PERU – Christine Oldham realized her lifelong dream of owning a restaurant when she opened The Bus on Saturday.
The bright yellow recycled school bus sits on a level slope below the Oldham home on Greenwoods Road and opposite Worthley Pond.
She can serve up all kinds of sandwiches and ice cream through a window that her husband, Randy, turned upside down so she could pull it up to open easily.
“I’ve always been in the kitchen business,” said the former Cozy Inn Nursing Home employee. “I’ve always cooked. Now I’m going to cook for my own business,” she said.
The bus was given to Randy by Danny Noyes. Randy removed all the seats and installed old conveyor belts on the floor to give a cushion effect. He also installed a double sink, counters and cabinets, and the grill, deep fryer, sandwich bar and a chest freezer they acquired from the new owners of what was once the Worthley Pond store.
The Oldhams tried to work out a deal to buy the store more than a year ago, and when it didn’t work out they came up with the idea of the bus.
Jennifer Theriault, Oldham’s daughter, will be helping. Twins Kelsey and Alexis Theriault will no doubt be doing their share in some capacity, so it is really a family-run business.
There are tables and chairs on the lawn, but no seating inside. Takeouts include cold sandwiches, hot Philly steak and cheese, Reubens, hogies and lobster rolls. Hamburgers and hot dogs from the grill along with beer battered onion rings, chicken fingers, wings and nuggets and haddock sandwiches from the fryer will be available. There is also ice cream.
The Bus, parked at 271 Greenwoods Road, is open from 11 a.m until 8 p.m.
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