ARLINGTON — Christy Whetstine is glad to be back home at 223 N. Olympic Ave. Whetstine had worked as a waitress for 15 years at Brooster’s restaurant, and was there when owner Bruce Bruch died of lung cancer in 2008.
Brooster’s itself continued for seven more years, before closing its doors earlier this year, and while Whetstine has continued to find work at local eateries, none has compared to her time at Brooster’s.
So when she heard that the former location would reopen as the Stilly Diner, she jumped at the chance to return. She was even more pleased to learn the new establishment was being started by Matt Deberry and his cousin, Cheri Graves, both of whom had worked at the Blue Bird Cafe just a block north on the same street. Graves had worked at the Blue Bird for 14 years, while Deberry served as a cook for 25 years, starting at the age of 13.
Of the Stilly Diner’s 16 employees, Deberry noted that five had worked for Brooster’s, and each boasted at least 16 years of experience there. Deberry had previously made a bid to open his own restaurant about half a dozen years ago in Stanwood, but that didn’t work out.
Still, when he saw that Brooster’s space was for lease this summer, he knew he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to run a new restaurant his way, but with the benefit of an experienced staff.
“We wanted to provide more options with fresher ingredients at an affordable price,” Deberry said of the Stilly Cafe, which serves breakfast and lunch from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. “We have the benefit of having done this long enough to know what people want.”
In addition to large cinnamon rolls, Deberry and Graves noted that the Stilly Diner offers some signature dishes, including “Matt’s Loaded Hashbrown Plate” from Deberry and “The Favorite” from Graves.
“With the loaded plate, you can have either country-fried potatoes or hashbrowns, with your choices of cheeses, sausage, mushrooms, ham and spinach, topped off with another egg and more cheese,” Deberry said. Graves added that “The Favorite” comes with chicken, bacon, cheese and avocado on a French roll.
After months of remodeling the facility, culminating in their Oct. 29 opening, Deberry and Graves are glad to be able to serve their community.
“We like catering to people, by offering them something different from what they might get elsewhere,” Graves said. “And we’re excited to go into business for ourselves.”
