Dysart's
Corporate brand
UnclaimedDysart's is a Maine-based truck-stop, convenience-store, fuel, and restaurant brand known for home-style food and its distinctive local advertising.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Dysart's is a family-owned Maine business whose brand combines truck stops, fuel services, convenience retail, and full-service restaurants. Its principal operations are in and around Hermon and Bangor, Maine, and the business is associated with the practical travel infrastructure of northern New England as well as with generous portions of home-style cooking. The company traces its roots to a Dysart family trucking business established by Marshall and Blanche Dysart in 1920. A truck stop was added in 1934. The operation later moved to Brewer in 1958 and subsequently relocated to the Hermon area after Interstate 95 was completed near Bangor. David and Irene Dysart opened the truck stop and restaurant on Mother's Day, May 14, 1967. David recruited Greg and Betty Feeney to operate the kitchen; Greg developed a reputation for home-style meals and large portions, while Betty became associated with the restaurant's baked desserts. For much of its history, the restaurant operated around the clock every day except Christmas. The business altered that model on October 1, 2019, when the restaurant reduced its hours to 5 a.m. through midnight. The change was attributed to changes in trucking regulations and the difficulty of maintaining overnight shifts as local businesses moved away from 24-hour staffing. Dysart's fuel operations and convenience stores continued to operate 24 hours a day, preserving the brand's role as an overnight travel stop even after the restaurant schedule changed. Dysart's expanded beyond its original restaurant operation with a second restaurant location in Bangor in 2014. Reference material describes the wider business as having nine travel stops across Maine, with restaurants in Hermon and Bangor. In 2025, Dysart's announced a proposal for another location in Ellsworth, indicating continued interest in expanding its travel-stop network within Maine. Food is central to the brand's public identity. In 2022, Food & Wine named Dysart's the best gas-station and truck-stop food in America. Trucking-oriented publications and organizations have also included the company in lists of highly regarded truck stops. The recognition reflects a positioning built around substantial portions, traditional American comfort food, baked goods, and dependable service rather than a specialized or highly formal dining concept. Dysart's achieved broader national visibility through a 2012 television commercial featuring Hermon residents Jack and Sonya Palmer. Jack Palmer repeatedly struggled to deliver the phrase “buttery, flaky crust,” and the outtakes circulated widely online. The commercial became a regional-culture reference point and was later parodied in a 2018 Saturday Night Live sketch featuring Will Ferrell and Kate McKinnon. This publicity gave the otherwise locally concentrated brand an unusually recognizable advertising image. Jack Palmer died in 2024. David Dysart died in 1999, and Milton Dysart, David's cousin and co-founder, died in 2018. The brand remains active as a Maine family business centered on travel stops, fuel, convenience retail, and restaurants.
History
Dysart's developed from a Maine trucking and roadside-service business operated by the Dysart family. Marshall and Blanche Dysart established the family trucking business in 1920, and a truck stop was added in 1934. The operation remained at its original site until 1958, when it moved to Brewer, Maine. It later moved to the Hermon area following the completion of Interstate 95 near Bangor, placing the business on an important transportation corridor. The modern Dysart's restaurant and truck-stop identity dates to May 14, 1967, when David and Irene Dysart opened their facility on Mother's Day. The kitchen was run by Greg and Betty Feeney, whom David hired to manage the food operation. Greg emphasized home-style cooking and generous portions, while Betty was known for baking desserts. Their approach helped establish the food reputation that later became one of the defining features of the Dysart's name. The business historically operated its restaurant 24 hours a day, every day except Christmas, for 52 years. That schedule reflected Dysart's relationship with professional drivers and other travelers using the regional highway network. On October 1, 2019, the restaurant changed its hours to 5 a.m. to midnight. The company attributed the change to developments in trucking laws and the broader disappearance of overnight shifts at local establishments. The fuel and convenience-store sides of the operation continued to run 24 hours a day. Dysart's expanded its restaurant presence in 2014 by opening a second location in Bangor. Reference material identifies nine travel stops throughout Maine, while the full-service restaurants are located in Hermon and Bangor. In 2025, the company proposed an additional location in Ellsworth, suggesting that its growth strategy remains focused on serving Maine travel routes rather than pursuing a broad national rollout. Food recognition has strengthened the brand beyond its functional role as a truck stop. In 2022, Food & Wine selected Dysart's as the best gas-station and truck-stop food in America. Trucking-related publications and organizations have likewise placed Dysart's on lists of leading American truck stops. These distinctions reinforce the company's differentiation through comfort food, substantial servings, desserts, and an informal local atmosphere. The brand's most widely circulated piece of advertising originated in a 2012 television commercial. Hermon residents Jack and Sonya Palmer appeared in the spot, and footage of Jack repeatedly failing to say “buttery, flaky crust” became popular online. The outtakes produced national awareness that would be unusual for a geographically concentrated Maine chain. In 2018, Saturday Night Live parodied the commercial in a sketch featuring Will Ferrell and Kate McKinnon. Dysart's later continued to be associated with the advertisement in regional and online references. The company has remained family-linked across generations. David Dysart died in 1999 at age 71, while his cousin and co-founder Milton Dysart died on May 29, 2018. Jack Palmer, one of the commercial's performers, died on August 4, 2024. Despite these changes, Dysart's continues to operate as an active Maine brand built around travel stops, fuel, convenience retail, and full-service restaurants.
