Local owners revitalize beloved East Middlebury inn
By Amanda Kuhnert
Last spring the Waybury Inn in East Middlebury began an exciting new chapter under the ownership of three lifelong residents, Halina and Chas Lyons and chef Tony Petri. Originally built in 1810 as a “place of entertainment” and stagecoach stop for travelers crossing the Middlebury Gap, the historic inn has operated continuously for more than two centuries, with the exception of brief closures during World War II and the recent pandemic.
Chef Petri grew up right next door to the inn, and after college spent a decade in professional kitchens across the Northeast. In 2022, while interning at Zahav, a renowned Israeli-influenced restaurant in Philadelphia, Petri came home to attend his father’s retirement party at the Waybury. There, he crossed paths with then-owner Joe Sutton, who was searching for an executive chef. Shortly thereafter, Sutton offered Petri the job.
Back in East Middlebury, Petri reconnected with Halina and Chas, regular diners at the inn. “Chas was my high school cross-country and track coach, and he had started dating Halina around that time, so she would come to our meets and support us,” Petri said. Halina also had a history at the inn, having worked there as a server in the mid 2000s.
When the Waybury went up for sale in the summer of 2023, Chas asked Petri whether he’d be interested in partnering. “I said, well, I’ve already been working on this,” Petri explained. “I had met with the bank and was trying to figure out how I was going to manage the entire business while running the kitchen, which didn’t seem possible.”
The partnership was a win-win for both Petri and the Lyons. They would each take on distinct roles in the business: Halina would run the front of the house; Chas would oversee buildings and grounds; and Petri would focus on running the restaurant.
The first step in their business venture was securing a loan, so they turned to Sarah Kearns, an advisor at the Vermont Small Business Development Center (VtSBDC), for guidance. “She was integral to that process,” Petri said. “She really helped us understand how to create a business plan that the bank would accept.”
The partners closed on the Waybury in May of 2024–just three days before Mother’s Day, kicking off the busiest time of year. Now that the hectic summer and fall season is behind them, Petri said they’re finally taking a moment to catch their breath and begin looking ahead to the future.
“The inn is an integral part of the community; it’s the only restaurant in East Middlebury,” he said. “We really want to be a place where everyone in the community can feel comfortable to come gather with their friends and family.”
For more info: wayburyinn.com
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