Shawn and Lanee Barnes opened the Hunter's Breakfast Restaurant in June 2007 and it soon became a popular stop for locals, as well as tourists traveling down Route 27.

With the loss of his son nearly three years ago and the loss of his wife this year, Barnes decided he no longer had the time to manage the restaurant because he wants more time to spend with his son, Ridge.

Before putting the business up for sale, he offered to give the business to two of his employees, Laurie Leavitt, who had worked for the Barnes for nearly five years, and Debbie Churchill, who had worked at the restaurant for more than two years.

"He offered us the ownership of the business free and the lease of the building," Leavitt said. "It is a wonderful opportunity we wish we never had the opportunity to have."

"I would rather give the business to someone that would continue running it as we have operated over the years, than to sell it to someone that was going change everything," Barnes said during a telephone conversation Tuesday morning. "These two ladies have worked for me and know how the business should be run, and I certainly wish them luck."

The new owners do not plan to change the menu; they do plan to expand their hours to seven days a week, and stay open for dinner on Thursdays and Fridays. However, before they can do that they need to hire another cook.

Their current hours are Thursday through Monday from 6 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Cindy Allen, who was trained by Barnes and has worked at the restaurant for three years, will continue to be the head cook.

"We can't work Cindy seven days a week, as well as Thursday and Friday nights. We need to hire another cook," Leavitt said.

The new hours are expected to start in a couple of weeks: seven days a week from 6 a.m. until 1 p.m. and Thursday and Friday evenings from 6 to 8 p.m.

The dinner menu will include: prime rib, seafood, with a focus on home-style specials each night at a reasonable price.

The restaurant previously did not accept credit or debit cards; the owners are pleased to announce they will now accept them in an effort to make it easier for the customers.

The new owners are getting great reviews from their customers. "I love coming here, the food and the service is amazing," Monique Dorf, previously from the Netherlands now living on Westport Island, said.

Hunter's is a place where everyone appears to know one another, when the customers come in they are called by name, the waitresses know if their customers drink regular or decaffeinated coffee, and in some cases the coffee is waiting for them when they set down.

It is not only a place to eat; it is also a place where friends come to meet.