Dexter's Lighthouse Cafe to close Sunday as owners plan catering business
The Lighthouse Café, located at 8124 Main St. in downtown Dexter, will be closing for good this Sunday after its regular hours end at 2 p.m.
The Lighthouse Café in Dexter is closing Sunday.
Laura Blodgett | For AnnArbor.com
Although Varney often hears people say they thought the Lighthouse Café was busy, she said, “They must not have come in Monday through Friday.”
The catering business, called The Varney’s Catering Company, will specialize in whole roasted hogs as well as Texas beef brisket, St. Louis ribs and other hickory smoked items.
The company specializes in large parties of 100 to 2,000 and plans to rent commercial kitchens around the area on an as needed basis.
“If we are doing a wedding, most halls have a kitchen there anyway that we can use,” Varney said.
It was not immediately clear what would happen to the restaurant's space after the Lighthouse Café closes.
The building has had a restaurant in that space as long as anyone can remember. Before the Lighthouse, it was Loreen’s Village Café for many years, with a similar menu.
The Lighthouse Cafe's closure is the latest blow to Dexter's downtown restaurant scene. North Point Seafood & Steakhouse closed suddenly last week, just before notices that all of the restaurant’s equipment was being seized for $17,178 in unpaid back taxes were posted on the front of the building at 8031 Main St.
Laura Blodgett is a freelance reporter for AnnArbor.com.
Comments
HENRYK
Thu, May 12, 2011 : 9:16 p.m.
LightHouse cafe had some great food and great people and great service. The ones who say different I think do not know what they are talking about. This economy is rough on restaurants right now. I wish them well.
Alpha Dog
Sun, Feb 27, 2011 : 11:39 p.m.
It's sad what happened to the lighthouse. At least we still have Alpha Coney Island who has great cooks and an awesome wait staff. :)
MichGirl
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 4:51 p.m.
I agree that the service and food was "ho-hum" but we did enjoy eating there after church on Sunday. Very pleasant atmosphere. I guess the economy isn't as good as I was thinking. Two restaurants gone in less than a month. Good luck in your new venture though!
mar
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 3:25 p.m.
Our family ate at the Lighthouse weekly. The food was excellent and the owners and staff were wonderful, friendly, caring, and very efficient. The building is old, like the other ones downtown, but it was not dirty. They had a wide variety on their menu from special omelets to salads to steaks, and we will miss them. They were the only place I know of where you could get rainbow trout for breakfast. Steve and Sandy were always ready to help others with donations, school and other fundraisers, giving a free meal to someone needed it, and working in the community. I have been to two events they catered and the food was fantastic, people still talk about it. The kids loved seeing the whole pig roasted - complete with an apple. Good luck.
dexterreader
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 2:25 p.m.
Another victim of the sad economy. However, I must agree with two other comments ... the decor and cleanliness was not the greatest or most appealing, and I agree that the Alpha Coney has some pretty good food for the price. Let's hope they stick around!!
clownfish
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 2:13 p.m.
Bad News! I will miss The Lighthouse, although I have to admit I never went during the week. Good Luck to the proprietors.
kathe
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 6:30 a.m.
What a shame! I really liked their pulled pork and sweet potato fries. Plus it had a small town diner atmosphere that was special.
Anthony Clark
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 3:27 a.m.
This is sad news. I thought the food and service was very good for casual dining. Just a good old fashioned downtown diner. A throwback to another era when there wasn't a McDonald's and a Starbucks at every major intersection. I'll miss the Lighthouse.
Dos
Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 12:21 a.m.
Steve and Sandy catered my wedding in October of 2001 the food was incrediable, hot and tasty, and still 9 years later people comment on the good food I wish them well !!!!!!!!!!!!! The Newman's
THE TRUTH
Wed, Feb 23, 2011 : 11:49 p.m.
Yet another business bites the dust. I hope they open a dispensary for medicinal marijuana patients. I would love to start one and this is a great location, fromr the studies it seem's they are safe, thrive and bring local economy a giant boost. Fastest growing market in our state let's get on the wagon and bring some money back to dexter.
Josh
Wed, Feb 23, 2011 : 10:45 p.m.
This is sad. I'm glad the old A&W in Dexter is still around and I cannot wait until they re-open on March 1st. About the last place left in downtown Dexter to get food
treetowncartel
Wed, Feb 23, 2011 : 9:42 p.m.
It was the smoking crowd for breakfast that kept them afloat back in the day.
arborlib
Wed, Feb 23, 2011 : 9:38 p.m.
First the North Point, now the Lighthouse Cafe. Definitely sad to see them both close. Hopefully locals will still support the other restaurants in Dexter.
A2
Wed, Feb 23, 2011 : 9:28 p.m.
I thought the food was good .. but the establishment was dirty and outdated .. that's why we never went .. I don't like the Coney Island .. I went once and ordered mushrooms with my omelet and they gave me canned mushrooms .. how cheap can you be?? I haven't been back ..
Mr. Ed
Wed, Feb 23, 2011 : 9:16 p.m.
Alpha Coney has much better food and service. I'm surprised the Lighthouse was open as long as it was, the food was bad and the service was was even worse. The first clue was never busy.