Our Story

Andrew, Wendy and son at The PinwheelGet your elbows on the table!

At age 17, Andrew Machanic began spending his summers at a guest ranch outside of Buffalo, Wyoming, where he started to cook professionally. He graduated from the New England Culinary Institute in 1993, and since then his career as a chef and his love for the Intermountain West has taken him to Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado, Montana, and Alaska. He came to Vermont in 2011 and met his wife, Wendy. Together, they were inspired to open their own restaurant with rustic western charm.

The Swingin’ Pinwheel opened in downtown Burlington in 2014 and provided six years of heart-warming meals and memories before shutting down in 2020. Andrew and Wendy are happy to have finally found a new space to begin serving their beloved customers and friends again.

The Pinwheel reopened in 2024 in Essex Junction with the same unique menu, and more. Andrew’s goal is to bring a new frontier in dining to the East Coast, using local ingredients as well as western flavors to create a unique ranch fusion cuisine. At The Pinwheel, you can “Get your elbows on the table!”