SKOWHEGAN — Head to the Brick House Kitchen and you may see a familiar face serving your lunch.

The popular Skowhegan lunch spot reopened last week under its new owners, Sarah Dore and Alex Wyman.

Dore, who was married into the family that owns the Old Mill Pub on Water Street, left that business in November following a divorce and jumped on the opportunity to buy the Brick House Kitchen.

“I am really, really thrilled to have found something to be able to continue on serving this community,” Dore said. “I have loved serving this community. I thoroughly enjoyed my job, and it was hard to leave the pub.”

Located at 147 Madison Ave., the restaurant is open for lunch six days a week. Plans include expanded hours on the weekends for brunch.

The current menu of sandwiches, soups and salads includes the classics — think BLTs and Caesar salads — but also some unique creations, like a chicken salad sandwich with a blackberry drizzle and toasted naan flatbreads.

Dore said the menu is focused on fresh, local ingredients, and many items — including sauces, soups and even breads — are made in-house.

Leading the revamp of the menu is chef Brice Libby, a Skowhegan native with a degree in culinary arts from Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island, Dore said.

“He’s very well-trained and he knows flavor profiles and tastes and textures,” Dore said.

Sarah Dore, who recently reopened Brick House Kitchen, smiles at her staff Friday in Skowhegan. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel

The biggest improvement in the works, according to Dore? Brunch.

Skowhegan has a lot to offer, but no restaurant in town currently offers brunch, she said.

“We still want it to be a family atmosphere, we want families to feel like that they can come, but we also want for people to feel like they’re able to come and have a cocktail and enjoy each other’s company,” Dore said.

Aside from those mimosas and bloody marys, which Dore promises will be coming soon, the entire bar menu is also getting reworked.

“The cocktails were overworked and expensive,” Dore said about the menu under previous ownership. “I’ve been serving (people here) for 12 years, so I have a pretty good feel for what people like and don’t like.”

Brick House Kitchen just recently reopened under new ownership. The Skowhegan restaurant offers unique deli-style sandwiches, wraps and salads. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel

The restaurant was previously owned by two couples, Tyler and Beth Terstegen and James and Angela Kelby, who sold it after more than four years in business. Before that, the restaurant was known as the Kel-Mat Café for about 15 years.

Another couple bought the building at the end of last year and are leasing the first floor space to Dore and Wyman, with plans for them to eventually purchase it as well.

Even with changes in ownership, the restaurant appears to have a loyal following. During Friday’s lunch rush, the dining room was nearly full and the phone was ringing at a steady pace.

Alex Wyman, left, and Sarah Dore are seen Friday inside their restaurant, Brick House Kitchen in Skowhegan. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel

Dore and Wyman hope to attract even more diners from their years of working in the community.

“I think we’re seeing a lot of the same people, but I think we’re seeing a lot of people who are coming to visit us, too,” Dore said. “We know the community so well.”

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