It Started With Carmen’s Ice Cream. The Rest Is History.
She is in her 30s, college-educated, and has already logged more than 20 years working at the same place. And it’s the only job she has ever had.
Meet Bonnie Paris, president of Freighthouse Market & Café in Lyndon, winner of the Small Business Administration's 2022 Vermont Family-Owned Business of the Year.
In 1999, Paris' parents — Eric, then a dairy farmer, and Cathy, a secretary — purchased the Freighthouse, located inside a historic freight house dating to 1868, where trains in the area were once loaded and unloaded. At that time, the business consisted only of Carmen’s Ice Cream. The Parises said they were drawn to Carmen's because it seemed like a fun, community-oriented business where they could earn extra income and their daughter could have a job.
“Bonnie wanted extra money, and back then Carmen’s was only seasonal, so it was a good supplement to the dairy farm,” Eric said.
But it didn’t stay seasonal long. Soon after Eric and Cathy bought Carmen’s, the Freighthouse building was transferred to the state, which leased it to the Paris family to run its new business.
“In order to pay the rent, we had to make it a year-round business and somehow grow the business,” Eric said.
They not only grew the business, they diversified it. Today, more than 20 years later, it is home to the Freighthouse Market & Café, a Starbucks, Carmen’s Ice Cream and a gift shop on the second floor that sells local crafts. In 2019, they established Mosaic, a fast-food restaurant serving healthful dishes, in a separate building next door.
“I always thought Lyndon should have a healthier choice than traditional fast food for the busy families, professionals and students,” said Bonnie. “Three years ago, we made it a reality, and it has exceeded all our expectations.”
Healthful and organic food is very much a part of their lifestyle. Their certified-organic farm, Tamarlane Farm, supplies much of the food served at the café. The Paris family believes that food should be prepared by the same hands that grew it.
As the business has grown, so has the staff, which now numbers about 20.
“We’ve had many employees throughout the years who now have children who work here. It’s special when you have that connection with your employees. You saw their parents grow up, and now you get to watch them grow up,” said Cathy.
During the pandemic, Freighthouse received Paycheck Protection Program and Restaurant Revitalization funds, which helped keep the business afloat and the staff employed.
The family is also involved in a unique charitable cause of their own making, The North Pole Express. Every December, the family and about 40 volunteers provide a Christmas-themed train ride for underprivileged families who would not otherwise be able to take part. Nearly 200 individuals ride the train each year, made possible by sponsorship. (Due to the pandemic, The North Pole Express was canceled in both 2020 and 2021.)
During the interview for this article inside the Freighthouse Market & Café, three generations of the Paris family were present, as Bonnie’s daughter sat on Cathy’s lap. It’s only fitting the Parises, a family with generational roots in Lyndon, should be the stewards of Lyndon’s historic freight house.