Business founders honored with award

    AUGUSTA — Leith and Donna Wadleigh, founders of the popular Governor's Restaurant & Bakery chain, are winners of the 2008 Maine Restaurant Association Bill Zoidis Lifetime Achievement Award. The honor will be presented at the Association's annual award ceremony, held April 29 at Portland's Holiday Inn By the Bay.
    Governor's began in 1960 as a small ice cream stand, but soon grew into a full-service restaurant to accommodate patrons year-round.  Leith and Donna began serving satisfied customers with dishes made from the freshest ingredients, not to mention serving up the best burgers in town.
    The business has grown and today includes the original restaurant in Old Town, as well as locations in Bangor, Waterville, Presque Isle, Houlton, South Portland, and Lewiston.
    Referred to by their customers as the "King and Queen of Comfort Foods," Leith and Donna have been serving made-from-scratch meals for over four decades.  Most of the items on the menu are homemade and based on Leith's Grandmother's recipes, which include hearty Maine fare and classic American favorites.
    The Wadleigh's attitude toward their customers has been an important factor in the success of Governor's.  "Wait on the customers the way you would want to be waited on when you go out," says Leith.  "Serve the food the way you'd like to have it." 
    "After starting this business from scratch, Leith and Donna have been involved in the community for over forty years," noted Dick Grotton, President and CEO of Augusta-based MeRA.  "They are a prime example of the spirit of the restaurant industry in Maine."
    Leith and Donna have kept a busy schedule. Besides running a restaurant chain, they have been long time supporters of organizations such as Eastern Maine Medical Center, Maine Center for the Arts, and Good Samaritan Agency.  Community involvement and "giving back" is at the core of this husband and wife team.
    According to Grotton, the Maine Restaurant Association's Bill Zoidis Lifetime Achievement Award honors people in Maine's restaurant industry who successfully combine hospitality, quality, and generosity while setting a high standard for excellence.
    "We are delighted to be able to present Leith and Donna with this year's Bill Zoidis Lifetime Achievement Award," Grotton noted.  "This couple epitomizes Maine hospitality, and we are honored to have them in the restaurant industry."