By Wayne E. Rivet

Staff Writer

Tom Doviak always had a quiet way about how he went about his business.

Focused, yet never one to draw a lot of attention to himself.

Quality always mattered the most, especially when he was in the kitchen.

Family involvement was also an important ingredient, which mixed with his interest in cooking resulted in four decades of operating Tom’s Homestead, just beyond Main Hill.

Tom sold the business to Nick Ergo, who operates a catering business, and will offer special events at the homestead under the new title, Stella’s on the Square. The Covid-19 pandemic and a need for a change pushed Tom to change direction.

“Not knowing what was going to happen (with Covid), I saw the writing on the wall. It was time to get out,” he said.

Since 1983, Tom worked part-time for a landscaper when the restaurant was closed. Now, he is working full-time at that job during the summer months, while taking to the slopes at Mt. Cranmore as a ski patroller in the winter months.

While it is always tough to turn the page, especially after such much heart, soul and energy is poured into a venture, Tom is proud of what his family created at Tom’s Homestead 1821 Restaurant. He appreciates all those who patronized the restaurant, either for dinner or a special event.

Tom opened the restaurant in August 1981, in the historic building that was home to Baptist minister Rev. Reuben Ball Sr. and later Dr. John Kimball. Remodeling the interior to include two large dining rooms with the help from his father (Bill, who was an electrical engineer), Tom envisioned the Homestead as being “elegant, but informal, country restaurant.” 

“To say it needed work was an understatement,” Tom recalled. “On the outside, it was very overgrown with trees and vines. Inside, we had a hard time how to plan out the best flow — where to put the kitchen and bathrooms.

First order was to make the alterations needed to get the restaurant up and running. Then, Tom focused on restoring the rest of the building, in his sparetime. “I had to re-beam the whole bottom floor in the basement. I used wood from my woodlot,” he said.

The menu featured an assortment from veal to New England seafood to prime rib, roast duck and chicken cordon bleau.

Like many, Tom discovered Bridgton when he parents traveled from Wayne, N.J. to Stone’s Camp for the summers.

“I liked Bridgton,” Tom said. “I wanted a business here.”

Tom gained sharpened his culinary skills working in restaurants in New Jersey and even Brussels, Belgium. What also served him well was a saying favored by his grandmother, “The tough times don’t last, tough people do.” In 2011, Tom broke his ankle when he fell from the restaurant’s roof while doing repairs. At the same time, Tom and his wife, Karen, were celebrating 30 years of business, as the longest continuously running restaurant in Bridgton under the same ownership. Tough break, yes, but he moved on and persevered. Tom had to close for a month, but finally made it back. Admittedly, the only way to make it in the highly-competitive world of restaurants is to do as much as you can, saving money by not hiring out everything and growing one’s own vegetables, which the Doviaks did.

“It’s little things that you do so you’re not cutting corners on service or quality,” Tom said. “The man upstairs says not to be a slave to the lender.”

Time was something Tom wished he had more of. “Some of the biggest challenges was labor, of course — never enough time to get everything done that I wanted to,” he said.

The Doviaks also did the little things, without fanfare, to help others in need. Tom gave a lending hand to those without food during the Ice Storm. Another example was reported by Pat Clark of Bridgton in a letter to the editor in 2005. “When an elderly friend returned home from a hospital stay, I asked her what she would like more than anything. ‘Tom’s mushroom soup’ was her answer…Three days later, Tom appeared at my friend’s house with not only mushroom soup but coconut cream pie, as well. She is still talking about it, and greatly appreciating his visit and his generosity. Once again, a sincere act of kindness can be life changing.”

The Doviaks tried to make a difference in patrons’ and neighbors’ lives by either dishing out a wonderfully crafted meal in a beautiful dining setting or doing acts of kindness, without fanfare.

So, what’s next? Tom says he always wanted to have an old farm.

“Now, I have that,” he said.

Tom loves the outdoors, thus the attraction to landscaping work. He likes to run and bike, ski and rock climb, when he gets the chance. “I don’t feel like I’m in my 60s. I feel much younger,” he said.

What he remains most proud of is his family and the effort he made to make Tom’s Homestead a memorable experience.

“I have been blessed to have a wonderful family. We made a good living, together. Now, I have more time I can spend with them, and maybe try some new things,” he said. “Through God’s grace, I have had a good life, so far.”

Now, the Doviaks are set to write new chapters.