Milton’s M&H restaurant to close Aug. 31

Everyone in M&H restaurant in Milton knows what is coming.

It’s written on the sign out front and posted on the doors. 

Still, business goes on. The restaurant is crowded, and Amy Magee is filling everyone’s coffee.

“It’s a good place for people to eat, I’ll tell you.” she said.

She then holds up commemorative coffee travel mugs the restaurant is selling that say, “Thanks for the memories.”

Cook David Andrie, a Milton resident and longtime employee of the restaurant, was cooking up a plate of pancakes and scapple in the kitchen. 

“It’s a good place, but it’s just...” he says before pausing. “It’s just over.”

Neal Johnson, who comes to the restaurant two times a week, said, “I’m gonna miss it.”

After nearly 70 years, M&H restaurant will close Saturday, Aug. 31.

Owner Shawn Lovenguth said he just doesn’t have any help. The restaurant has been seeking additional employees for months now and hasn’t had much interest, he said. With only three people on staff, any emergencies with employees have forced the restaurant to close.

“You can’t make money if you’re closed,” Lovenguth said. 

Known for serving breakfast and lunch, M&H first opened its doors in 1953. Clarence “Mac” McAllister and his wife, Helen, opened the restaurant on Route 5 outside Milton, and Helen ran it until her retirement in 2007. She died in 2008. Following Helen’s death, Lovenguth said the restaurant went through a series of owners, with a name change to Route 5 Grill at one point, until he bought it in 2012.  He said he purchased it in part because he wanted his sons to grow up with a restaurant that had meant a lot to him. 

Lovenguth renamed it M&H, partly an homage to Mac and Helen, but also for Mine and Hers, referring to himself and the restaurant’s manager, Bonnie Clark. The restaurant was now located in a leased space next to an auto repair shop. 

While M&H still provides the same old-school diner atmosphere, challenges abound. Lovenguth said finding help has been difficult - the restaurant is open six days a week from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. - equipment has been breaking down, and he works a full-time job in addition to the restaurant. He said there has been talk of other owners coming in, but nothing worked out. 

While nothing is planned for closing day, Magee said the restaurant is serving its famous chicken and dumplings Aug. 31 and she expects a busy day. 

Lovenguth said, “I feel like we’re leaving on a high note. It’s sad to see it gone, but at least the memory will live on.”