- 2025
Ellsworth expansion proposed
[1]Dysart's proposed a new travel-stop location in Ellsworth, Maine.
- 2022
Named best gas-station and truck-stop food in America
[1]Food & Wine recognized Dysart's food as the best in its gas-station and truck-stop category.
- 2019
Restaurant hours shortened
[1]Restaurant hours changed from an almost continuously open schedule to 5 a.m. through midnight, while fuel and convenience operations remained 24/7.
- 2018
Commercial parodied on Saturday Night Live
[1]A Saturday Night Live sketch brought the recognizable Dysart's advertisement to a national television audience.
- 2014
Second restaurant opened in Bangor
[1]Dysart's expanded its full-service restaurant presence with a Bangor location.
- 2012
Palmer commercial becomes widely known
[1]Outtakes from a television commercial featuring Jack and Sonya Palmer spread online.
- 1967
Hermon truck stop and restaurant opened
[1]David and Irene Dysart opened the truck stop and restaurant on May 14, 1967.
- 1958
Business moved to Brewer
[1]The operation relocated from its original site to Brewer, Maine.
- 1934
First truck stop opened
[1]The family added a truck stop to its trucking operation.
- 1920
Dysart family trucking business established
[1]Marshall and Blanche Dysart founded the family trucking business that preceded the Dysart's travel-stop brand.
Products and positioning
A family-owned Maine travel-stop brand combining 24-hour fuel and convenience services with approachable, home-style restaurant food, generous portions, baked goods, and a strong sense of local identity.
Truck stops and roadside services · 1934
Dysart's Travel Stops
Dysart's travel stops serve commercial drivers, motorists, and other highway travelers. The network combines fuel facilities with convenience retail and travel-oriented services. Reference material describes nine stops across Maine, with the brand's operating footprint concentrated in the state's major road corridors.
Full-service restaurants · 1967
Dysart's Restaurants
The restaurant business is built around informal, home-style American cooking, generous portions, and baked desserts. The full-service restaurants in Hermon and Bangor grew from the kitchen tradition established by Greg and Betty Feeney after the 1967 opening. Restaurant service is distinct from the brand's continuously operating fuel and convenience facilities.
Convenience retail
Dysart's Convenience Stores
The convenience-store component provides travelers with food, drinks, provisions, and other roadside purchases. Unlike the restaurant operation, Dysart's convenience and fuel businesses have continued to operate 24 hours a day, supporting the chain's role for overnight travelers and truck drivers.
Bakery and restaurant desserts · 1967
Dysart's Baked Desserts
Baked desserts are part of the brand's historical food identity. Betty Feeney's baking helped shape the restaurant's early reputation, and desserts remain associated with the chain's home-style positioning and its appeal to highway travelers seeking traditional comfort food.
Marketing campaigns
- 2018Saturday Night Live commercial parody
United States
Saturday Night Live parodied the Dysart's commercial in a sketch featuring Will Ferrell and Kate McKinnon, using the memorable delivery problem as the comedic premise.
Outcome. The parody extended the commercial's visibility beyond Maine and reinforced Dysart's status as a recognizable piece of regional advertising culture.
- 2012Buttery, Flaky Crust commercial
Maine · United States
Dysart's featured Hermon residents Jack and Sonya Palmer in a television commercial. Outtakes showing Jack repeatedly struggling to say “buttery, flaky crust” circulated widely online and became more recognizable than a conventional local restaurant advertisement.
Outcome. The outtakes generated national attention and gave Dysart's a distinctive advertising identity.
Brand decisions
2025
Propose an Ellsworth travel stopStrategyBackground
Dysart's operates a Maine-focused network of travel stops and has continued to explore additional in-state locations.
Action taken
The company announced a proposal for a new location in Ellsworth, Maine.
Aftermath
The proposal indicates planned expansion, but the available material does not establish whether the location was approved, constructed, or opened.
2019
Reduce restaurant operating hoursStrategyBackground
Dysart's had operated its restaurant around the clock, except on Christmas, for 52 years. The company cited changes in trucking laws and the disappearance of overnight shifts at local establishments.
Action taken
From October 1, 2019, restaurants operated from 5 a.m. to midnight. Fuel stations and convenience stores remained open 24 hours a day.
Aftermath
The change preserved overnight travel services while reducing the staffing demands of continuous restaurant service.
2014
Expand restaurant presence to BangorStrategyBackground
Dysart's had established its principal restaurant and truck-stop identity in the Hermon area and sought to extend its restaurant reach within the Bangor region.
Action taken
The company opened a second restaurant location in Bangor.
Aftermath
Dysart's continued to operate full-service restaurants in both Hermon and Bangor.
Sources1 sources
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