CAMDEN – Buttermilk Kitchen at Marriner’s celebrates its grand opening Thursday, April, 25. Marriner’s closed after 41 years in business last winter and Buttermilk Kitchen of Atlanta moved into the space at 35 Elm Street, spending the colder months remodeling and gearing up for a Spring reopening.

Buttermilk Kitchen at Marriner’s mission statement sums up their dedication best when it states, “it’s about more than just food; it’s about fostering connection, creating memories, and honoring the spirit of a community that has defined this cherished space for over eight decades.”

Owner and executive chef Suzanne Vizethann said its been a lot of work, but a labor of love, as well.

“It’s been amazing to see it all unfold, have a vision, and then to see it all come to fruition,” she said, adding: “The community has been supportive,” she said. “There’s been a lot of curiosity and excitement, so we’re excited, too. It’s a great town and we’ve got a lot of amazing support from a lot of great people.”

The color scheme in the remodeled space, which includes a breakfast bar, is the same as the Buttermilk Kitchen restaurant in Atlanta, and which Vizethann still owns and operates.

“Same branding, same color scheme,” she said, “but we went for a little more of a coastal flare here.”

Vizethann said she’ll go back to Atlanta every quarter to check on business there.

“I have an experienced team,” she said. “We’ve been open 11 years and my kitchen manager has been with me 10 years and my general manager has known me eight years, so I feel like they can get it done.”

Buttermilk Kitchen wanted its menu to be true to the Atlanta location, but needed items to make it a Maine restaurant.

“I knew all my top sellers at home but I had no idea what would sell up here, plus we wanted to incorporate some of the things Marriner’s was doing,” she said.

The chowder and hash from Marriner’s remains and they will have lobster rolls.

Buttermilk had invited approximately 100 people to the soft opening on Wednesday, April 24. And it all went well.

“It’s nice to see people in the building,” she said. “At home we put blueberry jam on top of the pancakes, but here, especially with the Maine wild blueberries, people wanted to see them inside, so yes, definitely blueberry pancakes. We’re always tweaking and studying what’s selling and what’s not.”

Vizethann said she has been pleasantly surprised that what sells in Atlanta is selling here, but thinks it will take a couple of months to see what people really want.

Buttermilk’s General Manager, Brandon Muggy, grew up in a small town outside Savannah, Georgia and moved to Atlanta eight years ago. Now he is a Mainer. He has worked for Buttermilk for four years and when Vizethann decided to open a restaurant here, he offered to move here and run it for her.

Muggy said he is the only Atlanta employee who came to Maine.

“I think this is going to be fantastic,” he said. “I’m ready for the community to get in here and try the biscuits and gravy, the corn beef hash, the pancakes; it’s a great place to get your breakfast fix.”

Muggy said you can get a traditional breakfast, as well. Two eggs, toast and protein. He said for lunch there are soups like Dan’s haddock chowder, salads and sandwiches.

“We also have our elements, like our chicken biscuit and grits,” he said.

Muggy said they did a poll on Instagram to find out what people wanted.

“Blueberry pancakes were one of the things at the top of the list,” he said.

Muggy said the restaurant will close at 2 p.m. and open at 7 a.m. during the week, but open at 8 a.m. and close at 3 p.m. on the weekends. He said they will be closed on Tuesdays.

Muggy said they were lucky with staffing.

“Front of the house we did great, but we could use one more in the kitchen so if anybody out there wants to cook and be part of a great team, come see us,” he said.

Surprise guests sitting all the way in the back of the restaurant and obviously enjoying their breakfast, as well as the quiet harbor view, were former Marriner’s owners Becki and Dan Gabriel.

“It’s delightful, simply delightful,” said Becki. “I’ve tasted the biscuits and gravy for the first time and it's delicious. It’s just the best atmosphere ever.”

Dan said it has the feel of a place that will serve the town.

“The town has been in a funny place, between what Marriner’s was and Buttermilk Kitchen will be,” he said. “Today what Marriner’s was is gone and what Buttermilk Kitchen will be is fabulous. She nailed it.”

Becki commented on the addition of a breakfast bar.

“Do you remember when we had a breakfast bar here, before the fire,” she said.

“The old geezers would sit around it and we called it the mayor’s office,” said Dan.

Dan said they made it work, but Vizethann’s imagination with the room was beyond great.

You can find Buttermilk Kitchen at Mariner’s on Facebook and on Instagram.

Contact Chris Wolf at news@penbaypilot.com