Owner Dawn Bernier has seen thousands of customers come through the doors at Dean’s Motor Lodge in Portage Lake. The business is arguably as much a part of the Portage community as the lakeside views.
But now, seeking more time with family, Bernier has put the iconic spot up for sale.
Portage Lake, a town of just over 350 people, is a four-season haven for people from Aroostook and beyond. Dean’s — part motel, part restaurant, part bar — sits on scenic Route 11, near the North Maine Woods and several of The County’s snowmobile trails. The business has been part of the community for more than 80 years, which is why Bernier says she will wait for just the right buyer.
“I love this business, and I want the right person to take it over,” she said. “It’s got to be someone who’ll put their heart and soul into it. Somebody who loves The County.”
On Friday afternoon, as staff decorated for a Halloween party and a private event on Saturday, Bernier was serving food to a group of hunters from Michigan.
The front room with its large counter opens into a dining room. Beyond that is the bar area, where the hunters sat.
On the walls, mounted heads of deer, a ram and a buffalo are interspersed with homelike decor, artwork and a painting on wood depicting scenes of the restaurant and motel.
Bernier and her husband, John, were lured north from coastal Maine by their passion for snowmobiling. They rented a place on Portage Lake for three winters, returning in the spring to Harpswell and their business, Estes Lobster House. But in 2020, the Estes lease was up and they saw Dean’s was for sale. They took the opportunity to move to a place they’d grown to love.
They bought the hotel and restaurant complex from then-owner Angie Burton. But just six months later, John Bernier died, leaving Dawn with the business to run. It was life-changing, and some people told her she couldn’t take care of things by herself, but she wanted to prove to herself that she could do it, she said.
Still, Bernier said, it’s a lot for one person to deal with. And now, with a grandchild on the way, she’d like to slow down a bit and enjoy her family more. She does not plan on leaving Portage, she said.
“I’m not ready to retire, but I am ready to stop working seven days a week,” she said.
The business is named after founder Dean Soucy, who with his wife, Germaine, bought what was then Tanguay’s Hotel in 1944, according to the Portage Lake Historical Society. He launched it as Dean’s in 1947.
The 8,010-square-foot complex, with 17 rooms and a restaurant that can seat more than 100 people, is listed for $698,500 at Aroostook Real Estate. The listing describes it as “a legend, locally and beyond.”
Bernier can attest to that. Frequented by townspeople and Aroostook residents, Dean’s also draws people from throughout Maine and many other states: summer residents, campers and backpackers, hunters — and especially snowmobilers. Winter is by far the busiest time, she said.
With its 2,300 miles of prime tails, Aroostook plays an important part in Maine’s snowmobiling industry, which in a good year is estimated to contribute more than $700 million to the economy. Sledders come to Portage from the local area and all over Maine, and many from out of state: New York, Pennsylvania, Florida, Texas.
On a good sledding day there could be 50 or more sleds in the parking lot, Bernier said.
The last couple of winters have been challenging, with snowmobiling season shortened by mild weather. Though Bernier and other Aroostook business owners appealed for state help to mitigate losses in 2024, they weren’t successful, she said.
That’s another reason she wants to sell to someone committed to The County, who can roll with the ebb and flow of profit and the seasons. It could take years to find the right buyer, she said.
For now, she describes business as “fantastic.” She enjoys the customers, and said the establishment is important to the small, close-knit town. But more than anything, the staff are like family to her. Her ideal buyer will treat them and the community well.
Bernier believes the family-like atmosphere in this picturesque lakeside town is why Dean’s has remained so successful and continues to draw such a wide range of customers.
“People will drive well over an hour just to come here for dinner,” she said. “They call it the Cheers of Portage, and we do strive to know everyone’s name.”
