$100 Hamburger to help save airport restaurant

**Brian_Gladden** · April 3rd, 2010, 15:49

There was a fly-in at the Knapp State airport to show support for Sambel's Restaurant. Sambel's has been housed in the state owned terminal for over 20 years. The owners have a signed lease agreement with the state agency of transportation for the space the restaurant occupies.

Now, the state wants to break the lease. They have advertised the property for lease while Sambel's still occupies the space, attempted to have Sambel's pay for cleaning the shared bathrooms in the building (Two other tenants share the building) and other not nice things.

To show support, over 60 planes flew in today from all over the east coast. Bob Sambel was serving Burgers and dogs with potato salad and a drink for $5. The line was huge. There must have been 200 people there when I arrived.The ramps were full as was the parking lot.

Sambel's has some of the best food in the area and I swear, Bob could pour his Hollandaise sauce over machine parts and I'd eat them. Over his baked Chicken Cordon Blue with Rice and it's all win.

There were ten pages worth of a petition signed by the time I signed.

Anyway, I took some okay pictures as my digital camera is dead so I had to resort to my 1 mp camera phone.

The weather was perfect. high 70's, no clouds and a light breeze. Way warmer than normal for a the first weekend of April in Vermont.

Enjoy

Brian

PS: there's more on my photobucket album at the link below.

http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y21...ambels_fly_in/

**GT182** · April 3rd, 2010, 16:26

Glad to hear that Brian. There's some great small airports up there in the North Country of NY and Vermont. I hope he makes out ok and the State backs off. But then again he can nail em in court seeing he has a signed lease.

Ken Stallings · April 3rd, 2010, 17:03

Just another case of mop-headed local government bureaucrats who haven't worked a real job in their lives trying to hurt a private businessman!

I guess it ends when the public throws all these bums on their butts!

Way things are going, I don't give that much more time frankly! I think folks have had more than enough of this sort of backstabbing. And good for him and the local area pilots for sending a much needed message!

Ken

**Railrunner130** · April 3rd, 2010, 17:36

This day in age, in this lousy economy, no leassor can afford to throw out a paying leasee.

I am glad to see so many people standing up against "the man"

***OBIO*** · April 3rd, 2010, 17:45

Brain

Thanks for the pics...especially of the Super Cub Tundra.....that is one seriously pretty bush plane!

Glad to know that the flying community and the non-flying community turned out to show their support for the restaurant. Having a good local eatery is becoming a thing of the past as they are slowly choked out by those tasteless corporate joints.

OBIO

**Roadburner440** · April 3rd, 2010, 17:50

It is ashame that the gov. feels the need to put the squeeze on a hard working businessman like that.. seems like at most, he should split any cleanup costs with the other 2 tennants, if at all. Just can't believe how the government just thinks it can break legally binding contracts when it wants/how it wants. Let us try to do that and screw the gov out of their $$ and I guarantee it would not be a happy ending for us. Ah well though. At least this guy has a lot of local support.