SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – Maebelline’s, located at 12 Clinton St., is Springfield’s newest restaurant, serving a full line of breakfast and lunch options, as well as vegetarian and gluten-free options. In the new year, they have added Monday hours in addition to their previous hours of 7 a.m. -2 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday.
Owner Greg Frazer has put a lot of work into the aesthetics. The kitchen is completely re-done and outfitted with new equipment, the dining area has beautiful woodwork, and we can’t forget to mention the stunning view of the Black River that the restaurant sits above.
Maebelline’s building has a long history of great food and holds many special memories for those who have dined there. Maebelline’s is ready to create new memories with its brand new menu. They chose to create a new idea rather than taking over an existing business and modifying a menu already established. For months Greg worked to put together a menu with his years of experience to fit the vision of what he wanted his restaurant to be.
Greg Frazer has been in the restaurant industry for nearly 30 years, after spending three years in the Army fresh out of high school. Max, his father, owned Mr. G’s Restaurant in Ascutney and Greg started working for him upon his return to the area. He has worked in the insurance and banking industry for 15 plus years but continuously worked for his dad on the weekends. Greg had the opportunity to take over Mr. G’s, which had a name change to Exit Ate Restaurant, in April 2019. Covid hit in March of 2020 and Exit Ate operated solely selling takeout until a partial reopening was possible. Exit Ate had a strong following until the property was sold. When the opportunity came up for Greg to purchase their current building in March 2022, they took the plunge. Maebelline’s opened its doors on Oct. 4, 2022.
Maebelline’s has eight employees. “Maebelline’s is special because the staff is an extended part of my family and we work well together. And really, all we want is the same thing at the end of the day, for our customers to be happy with their experience with us when they leave. I also believe we are special because we do our best to make as much as we can from scratch and everything is cooked to order. Food doesn’t sit around under a heat lamp. We all take pride in what we do. We are by no means perfect! But we always do our best.”
Maebelline’s has plans to expand in the future to add more services like catering and hosting functions and banquets for businesses. Someday they plan to add an outdoor dining deck over the water so patrons can have an even better view of the river from above. They hope to be a bright spot in town where people can come and enjoy a good meal with family and friends, and as they grow, they hope to get further involved with the town and projects to help it thrive.