices, said Belanger.

“I’m getting the response ‘I didn’t know you were doing this here,’” she said.

Cabana said that other changes have been on the business end.

“When we bought the business pre-pandemic, you could pay dishwashers $9 an hour. Now, it’s $15 an hour,” she said.

Cabana added that the people are responding differently to servers now.

“I find the public is more understanding post-pandemic,” she said.

Belanger estimated that for the 30 hours weekly that Porters is operating, she puts in 70 hours herself. Putting addiction behind her has helped with this effort.

“I was wishing and hoping for success through recovery, and I’ve been able to do that,” she said. “I hope that other people who are struggling will know that it gets better. This is an example of it getting better.”

Cabana said that one more change is evident since COVID has waned.

”My Wednesday night bartender knows it’s just as busy as a Saturday,” she said. “But maybe people get a little more attention on Wednesdays.”