Bess Eaton Opens In Westerly

In the shadow of the Oak Street kitchen where it all began more than 50 years ago, Bess Eaton rose again Monday just before 5 a.m.; and not a minute too soon.

“Glad to see you guys back. We missed you,” a drive-thru customer called from her car window.

The Bess Eaton coffee and bake shop opened for business at High and Oak streets with owner Don Hassel at the helm. Hassel ran the Bess Eaton shop there beginning in 1991 and, when the longtime doughnut and coffee chain went under in 2004; he jumped on board with Canadian coffee shop company Tim Hortons at the same location. “We gave it a go.” That shop, and all the Tim Hortons locations were shuttered four months ago. “It never caught on, the blend [of coffee],” he said.

Hassel, one of four Bess partners—Robin Busch, David Liguori, and Mary Duggan Haverly the other three—described this day as being one of his best.

“Oh my God, it’s absolutely beyond words. We cannot believe the reception,” he said as he worked frenetically to help his staff keep up with the customer demand. “We’re doing triple, triple the business.”

Hassel and his wife Jan hurried to fill orders and accept congratulations from eager customers.

Mike Najim knew the Gencarelli’s—Angelo “Bangy” and Burnie—the creators of Bess Eaton (called that, legend has it when a customer said the doughnuts were the ‘best eatin’’ he’d ever had) back in the early 1960s when Najim married and lived close by the Oak Street shop.

“We knew the whole family. This is terrific that it’s back. I’ve always lived on this side of town and seeing this open again brings back so many memories of the glazed doughnuts. And this is a bakery, you know. They don’t sell soup. Bangy’d be happy,” said Najim, who’d been at the .  “I’m real proud of Dave (Liguori) and I congratulate him and wish him the best. This is a good thing.”

Kay and Rick Dudley also commented on the importance of bringing “back the traditions.”

“We’re loyal to the hometown flavor, the warmth, the friends, and the neighborhood. It’s great it's back, " Dudley said.

In the late 1940’s, the Gencarelli’s began making doughnuts in their kitchen. So good were the concoctions that they, in 1952, opened their first shop then called Southern Maid. Over the years the family built the business up and by the 1990’s there were 50 Bess Eaton shops in Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts.

But in 2004, under the ownership and direction of son Louis A. Gencarelli the business went bankrupt and Tim Hortons of Canada beat out Dunkin’ Donuts to purchase the business for $41.6 million.

Sonia Vetelino of Westerly said she's glad Bess Eaton is back for just one reason: "Awesome coffee."