Brendas Kitchen Twin Mountain

When driving through Twin Mountain this weekend I noticed Brenda's Kitchen is going to have some serious renovation/demolition. 2- 20 yard dumpsters out front and one out back with a large backhoe parked next to it.

By the looks of their last facebook post, Brenda wont be involved.

Had to have been a tough year for all TM businesses' with very little snow for snowmobilers.

I think Ember's closed as well earlier this winter, rumor has it was due to divorce. :-(

Once again, very little to eat in Twin Mountain!

Ever compare Monroe's to Brenda's by looking at the cars in the yard? Hate whenMonroe's is closed later in the day when were done hiking.. I'm surprised Brenda's lasted so long. I ate there once 3 yrs ago. I ordered a hamburger with fires... it was $9.50 The hamburger came out and when put on the table my mouth must of dropped..because the waiter must of seen my expression and suddenly said "it's small because it's good meat"... well...I could literally count the Fries on the plate as well on one hand almost. In many years of dinning out at many places all thru NH and the North Country I never had a plate so bad...... for the price and all.
Most fail few survive...you have to be good at that game period.... everyone thinks they can own one. Many have lost life savings thinking so. One of my all time favorites for 10 yrs or more of eating here many many times in consistency in service food value is the Muddy Moose.. once the waiter told me how it's such a success.. Management of high quality and experience.. the owner is an accountant and doesn't manage it..

I remember the Pizza place and that great country store, thet had a lot of stuff and a nice little Deli. I often wonder why TM just can't seem to get a footing, it sure is a great location.

Also Northern Embers has gone under..were Brenda's first was.....on Rt 3 N after the 302 x 3 junction...went slowly in pain I bet...I go by there all the time and never saw any cars where as Monroe's would be packed as Fabyans and the Pizza place on 302 down the road. Another place run by non experts....I was there once too..not good.... Eno's in the plaza next to the bagel shop went fast...my local friend told me he went into the mens room at Eno's and there was real sh*t on the walls...glad I never went there.

too much good competition for the traffic

sierra said:

I remember the Pizza place and that great country store, thet had a lot of stuff and a nice little Deli. I often wonder why TM just can't seem to get a footing, it sure is a great location.

Click to expand...

It seems like a great location but for predominantly hikers and campers, which are low ticket customers and highly seasonal. It must be too tough to manage cash flow and inventory without a more sustainable business like having gas pumps or whatever. Really is too bad. I love that area and with the great views you could just imagine a great restaurant along the strip with a deck staring out toward all the peaks.

After a hike yesterday we wanted to grab something to eat as we were heading back to Lancaster..stopped by AMC..dinner was on but it was $30 per head..I don't think so..ate lunch there many times but never tried dinner... wasn't in a mood for a buffet type..went to Fabyans...closed...as the Pizza shop with the Moose out front... so headed back and stopped at Grandmas in Whitefield.... good enough...specials..around $9 per plate....
It would be ideal to have a good sports..casual type at the intersection of 3 & 302...open say 11 to 8pm or so...Monroe's get's huge traffic but closes ...way too early and often during the week..schedule varies as does the season.. some one will someday..maybe when Fosters gets a make over they consider there isn't any thing open often in the area and carry some real food.

Fosters has actively been on sale for a couple of years, The gas pump work looks like environmental remediation. I agree with your vision but don't see it happening at Foster's anytime soon. By the way despite the early end of winter, April is traditionally mud season and many local businesses switch to reduced hours or close down and go on vacation. Depressingly, I would expect an Irving Circle K with steamed hot dogs and pizza is about the best we can hope for.

Someday someone has to figure out where someone disturbed a burial ground as for some reason that area is cursed for business owners

Mud season yes but school vacation week....I would of hoped someone would of been open for dinner.

I had read that an family from India bought Fosters and will revamp it .... so you may be right...Iriving Circle K..

School vacation week...but not for most NH schools.

Traditionally this has always been the slowest time for tourism in the White Mountains. Businesses need tourism dollars, but they also need local resident dollars to survive. There just aren't enough local residents close by to make it work, I presume.

I have noticed that the variety store next to the Fabyans restaurant did a rehab last fall and have new operators. They opened up the sight lines and moved the deli around.

Fosters is in desperate need of starting from scratch on the interior layout and I hope they would open up a bit earlier in the AM. Its probably a historical building but its not very well suited for a store and I expect the rehab cost would far exceed starting from scratch.

At least Fosters hasnt adopted covering the walls with pro-gun posters that the owner of the store north of the intersection had adopted. (more than a few hikers have commented on how creepy it was) I haven't been in there for awhile as they had little or no inventory during prior visits.

Tourism makes the profit, but locals pay the bills year round. The owner and the staff can make a difference on where the locals go, if they are unfriendly and the locals avoid the place, its not a good sign. This can be tough for a new owner not familiar with the area.

