Dorchester Times: Crete News Runs Feature Story On Dorchester Restaurant & Pub

Monday, February 8, 2010

Crete News Runs Feature Story On Dorchester Restaurant & Pub

For those who may have missed it, the Feb. 3 edition of The Crete News features a front-page story on Dorchester's Ben's Iron Grill. The story can be read in full at the newspaper's Web site, www.cretenews.net.

According to the article, the restaurant's owner, Ben Haufle and his business partner, Sue Morris, have incorporated their "small town values" into Ben's Iron Grill. The restaurant features a bar built from locally cut wood, antique decorations, and historic photographs to give Dorchester's newest business a "rustic appeal."

Haufle and Morris say their goal is "customer satisfaction" and strive to make the restaurant family oriented. According to The Crete News story, ribs and the salad bar are the most popular menu items at Ben's. Haufle told the paper: "Sue and I put our entire life savings into this bar. It is a long-term investment and the compliments (from community members) make it worth it."

The bar is open from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. on weekdays and from 11 a.m. until 1 a.m. on weekends. The kitchen is open from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. or later if people still want to eat. (Haufle notes that patrons can call the restaurant at 402-946-6471 if they want the grill kept on for them.) This weekend, Ben's is featuring their $29.99 "Valentine's Dinner for Two," which includes either prime rib, ribs, honey-glazed salmon, fettucine alfredo with chicken or shrimp, plus salad bar and dessert. No reservations necessary.

13 comments:

AnonymousFebruary 8, 2010 at 1:36 PM
How many local papers can write about them. Pretty funny when you have to call them all to get your business noticed..There is another business in this town that could use the support as well.. If we want Dorchester to keep going we need to make it equal.
ReplyDelete
Replies
AnonymousFebruary 8, 2010 at 3:24 PM
A "new" buisness in town is news worthy, remember a year ago Ben's building was an empty store front and John Bruha was spraying the weeds that were growing in the cracks in the concrete, Tyser's building to the south of Ben's was falling into it's self. Now people are coming from as far away as Omaha to enjoy Ben's food and atmosphere. Dorchester IS back on the map, be proud not bitter.
ReplyDelete
Replies
AnonymousFebruary 8, 2010 at 3:54 PM
I think it's great that Ben's is getting recognition from surrounding towns because not only does it get their name out more, but it sheds a good light on Dorchester. For the record, the Milford Times did a "joint" article on Ben's and Joe's and I thought it did a fair job of promoting both of them. I wish nothing but success for both of our bars.
ReplyDelete
Replies
BobFebruary 8, 2010 at 5:35 PM
UNITED WE STAND; DIVIDED WE FALL.

Support all of your Dorchester businesses to the best of your ability. Reward the sacrifices and risks of our local entreprenuers.
ReplyDelete
Replies
DC HuskerFebruary 8, 2010 at 6:57 PM
I can't wait to stop by Ben's in June. Especially now that Snowmageddon II is coming our way. Another 20 inches of snow!
ReplyDelete
Replies
BenFebruary 8, 2010 at 8:08 PM
There is an error in the Crete News article about Ben's Iron Grill. The Kitchen is open from 11:00am till 10:00pm or later if people still want to eat. Call us at 946-6471 if you're working late in the field and want us to keep the grill on for you.

Thanks,
Ben
ReplyDelete
Replies
Village DwellerFebruary 8, 2010 at 10:33 PM
Ben:

We will make that correction in our post.
ReplyDelete
Replies
AnonymousFebruary 9, 2010 at 8:19 AM
Every business in dorchester needs the support just not one. Dorchester could disappear as far aw we know. Let help everyone out and do a news article on them. I just don't think that is right being a citizen of dorchester to see one getting all the glory. I go to both places and the Dorchester Grocery. WE need to help everyone out.. Just not the new business..
ReplyDelete
Replies
AnonymousFebruary 9, 2010 at 12:58 PM
I have visited Ben's several times & especially like the salad bar, the ribs & taco Tuesday. My only complaint is the service can be quite slow & can be that way even when there aren't many people there. When you have limited time for lunch it prevents one from going there. Maybe that will improve with time. I'll try again.
ReplyDelete
Replies
AnonymousFebruary 10, 2010 at 10:51 AM
How bad is the Crete News website? Wowza!! They should have spent more time on their website than they did on redesigning their hardcopy.
ReplyDelete
Replies
H.D.February 10, 2010 at 10:36 PM
Great story.

