The Potter Sundry is a small-town diner with a historic drugstore soda fountain famous for its Tin Roof Sundae, a decadent combination of vanilla ice cream topped with rich fudge sauce, chocolate ice cream drizzled with marshmallow crème, and generously topped with salted peanuts. The original creator found the sound of the peanuts raining down on the plate reminiscent of rain on the building’s tin roof, and thus the dish’s moniker was born.
Missy Marsh, current owner, grew up in nearby Peetz, Colorado, but spent the last 20 years managing restaurants and event planning at hotels in Denver, Washington D.C., and Miami. Marsh returned home to start her own catering business, The Farmer’s Daughter, but soon found herself in a position to purchase the Sundry from her sister-in-law Molly Marsh (owners purchase the business, the brick-and-mortar building is owned by the local historical foundation).
In addition to delectable ice cream treats, Marsh serves daily breakfast, lunch, and supper specials to friendly locals and hungry sojourners. Popular menu items include blueberry pancakes with house-made blueberry syrup, hand-breaded chicken-fried steak, lasagna, and Hawaiian burgers served with pineapple and teriyaki sauce.
It’s a family affair at the Sundry, where Marsh’s mother is a frequent fixture and her sister handles pastry chef duties—baking pies, pastries, and desserts. The new owner is grateful and happy to serve the community, “I want folks to feel like they can come in and get a delicious home-cooked meal where I do all the cleanup.”
Relationships are important in small towns, so Marsh uses local products where possible. Sonny’s Super Foods in Sidney hand cuts the chicken for the chicken-fried steaks, and beef is sourced from a farmer in nearby Peetz. Next summer, the creative cook intends to take advantage of local produce. Marsh also lauds the collaborative community, marveling that “businesses in town support each other, going so far as to ensure daily specials are unique.”
Potter, with a population of less than 400, is a quaint day trip destination located between Kimball and Sidney, about 15 minutes in either direction. The Potter Sundry isn’t the only thriving business in town. Chuckaboo Station, a Victorian-themed coffee and candle shop, opened last year in a historic 1920s gas station, and Flyover Brewing from Scottsbluff recently opened Hangar 39 in the original garage space, incorporating the original Model A tire rack and a vintage car lift into the bar.