Good to know that was a remodel - I thought it went under last time I drove through. I've stopped there for sandwiches and a last bathroom break many times.

peakbagger said:

I have noticed that the variety store next to the Fabyans restaurant did a rehab last fall and have new operators. They opened up the sight lines and moved the deli around.

Fosters is in desperate need of starting from scratch on the interior layout and I hope they would open up a bit earlier in the AM. Its probably a historical building but its not very well suited for a store and I expect the rehab cost would far exceed starting from scratch.

At least Fosters hasnt adopted covering the walls with pro-gun posters that the owner of the store north of the intersection had adopted. (more than a few hikers have commented on how creepy it was) I haven't been in there for awhile as they had little or no inventory during prior visits.

Tourism makes the profit, but locals pay the bills year round. The owner and the staff can make a difference on where the locals go, if they are unfriendly and the locals avoid the place, its not a good sign. This can be tough for a new owner not familiar with the area.

Click to expand...

I went in to that store with the gun posters once. I'm pretty open minded but it freaked me out, won't go back. Foster's is just not much, although the lady's there are really nice to my dog. The remodel of the store near fabyans, didn't impress me. A full service Circle K would work, it would have all I need and at least they have a standard footprint you can count on.

peakbagger said:

Fosters has actively been on sale for a couple of years, The gas pump work looks like environmental remediation.

Click to expand...

I think NH has some new gas pump/tank requirements coming into effect soon...several places in town stopped selling gas and pulled the tanks rather than do the retrofit to come into compliance.

CaptCaper said:

After a hike yesterday we wanted to grab something to eat as we were heading back to Lancaster..stopped by AMC..dinner was on but it was $30 per head..I don't think so..ate lunch there many times but never tried dinner... wasn't in a mood for a buffet type..went to Fabyans...closed...as the Pizza shop with the Moose out front... so headed back and stopped at Grandmas in Whitefield.... good enough...specials..around $9 per plate....
It would be ideal to have a good sports..casual type at the intersection of 3 & 302...open say 11 to 8pm or so...Monroe's get's huge traffic but closes ...way too early and often during the week..schedule varies as does the season.. some one will someday..maybe when Fosters gets a make over they consider there isn't any thing open often in the area and carry some real food.

Click to expand...

Granma's is great but off the beaten path. When I lived further south I would grab a coffee at the Fabyan's gas station and wait until Lincoln for a burger & brew at Woodstock Station. It's not that far from Twin Mountain.

Have wondered how Catalano's can stay in business with its $14 sandwiches.

For quick eats, Wayne's in N Woodstock makes awesome sandwiches - they are huge and not $14!

una_dogger said:

Have wondered how Catalano's can stay in business with its $14 sandwiches.

For quick eats, Wayne's in N Woodstock makes awesome sandwiches - they are huge and not $14!

Click to expand...

Ha...I agree...went in there once and never went back...don't have too. Living in the area and to go back home I have to head up RT3 and have many choices..or sometimes I go to Litttleton first to chow down then off the Lancaster.Probably they get by do to all the skiers use to spending a fortune and folks staying at Mt.W resort...etc. maybe cheaper then Mt.Washinton Resort or Fabyans.
I used to be the hiker that came and went back on the same tank of cheaper fuel bought down in Ma. camped for free and brought my own food..never spent a penny in NH..except the toll. Now I live here and can afford to eat at Gammas or Monroe's...Scropios..that's about my buget... Oh I splurge in N.Conway at the Muddy Moose...love the food prices service there..

Love Wayne's. Great breakfasts too and they open early.

jniehof said:

I think NH has some new gas pump/tank requirements coming into effect soon...several places in town stopped selling gas and pulled the tanks rather than do the retrofit to come into compliance.

Click to expand...

It's actually a law from 1985 that required all new tanks to be double walled. At that point a single wall tank was guaranteed for 30 yrs, so they said all tanks needed to be replaced by 2015. A couple of stations closed in my area last year because it wasn't feasible.

Twin Mountain is a tough one. It's one of the best places in the Whites in terms of views, solitude, trail access, etc. But it doesn't have much going on to support restaurants. Hikers alone will never keep a business alive there. I'm no businessman, but I think for a restaurant to make it there, it may need to have multiple revenue sources so it can rely on something else when profits from food are down. Personally, I would put Twin Mountain pretty close to the top of the list in terms of desirability from a hiker's perspective.

And yes, the gas station. Quite a collection of posters. I have a few favorites. They have always been courteous to me, however I do feel as though I am being watched in case I try to steal a dusty can of pork and beans. There were about 6 cans on a nearly empty shelf when I was last in there and they were way overpriced for gas. Get coffee, make little eye contact. Approach in non-threatening manner. They used to have a sub shop in the back that was half decent.

That said, in line with PB's comments, my most consistent meal over the years in Twin Mountain has been a coffee and muffin on the gas station porch. Eat quickly though, and watch for little red dots moving about.