New book honors the history of Bennington's Blue Benn Diner

By Mikaela Lefrak

Published September 23, 2022 at 9:59 AM EDT

A photo of the Blue Benn diner in November 1982, with a light dusting of snow on the 1980s-era cars in a winter scene. — The Blue Benn Diner in November 1982.

In 1974, a short-order chef named Sonny Monroe and his wife Mary Lou bought a small, scrappy diner in Bennington. The couple (pictured below) transformed the Blue Benn Diner into a local landmark, a place where their community could come together over good food and hot coffee.

The story of the Blue Benn is now preserved in a richly illustrated book by Caitlin Randall and Peter Crabtree, Sonny’s Blue Benn – Feeding the Soul of a Vermont Town. They’re the co-founders of the Story Project, a North Bennington-based business that creates books on commission.

Our guests are:

Peter Crabtree, co-author of Sonny’s Blue Benn
Caitlin Randall, co-author of Sonny’s Blue Benn

Broadcast at noon on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022.

The well-worn counter of the Blue Benn Diner bears the evidence of supporting years of elbows, plates and coffee mugs.

BB in Winter 2021.tif — The diner is a haven for many Bennington residents on wintry days.

Sonny and Mary Lou Monroe, 1977 by Julie Snow.jpg — Sonny and Mary Lou Monroe, the owners of the Blue Benn, in 1977.

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