The Dinner Bell is open again in Burlington
By Jennifer Archibald

Satisfied customer Adam Butcher, pictured at the counter, was one of the lunch customers at The Dinner Bell last Thursday. Carol Wills of Russiaville (pictured) is the new owner-operator of the restaurant. The display case houses gifts for sale. Comet photo by Jennifer Archibald

The Dinner Bell is ringing again in Burlington.

It opened under new ownership on Jan. 1. Owners Mike and Carol Wills put the "open" sign in the window, and they said they had customers the first day.

The restaurant has a new look, with new walls, new carpeting, a new ceiling, new tables and chairs, and new handicapped-accessible restrooms. Most of the remodeling and repair work was done by Mike, who has an electrical contracting business.

Carol operates the restaurant, and has 15 employees. She formerly had a gift shop in Kokomo, and now sells some of the same items at The Dinner Bell. They include soy candles, Nequa art (ornaments that are hand-painted from the inside), and oil burners with soy tarts.

The smoke-free restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch and for in-house catering. Hours are 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.

Open for breakfast and lunch It didn't take customers long to notice that The Dinner Bell is now open, under new ownership and management. Servers pictured, l-r, are Dreama Epps and Kim Clingenpeel. Comet photo by Jennifer Archibald

"For right now, we're closed on Sunday," Carol said.

The menu features daily lunch specials. Examples are goulash, chicken and noodles, beef and noodles, and pan fried chicken. They also serve sandwiches and various sides including "Bell chips" made from hand-cut potatoes.

"We have THE BEST biscuits and gravy, and they're served all day," Carol said.

Another breakfast special is baked stuffed pancakes, with a choice of cherry, apple, or strawberry filling, and whipped cream on top.

Carol said she has worked in the restaurant business most of her life, starting at Smitty's in Kokomo when she was 14.

"I worked at Ramada for eight years and went through the management training program there," she said.

Carol and Mike live in Russiaville. They have two children, Cori, 19, and Kaili, 15.

Carol is in a motorcycle group called Motor Maids. She rides a Harley and decorated one wall in the restaurant with Harley-Davidson memorabilia. Mike's hobby is fishing.

Carol said she has friends in Burlington, she had eaten at The Dinner Bell, and some of her motorcycle runs have started from the restaurant. These ties, plus Carol's restaurant experience, influenced the Wills to purchase The Dinner Bell.

They've only been open a little more than a week, and they've already had their first catering job - hosting the Carroll County and Clinton County Sheriff's Departments and the Burlington Volunteer Fire Department last Sunday evening.

Carol said she has had so many customers tell her that coming to The Dinner Bell is a family tradition that she had those words ("It's a family tradition") printed on the menus.

The history of The Dinner Bell dates back to the 1970s when Jean Ehrman, her son Max and daughter-in-law Nancy bought the building and changed the former drug store into a restaurant and called it The Dinner Bell.