A popular Gardner breakfast and lunch eatery is under new ownership: what's changing

The Hen House, a popular breakfast and lunch eatery in Gardner, has been under new management for several months, and the new owner is no stranger to running a successful eatery in the city.

Charlie Carroll, who took ownership of the Hen House at 95 West St. in August, has also operated Café Edesia for the past 14 years.

“My mother, Paulette Carroll, and myself are the owners (of both establishments), so I can run the day-to-day operations and she’s behind the scenes to help out as much as she can, as well,” he said.

Carroll purchased the Hen House in Gardner from John and Cherie Buckley, who also owned the Hen House location in Templeton, after the couple sold both locations, bought the former JK Crossroads restaurant, and moved their operations to create the Templeton Café and Pub, which opened in February.

“We love the community – Gardner is a great city, along with the surrounding towns – so we were looking to continue the great operations that John and Cherie had at the Hen House and sort of pick up the torch and run with it,” Carroll said.

The Hen House remained open during the ownership transfer, Carroll said.

Hen House to open for dinner one night per week

“We really weren’t looking to making any major changes," Carroll said. "Everything was running very smoothly because they already had a great crew there. The staff has been there for quite some time and they do an excellent job.

“We’re looking to add some new touches, but nothing major. Basically, everything that’s been there is going to stay, but we’re just looking to add some new exciting options.”

The biggest of the new options will be the addition of a dinner menu one night of the week. The Hen House will now be open on Thursdays from 4 until 8 p.m., Carroll said, and it’s possible additional evening hours could be added in the future.

“We’ll do one night a week and see how that goes, but we’re really looking forward to adding some home-cooking options,” he said.

Hen House, Cafe Edesia owners grateful for loyal staff

The longtime regular customers at the Hen House were supportive of the restaurant’s new owners, Carroll said.

“The feedback for the most part has been pretty positive,” he said. “I’ve known quite a few of the regulars for years, and we’ve been seeing a lot of new customers, which has been great.”

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Carroll, who lives in Templeton, said he is grateful for his staff at both establishments for keeping the operations running smoothly.

“I’ve been very fortunate to have some excellent people at both locations who have stepped up to the plate and helped out with everything,” he said.

This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Hen House in Gardner sold to Cafe Edesia owner Charlie Carroll