This Penns Valley spot known for its chicken expanded their building and menu options

Amos Yoder has been in the food business for more than two decades and, just recently, his business expanded in a big way, to rave reviews and sometimes long lines.

The Country Kitchen & Dutch Valley Bakery in Spring Mills has long been known for its “famous” chicken dinner takeout option, which gave the business its initial boost and cemented it in the regional dining scene. In years past, though, the kitchen and bakery only served a limited menu and only on Fridays, seasonally. Now, the brand-new location — in the same spot, but with a bigger building — offers its baked goods and lunch and dinner items throughout the week. That said, there’s still a good reason to mark your calendar for a Friday visit to the business.

“The other days we have a lot of other (menu items), but Friday, it’s chicken day as usual,” said Yoder.

The new building opened March 31, after Yoder decided that, after 20-plus years, it was time for an expansion to account for increased customer demand, which necessitated more employees.

“We needed more room. We needed more space. We had to make it more efficient,” he said.

The expansion is better for customers, too, not just employees, even though there’s currently no indoor seating.

“If it rains, they can stand underneath the porch to wait and there’s a lot more room to sit down and eat on the porch. There are tables out there to sit down and eat. There’s always a place to sit down,” Yoder said.

For those who’ve yet to visit The Country Kitchen & Dutch Valley Bakery, beyond Friday’s designation as the famous chicken dinner day, you can find a range of comfort food favorites on the menu on other days. Yoder specifically pointed out the eatery’s sausage sandwiches, cheesesteaks, hamburgers, fish and fries. The menu additionally includes hot dogs, chicken tenders, mozzarella sticks and onion rings.

“Also, every day, we have a special,” Yoder said. “Tuesday is the chicken pot pie. Wednesday is ham, green beans and potatoes, macaroni and cheese. Thursday is spaghetti and meatballs.”

The bakery stocks items such as fresh-baked cookies, whoopie pies, doughnuts and apple dumplings, alongside grocery items like cheese, bologna, maple syrup and canned goods.

Still, the chicken dinner remains the best-selling item on the menu and comes with either a half a chicken or two legs and thighs, plus sides including macaroni salad, baked beans, baked potato and a dinner roll.

“It has its reason, because people have been used to coming here for 20 years on Fridays for chicken. That’s just an ongoing thing,” Yoder said of the dinner’s popularity.

Luckily, knowing that the chicken dinners are in high demand, the staff plan ahead and Yoder says they rarely sell out of chicken, aiming to have it ready for customers as late as 7 p.m., an hour before closing.

Looking into future decades, Yoder is keeping his eye on the business’s current status and just ensuring the newly expanded building, opening hours and menu continue to attract The Country Kitchen & Dutch Valley Bakery’s already wide customer base.

Located at 4699 Penns Valley Road in Spring Mills, The Country Kitchen & Dutch Valley Bakery is open Tuesday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m.-8 p.m., with the bakery specifically open on Tuesdays and Fridays only. For more information (or to place a catering or otherwise special request), you can call the business during opening hours at 814-470-3740.