History
Tony and Gladys Toce started their career as restaurateurs with a lunch wagon they drove and parked in Dexter selling pizza, Grinders, and footlong hot dogs.
In 1974 they built T.J.'s Restaurant, which they operated until 1978. They bought the Dexter Motor Lodge in 1983 and operated that until 1986 when they changed the name to Anthony's Restaurant and Motor Lodge. Tony was also a building contractor and in his spare time he would buy homes that were in need of repairs, fix them up and eventually rent or sell them. Gladys worked right alongside him. Quite often they would do this specifically to house family members that moved here.
Asunta Toce, Tony's mother, birthed twelve children, six boys and six girls. Before Tony's father passed away, he asked Tony to take care of his family.
Tony then became a father figure to his eleven brothers and sisters while Gladys took care of Asunta. During that time Gladys learned how to cook everything Italian, despite her French nationality. All Asunta's recipes were carried on by Gladys in our family.
Asunta moved to Maine with Tony and Gladys years later, after her children were grown, where she lived with her family until death and was like a second mother to Tony and Gladys' children.
Tony and Gladys have three girls, Allison the youngest, and one boy, Tony Jr. (T.J.), who the restaurant is named after. Today Allison and husband, Brian Keyte, carry on the Toce tradition offering an array of delicious home-cooked meals at affordable prices.