The Dunstan School Restaurant in Scarborough has been sold to a natural foods grocer, On the Vine Marketplace, and the kitchen and other equipment was auctioned off this week.

Owned by the Thurlow family for nearly 30 years, the restaurant closed last month, although it has often stayed open through Thanksgiving in years past.

Bob Begin, a spokesman for the Thurlow family, said this week that the two-story former schoolhouse totals about 13,500 square feet and comes with 3 acres of land.

He said the restaurant has been on the market for the past year to 18 months. The listing price was $1.6 million, although neither Begin nor Abel Schultze, co-owner of On the Vine, would say what price was actually paid for the property.

The Dunstan School was originally built in 1940 and served students in grades 1-8 until 1980. In 1985, Don and Cecilia Thurlow purchased the building and turned it into a restaurant known mostly for its all-you-can-eat buffet.

After their parents died, Kevin and Alan Thurlow, who also own and operate the Clambake Seafood Restaurant in Pine Point, took over the Dunstan School Restaurant and kept it going.

Begin said the grown children of the two brothers have no interest in taking over the restaurant, which is the reason they decided it was time to sell. The brothers now plan to concentrate their efforts on the Clambake, Begin said.

He said the Thurlow brothers were not “in a big hurry” to sell the Dunstan School Restaurant, and only recently agreed to sell it to Schultze and his business partner, Scott Edwards, because it was “the right deal at the right time.”

On the Vine Marketplace is located in Exeter, N.H., and first opened in 2006.

Schultze and Edwards are childhood friends and combined their expertise to open an independently owned and operated grocery store, which the website says has become known for its “premium meat and fresh seafood, fresh local produce, in-house bakery and coffee bar, wine, cheese and so much more.”

Prior to opening On the Vine, Schultze held a part ownership in The Golden Harvest in Kittery, and Edwards owned and operated The Dover Fish House in Dover, N.H.

Schultze told the Current this week that he and Edwards are “very excited” about opening in Scarborough, which Schultze described as a “wicked nice town.”

Schultze, who grew up in Eliot, said it was his idea to expand On the Vine after the original store became established. He and Edwards looked at possible properties in both New Hampshire and Massachusetts, as well as in Kennebunk.

Then their real estate agent mentioned that the Dunstan School Restaurant in Scarborough was for sale.

“We went down the next day and really think (the location) will be a nice fit for us,” Schultze said.

In a post on the Dunstan School Restaurant’s Facebook page, dated Nov. 12, the Thurlow brothers announced the sale of the property and said, “It has been an honor and privilege to operate our business in (this) historic school building.”

The post went on to state, “Our beloved parents, Don and Cecilia, took such joy and pride in the opportunity to call the Dunstan School House their home. They took diligent care to preserve and restore the building and classrooms to their best condition. Over the years we shared our parents’ sentiments and strived to retain the school atmosphere as we made improvements and grew the business.”

In the post, the brothers also thanked their “longtime, loyal staff’ for their years of service. Begin told the Current that the Thurlows also wanted to thank their patrons “for their many years of loyalty” to the restaurant. In all, Begin said, the brothers wanted to “honor the memory of their parents and make them proud.”

Begin said all those who have worked at the Dunstan School Restaurant were notified by letter of the sale of the business and were offered the opportunity to interview at the Clambake when the restaurant re-opens in April.

When the Dunstan School Restaurant opened in 1985, the Thurlows worked to retain as much of the old school’s atmosphere and nostalgia as possible. The dining rooms were named for Scarborough’s villages and the exterior of the building was restored almost to its original detail.

Schultze and Edwards are aiming to open the first week of April. Schultze said one of the reasons they chose to come to Scarborough is because it’s a town that “can support a business like ours. It’s a place where people care about their food.”

The plan, according to Schultze, is to open up the entire first floor of the former Dunstan School, as well as part of the second floor. He and Edwards also plan to keep the brick exterior and the large windows.

Schultze said the On the Vine in Exeter employs about 50 people, including trained chefs and bakers, and about one-third of the staff will come to Maine in the spring to help get the Scarborough store up and running.

In addition, Schultze said that either he or Edwards would be on hand locally all week long because they want to “keep in direct touch with our customers.”

He called On the Vine a “wildly successful business model” and that the Scarborough store will be exactly the same as the one in Exeter.

“I think when people come in and see what we have to offer they’ll see that we take a lot of pride in our products,” Schultze said. “We want our customers to be so impressed that they’ll spread the word.”

The Dunstan School Restaurant on Route 1 in Scarborough has been sold to a natural-foods grocer with a store in Exeter, N.H.

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