• Courtesy
• From left: Kristen and Matt Bartle with Marilee Silva

Earlier this spring, Kristen and Matt Bartle announced that they were seeking new owners for Wally's Place, the South Hero bagel shop, café and bakery they've operated for 15 years. Just before their planned closing on June 11, they found one. Milton native Marilee Silva is returning to Vermont after 40 years to take over Wally's Place, which she will continue to operate under that name.

Silva said she plans no big changes for the popular café at 54 Community Lane, other than adding a couple of simple vegan options. Wally's will be closed this week for the transition and reopen on Saturday, June 17.

"Wally's is beloved in the community," Silva told Seven Days. "I don't want to take anything away, because people have their favorites, right?"

Silva graduated from Milton High School in 1983 and left eight days later to join the U.S. Army as a clarinet player and vocalist. Since then, she's held a variety of food industry roles around the country, including co-owning Pelican Pizza in California.

Until a couple of weeks ago, Silva had a full-time job in Connecticut. With family in North Hero, she has always considered returning home. "But I thought, If I moved back to Vermont, what would I do?" Silva said. When her cousin told her Wally's was for sale, she jumped on the opportunity.

"They tell you you're going to do the 40-40 plan: work 40 hours a week for 40 years before you retire," she said. "I worked 80 hours a week for 40 years, but now I've come full circle." From now on, the extra hours she works will be for herself.

Some of the existing Wally's staff will stay on, and Silva hopes to hire more. For now, the café will be open Tuesday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The owners of Cook Sisters Café & Catering, who have offered dinner service at "Wally's by Night," will move their operation down the road to Two Heroes Brewery's new location when it opens in the coming weeks.