Blue Paddle Bistro closes after 21 years in South Hero

SOUTH HERO — The Blue Paddle Bistro, a fixture in the South Hero dining scene for more than two decades, has closed.
The restaurant, founded by Patience “Mandy” Hotchkiss and Phoebe Bright, opened in March 2005 and had become a well-known dining destination in the Champlain Islands.
A call to the restaurant Thursday was greeted by a recorded message confirming it is no longer accepting customers.
“We are closed and not taking any reservations. Have a nice day,” the message says.
An attempt to make an online reservation produced an even more definitive response:
“Thank you for your interest in coming to The Paddle. We are no longer in business. Warmest regards, Mandy.”
Repeated attempts by The Islander to reach Hotchkiss and Bright by phone and text for additional information about the closing were unsuccessful.
Landlord Nate Hayward, reached by phone Thursday evening, said he would leave any comment about the restaurant and its closing to Bright and Hotchkiss.
There had been signs in recent weeks that changes might be coming at the Paddle.
The restaurant had been operating on a limited summer schedule, serving dinner Thursday through Sunday. Its website is now offline, and its Facebook page has not been updated since last Saturday.
Hotchkiss also hinted at a transition in an Aug. 2 personal message posted with a photograph on the Blue Paddle Facebook page.
“Of all the things I will miss about The Paddle, our guests (aka our friends) will be at the top of that list …,” she wrote.
Friends responding to the post asked what was next for Hotchkiss and Bright and about the future of the Paddle, but no specific plans were disclosed.
The closing brings an end to a 21-year run for one of the Champlain Islands’ better-known restaurants.
The Blue Paddle operated from a two-story building at 316 U.S. 2 in South Hero village, next to Granny’s Attic. The roughly 2,000-square-foot building dates to about 1890.
Prior, the Merchants Bank operated a branch there, complete with a drive-up window, before moving across the street. The building’s front porch was added later.
The property was previously owned by former Green Mountain Power President Mary Powell and was sold to Hayward about five years ago.
Hotchkiss and Bright also expanded the Blue Paddle name to the Lake Champlain waterfront for two summers.
Blue Paddle by the Bay operated about a mile north on U.S. 2 during the summers of 2020 and 2021. The women later closed the seasonal restaurant to concentrate on the original Blue Paddle Bistro.

*Article updated to correct years of operation of Blue Paddle by the Bay.