I plan to try the valentine's day specials this weekend! Cant wait!!!
ReplyDelete
Replies
AnonymousFebruary 15, 2010 at 10:12 AM
Anonymous and Anonymous (you know who you are) need to understand that newspaper articles are written about "news" items. Ben's as a new business with a "real" dinner menu is news. The other businesses in town can get their own promotion in the paper in the papers if they want. It's called "advertising". Or they can do something "news"worthy. Hopefully that doesn't mean closing, but it's up to them not the newspaper editors.
ReplyDelete
Replies
AnonymousFebruary 15, 2010 at 1:05 PM
I'm pretty confident that "anonymous & anonymous" are the same person and it's attitudes like their's that hinder the growth of small towns like Dorchester. It IS possible to support ALL our local businesses without tearing others down. And I agree, it is up to the local businesses to promote themselves to the surrounding communities. That's all that Ben's was doing when they got their business recognized by the newspapers. Once again, I wish BOTH bars success as well as the rest of our local businesses.
ReplyDelete
Replies

Add comment

Village Dweller checks all reader comments to determine if they are appropriate for print.

Dorchester: A Good Little Family Town

Dorchester, Nebraska (est. population 630) is located in northern Saline county. Close in proximity to Interstate 80, Dorchester is only 25 minutes from the state capital of Lincoln (est. population 250,000) and about 55 minutes from Omaha (metro population 725,000).

Dorchester's median resident age is 37 years. In 2005, Dorchester had a median family income of approximately $35,600. The median house value was about $63,000. About 95 percent of Dorchester residents commute to work via Interstate and highways.

The village has a quality public school, which received a $4.1 million expansion and modernization in 2008; it offers a small classrooms and individualized attention. Total enrollment of grades K-12 is around 230-250 students.

Ancestries of the Dorchester area are primarily German (42.4%), Czech (24.9%), Irish (12.5%), English (5.4%), and Dutch (4.9%).

Dorchester Historical Facts

* On July 4, 1871, the railroad reached Dorchester.
* Incorporated in 1881, Dorchester's population grew from 200 to 500 by 1882.
* In 1882, Dorchester had 90 buildings, 35 of which were businesses or public facilities. Brick buildings lined both sides of Washington Avenue for two blocks.
* Dorchester's longest-running newspaper was The Dorchester Star, which was published until the late 1940s.
* By 1889, Dorchester's population is said to have reached 800, while the town housed an opera house, a two-story brick schoolhouse with a bell tower, and four churches.
* By the 1910s, Dorchester had electricity, a water tower and a fire department.
* Dorchester's main arteries, Highways 6 and 33, were graveled in the 1940s.
* Dorchester's first irrigation well was drilled on Chris Weber's farm and rural electrification was finished following WWII.

A Village with History

Dorchester is one of the "alphabet towns" on the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad line built west from Lincoln. The town site was selected for its pleasant location in the northern part of Saline County, about eight miles west of Crete. This situation is an attractive one, being on the level prairie land, midway between the West Blue River and Turkey Creek. The first named stream is three miles north, and the latter about the same distance south from the town. Dorchester was platted in 1870 and incorporated in 1881. The name "Dorchester" came from either for a suburb of Boston by that name or a town in England. No one is sure. Two of the very first settlers were James Seely and Edward McIntyre, who both made Dorchester their permanent home.

Dorchester: In The Beginning

Here is a look at Dorchester around 1890, less than a decade after its official incorporation, as documented by Andreas' History of the State of Nebraska:
* POPULATION: "About 300, and is made up of a substantial and progressive class of citizens, who are moral and industrious. ... The town grew but very little until the year 1879, for the reason that Pleasant Hill, on Turkey Creek, a short distance south, was the county seat and naturally drew a trade for quite a large scope of country."
* BUSINESS: "The business and professional interests of the town are represented by three general merchandise stores, two drug, one grocery, one furniture, two hardware, and two millinery stores, one bank, two restaurants, two hotels, three livery stables, a post office, one newspaper office, two elevators, two lumber yards, two coal yards, two blacksmith shops, two lawyers and four physicians."
* SCHOOL: "The schoolhouse is a good one. The schoolhouse was built in 1872, since which time the public schools have been continually kept up. The present schoolhouse is 24' x 40' in size, two stories high. The school is graded and consists of three departments. The house is found too small, and arrangements will soon be made to increase its size."
* CHURCHES: "There are three substantial churches."
* HOMES: "The residence portion of the village is made up of neat houses of different styles of architecture, but none of them very large."
* NEWSPAPER: "The Dorchester Star, which was established August 21, 1881, by H. C. Bittenbender, who edited it until January 19, 1882, when he sold it to Ryerson & Bullock, the present proprietors. The Star is a bright weekly paper, five-column quarto, in size, and is Republican in politics."