The Red Barn

The Red Barn has been a mainstay of our community since 1977, when the Benedicts opened the original restaurant and started serving chicken and seafood to local citizens and curious tourists. Some of its employees have served as many as four generations of central Maine families who have come to count on the Red Barn for quality and value. Over the past thirty five years, all ten of Bill and Florence Benedict’s children have worked here at one time or another. The family’s work ethic has been engrained in all of them. It is the essence of Maine’s economic mentality—you work hard, show commitment to what you do, and eventually reap the benefits. In 1986, Laura Benedict took ownership of the Red Barn, which was then struggling to stay afloat amid an influx of national chain restaurants. The journey certainly hasn’t been an easy one, especially during this current time of economic uncertainty, but she has managed to remain tenacious, despite mistakes and obstacles. Thanks to that tenacity, and the patronage of countless loyal customers who keep coming back year after year, the Red Barn can proudly claim its status as one of the very last and busiest family owned and operated restaurants in the area.