Longtime White House restaurant reopening: Former owner of Brown Shingle bought family eatery

DIXON – Two businesses that defined Dixon closed down this year, but one of them is making a comeback, and it's bringing a bit of the other with it.

Dave Canady, a former longtime owner and employee of the Brown Shingle Restaurant, shifted his attention across the street to the White House Restaurant. He hopes to reopen the White House next week, which closed down earlier this year.

The menu should be familiar to diners: Canady plans to bring his old favorites – steak, seafood, and chicken recipes – from the Brown Shingle over to the White House.

You might recognize a few faces, too. Many of the Brown Shingle employees, whom Canady had worked with for decades, came over to the White House with him.

Canady's daughters, Dawn Pope and Debbie Sneek, both grew up in the restaurant business; they're helping get the White House ready for its revival.

They're restoring the eatery to its roots. The most recent owner had changed the White House into a sports bar; crews this week pulled the sports theme and replaced it with family-friendly booths and tables, Pope said.

Carpets have been replaced, too, and a fresh coat of paint was applied.

If all goes as planned, Canady will reopen the White House on Tuesday, Pope said.

Canady began working at the Brown Shingle in 1965 and bought the restaurant in the 1980s. He sold it in 2000, bought it back a few years later, and then sold it once more. The diner closed its doors late this summer.

Call ahead

The White House is at 641 Palmyra Road, in Dixon. Plans call for a Tuesday opening, but call 815-288-6668 to make sure.