Healthy Hippie ($15) features avocado on wheat bread, baby heirlooms, Za’atar spice, arugula, balsamic drizzle served with seasonal fruit and potatoes O’Brien. (Karen Chaney/Community Impact)
Downtown Denton’s The Chestnut Tree—which started out as an antique shop with a tea room in the back in 1994—has transitioned into a tea room and bistro, sans antique shop, featuring a bustling catering business.
“I love this place so much,” restaurateur Suzanne Johnson said. “I've been very fortunate to be a part of an institution that has been here for a very long time—it's the oldest restaurant downtown—but catering allows me to flex my creative chops.”
Mother and daughter duo Betty Seeders and Valeree Clegg opened The Chestnut Tree in 1994. In 2016, after six years of working as the restaurant’s chef, and when Clegg was ready to retire, Johnson became the sole proprietor.
On the menu
Johnson said some food items, like the complimentary made-in-house biscuits and butter, have remained consistent since the restaurant’s inception. However, she has tweaked the menu over time to stay relevant and to honor customers’ requests.
“Quality ingredients are important to me. It has some French influence, but it's not a completely French restaurant,” Johnson said. “We try to make sure we have vegan and gluten free options.”
Lox & Bagel ($21) features house-cured salmon, dill cream cheese, tomatoes, red onion, hard egg, caviar and an everything bagel. (Karen Chaney/Community Impact)
Top-selling menu items are from the brunch menu, including lox and bagels, the Monte Cristo sandwich and The Dentonite, which is a French toast sandwich featuring ham, Swiss cheese, mushrooms, tomatoes, hollandaise, poached egg and a balsamic glaze.
“[The Dentonite] is a good hangover food,” Johnson said. “It's a nice, savory breakfast option which is substantial enough that when you eat it, you cure what ails you.”
What else?
Johnson said about half of The Chestnut Tree’s business is catering and a top request is for grazing tables.
“There’s a local bar called Paschall’s, I’m doing my third tiki event with them so it’s all Hawaiian influenced,” Johnson said. “I don’t send a standard catering menu out to everybody because I like to figure out what somebody is looking for exactly. For the most part, we can accommodate any budget.”
Making an impact
Johnson said The Chestnut Tree’s customers, which she calls “guests,” are very diverse and include young children, college students and grandparents.
“There are people who I catered their weddings 15 years ago, and now I've catered their daughter's birthday party,” Johnson said. “There are people who had their first tea party here when they were 5 years old, and I've now catered their weddings. The loyalty of our guests—and getting to see them grow and change—is one of my favorite parts about this.”
