THE DAIRY BARN

THE From hut to barn, the longtime Oswego staple is back to serving as the area’s go-to family spot By Chris Walker Photos by Locked In Photography DAIRY BARN

Troy Parlier has already enjoyed a chocolate malt, turtle sundae and a twist cone from the Dairy Barn while an adorable neighborhood dog, who asked to remain anonymous, has been stopping in to clean up any sweetness that patrons drop on the sidewalk.

It doesn’t matter if you’re the Oswego village president or man’s best friend — the new Dairy Barn is quickly becoming a destination. The heir to the Dairy Hut is quickly winning over the town.

“The anticipation for the Dairy Barn has been huge,” Parlier says. “I’m so glad to see it open. This restaurant is entirely different than the others that have opened in town as it caters to families. It’s been great to see people of all ages and large families fill up the Dairy Barn.” Co-owner Mike Mann first visited the Dairy Hut when he was 7 years old and kept visiting frequently for the ensuing 43 years until it closed. He couldn’t imagine Oswego without it, so he talked to his business partner and the rest is history, just like that final hot dog bite. “Living in Oswego, I knew what I wanted to bring here, and we’re hoping to be able to watch families come here,” he says. “With the river and the playground nearby we’re super excited to have the opportunity, and the community in Oswego is faithful. They want to help out the local homegrown and we’ve had some people that have visited three times already.” According to Roger Matile, director of the Little White School Museum in Oswego, when the first fast food and soft serve ice cream shop in town needed a name, the owner had a contest for Oswego schoolchildren. Junior high student Jerry Power’s suggestion of Dari-Boat was selected and a grand opening was held in June 1961. Over the years, as a succession of owners exchanged control, the name also transitioned to the Dairy Hut.

“The Hut, as it was always called, has been a true downtown Oswego institution, serving ice cream to generations of kids and their parents,” Matile says. “We rode our bikes there when we were kids, my kids rode their bikes there, and my grandkids do, too. It’s been a treat for local kids and coaches after softball, baseball and soccer practice and games for decades, as well as families and even downtown business workers, and it’s so nice to see that tradition is likely to continue with the Dairy Barn.” Some things don’t need

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¢ THE DAIRY BARN 121 S. Main St., Oswego 331-216-5100 www.dairybarnoswego.com alterations — the banana split is as divine now as it was when Ernest R. Hazard invented it 115 years ago — but sometimes change is good. “Change isn’t always welcome,” Matile adds. “But it looks as if the new Dairy Barn may be a change that will not only maintain a 60-year Oswego tradition but that might actually do a better job of serving the community.” The menu is simple but offers plenty of tasty food items, including hot dogs and chili dogs, a selection of juicy burgers, chicken sandwiches and a kids menu of chicken tenders and pizza puffs. There are a variety of side items to munch on, including mozzarella sticks, fries and rings. As for treats, there are shakes, malts, tornadoes, sundaes, cones, slushies and banana splits. And for the 21+ crowd, there are adult milkshakes, boozy slushies and beer. What more could you ask for? “Out of the gate we’re keeping it pretty simple and we can modify the menu going forward, maybe add some soups and salads,” Mann says. “We’ve kept it really close to the old menu and that’s really the only thing that’s been carried over.”

The Dairy Barn has a lot of indoor seating within its white shiplap walls. “The old Dairy Hut had no indoor seating and we have seating for 100 or more depending on how we situate things,” Mann says. “And we’ve kept the outdoor seating for about 60 so we can have a band outside playing there. Our vision is really familyfocused.”

While certainly the warmer days make the Dairy Barn most attractive, it aims to be a year-round gathering place that also offers delicious food and delectable treats in a friendly and fun environment. “We have space to do things like storytime, kid bingo, having a magician or maybe something like a country band,” Mann says. “We hope we can turn into a community center type place for events for people to come and do different things.”

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