Published June 2001

Sultan cafe changes hands, keeps ‘logger burger’

By Leslie Moriarty
Herald Writer

SULTAN — There’s hardly a soul who passes through town who doesn’t know the place by its big windmill.

A sign of its heritage, the windmill marks the spot where locals and U.S. 2 travelers stop for coffee and pie, or maybe a chicken-fried steak smothered in creamy gravy.

With more than 50 years to boast of, the Dutch Cup Cafe has passed another mark in its history: It has a new owner.

The Dutch Cup Cafe recently was purchased by Ed Boucher, a Sultanite for all his 55 years. Boucher and his girlfriend, Leanne Court, have both been in the restaurant business at the Dutch Cup for the past 15 years. Court is the sister of Don Eslick, previous owner of the Dutch Cup along with his wife, Sultan City Council member Carolyn Eslick. When the Eslicks decided that 20 years of owning and operating the restaurant was enough, they put the place up for sale.

“I thought about buying it,” Boucher said. “But I just didn’t know for sure.”

It took another offer from someone with plans to turn the building into a Mexican food place to convince Boucher to buy it.

“I just couldn’t see the Dutch Cup go away,” he said. “It’s been a part of this town for so long.”

The restaurant began in the 1940s in a small house with four booths and a counter with bar stools at the current restaurant site.

Boucher bought the place with the guarantee that Carolyn Eslick would stay on as a consultant for the next six months. Court will remain as head chef. Also staying is Patty Leonard, who has been the manager at the restaurant for 19 years.

All told, Boucher employs 41 people. Once the purchase was completed, he closed for several days and did a $50,000 renovation. The work included painting, new carpeting and adding a garden theme to the salad bar area and banquet room.

There were renovations in the kitchen, too, “along with just a lot of cleaning and rearranging,” Boucher said.

A dance floor was added in the lounge, along with new miniature twinkle lights in the ceiling and a “smoke eater” to clear the air in the lounge.

Patrons will still be able to get “logger burgers,” the namesake burger at the Dutch Cup. But they will now be even bigger. Daily specials have been added.

Boucher said everyone seems to have a tie to the windmill and the Dutch Cup.

“All my aunts and uncles worked here over the years, and all of my kids, too,” he said. “There isn’t hardly a kid around here who hasn’t worked here. It’s just a part of Sultan.”

And it seems it will stay that way.

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