Meet the new owners of the historic Dorsey House

The Community Correspondent role provides readers with on-the-ground and inclusive stories about the Port Huron area. This is made possible through funding provided by the Community Foundation of St. Clair County.

The Dorsey House, at the corner of M-136 and Wildcat Road, in Clyde Township, has been a part of the community since 1847. The restaurant was once a halfway stop for travelers en route from Port Huron to Yale via horse and buggy, and over the years, it has become known for its American cuisine and warm atmosphere. 

New owners, Ryan and Jessica Clift, have purchased the iconic restaurant and are renovating it with creative, fresh ideas, including signature dishes, seasonal menus, and expanded catering.

The couple bought the building after the housing market stalled in 2020 following a downturn in housing sales that impacted Ryan’s home inspection business, Safe and Sound Inspections, which he still operates today. 

The couple wanted a project that they could work on and grow together. “I’ve always been a foodie, but was never trained as a chef, so I taught myself. I specialize in meat,” Ryan Clift says.

Currently, the most pressing matters are repairing old equipment, wage requirements implemented by the state, tariffs, and the increasing costs of food. Other major changes to the restaurant are on hold until food costs, labor changes, and tariff worries stabilize.

“We have to be smart with where we spend our money by managing labor and food costs and strategically updating the menu to provide unique items that aren’t available anywhere else,” he says. Catering to customers is also important, as he says there are fewer of them across the county due to the decrease in Canadian visitors to St. Clair County.

One of the biggest things Ryan is proud of is his and Jessica’s ability to retain their staff. A major goal of theirs is to reduce employee turnover. 

“The best is seeing how our employees have really stepped up, how they’ve grown, and how committed they really are to doing a great job,” he says.

The vision is to return the restaurant to its former glory and make it a place where people return to again and again.

“Happy, returning customers leads to growth. We must be a destination because we’re never going to be a place you just stop by on a whim, so what we do has to be excellent or we’ll falter quickly,” he says.

The business also supports youth organizations and sports, hosts dine-to-donate nights for charitable and community-focused causes, and supports local outreach that feeds the hungry.

“If you haven’t been here lately, you haven’t been here! We just want to feed you some dang good food,” he concludes.