Midcoast Entrepreneurs: Bright Ideas, Creativity and Enterprise

ROCKLAND — Entering Griffen Cooper’s studio at the Lincoln Street Center for the Arts is an immediate feast for the senses. Early industrial sewing machines of various design and repair are set up throughout the snug but well-appointed space, designs and embroidered patches adorn the walls, and a rolling rack filled with vintage clothing suggests projects in the wings. A chalkboard on the wall leftover from the building’s previous iteration as a public school contains scrolled notes and…

ROCKPORT—Having moved to Camden from south of Boston four years ago, the Gelerman family wasn’t looking to start a new business.

“We came up to retire,” said Theola Gelerman, sitting at the oval granite bar under mullioned windows on the sunny first floor at their new business venture.

“We had run a specialty grocery store for 18 years,” added her husband, David. “And we thought we were done.”

That notion changed when the Gelermans learned that the Cellardoor Winery…

For the holidays, we’re continuing our series to shine the spotlight on Maine craftspeople who make products by hand and work out of their homes and kitchens to make quality products and work. Here are three last-minute ideas that can be found in the Midcoast and online before the season is upon us.

Lovin’ Cups

Handleless pottery that’s part of Waterfall Arts’…

Through December, we continue our series to shine the spotlight on local people who make their living by their home kitchens and small production facilities, using unique Maine flavors and ingredients no one can get anywhere else. Best of all, all of these items can be picked up locally and shipped.

Graffam Bros. Maine Seafood Rockport

A fresh Maine caught lobster roll delivered to your door with Maine’s Deep River Snack…

LIBERTY — When Lisa Fagin and her husband, Richard, purchased their vacation home in Belfast it was initially to escape the hot Texas summers. With her husband working from home, Fagin took the opportunity to explore Maine. Ambitious and with a business background, Fagin initially saw the need for a casual bakery with generous hours in, or near, Belfast. Her vision rapidly evolved, and she plans to open her new eatery, La Mesa, on Dec. 14.  

La Mesa is at the corner of routes 3 and…

For the month of December, we continue our series to shine the spotlight on local craftspeople who make things by hand. It’s important to shop local and to support the innovators and entrepreneurs who keep the creative economy alive in the Midcoast. So each week, until Dec. 25, we will bring you this series until you can’t take it anymore. Ready. Set. Go.

Mainely Naturals, Belfast

“Bambi” White Tailed Deer Ornament…

LIBERTY — When Tom Opper, of Liberty Graphics, purchased a dilapidated antique residence perched on a hill just up the street from his shop early in 2015, he had his sites set on adding a restaurant to the small, eclectic Waldo County village of Liberty. The building, located at 51 Main St., was in rough condition after sitting unoccupied for years. Opper saw the opportunity to purchase it out of foreclosure and transform it into a viable asset to the community.

While Opper has owned…

BELFAST — The first item on every Ondine Oyster and Wine Bar menu is a short accolade to the shellfish, and reads: “Oysters once carpeted the rocky inshore banks and mouths of Maine’s saltwater rivers. Cultivated oysters in Midcoast Maine have reintroduced a population of succulent filter feeders that taste great and keep our waters clean.”

Immediately following is Ondine’s oyster menu. Not only are the dishes unique, so too are the variety of oysters found at the…

ROCKLAND — Jenn Rockwell, along with her father Rick Rockwell, of Rockland Realty, are on a mission. Their current goal? To bring increased vibrancy and visibility to the north end of Rockland Main Street.

Scheduled to open November 1, Ada's Kitchen is the latest undertaking of the duo, who are also the owners of Main Street Markets, which opened its doors in 2015.

Seated inside the evolving but comfortably elegant space at 449 Main Street, the space that will house the new…

KNOX—On a sunny, October day, it’s the perfect drive from the Midcoast going inland as the trees are beginning to change. Just a couple of miles before the Ridge Top Diner in Knox, Morse Road turns down on a long stretch of farm road toward New Beat Farm, a horse-powered organic vegetable, flower and sheep farm in the heart of Waldo County.

Working out of an 1880s farm house, New Beat Farm’s owners Adrienne Lee and Ken Lanson have converted an unused barn space tacked onto their house…

ROCKPORT — On a hot August afternoon, artist Richard Remsen is in his element, standing close to the flames firing his 2,100-F oven. Welders glasses are pulled over his regular glasses, and he’s decked in a Hawaiian shirt with a rip down the center, shorts and sneakers. At the end of a long blow pipe stuck in the oven is first a blob of liquid glass; slowly, though, it takes on the form of a lobster claw, as Remsen carefully tools it toward a piece of glass art.

These lobster claws…

ROCKLAND—The interior of the newly opened Ferryside Lunch in Rockland’s North End (497 Main Street) may small inside, but the homemade paninis and soup are going to be the biggest draw.

Re-opened just last week, Ferryside Lunch originally opened last winter, but had to close through the spring and summer to get renovations done to the 200-square-foot shop. Owner Jessica Arena runs the sandwich and soup shop, alongside with her son, Dylan Whitamore, 16, and her daughter, Adrianna, 14…

ROCKLAND — Last summer, Keenan Hendricks and Christian Straka were camp counselors and wondered out loud how they could start their own business.

“We’re both physically active and play sports, and were thinking, how we could sell something that was enjoyable and healthy,” said Hendricks.

“We like smoothies, but most places they’re really expensive, so we thought we should make the kind of smoothies we could afford ourselves,” said Straka.

Smoothie Haven launched June 13…

NORTHPORT — Anyone wondering why they no longer see those garish lime green and yellow colors of the old Dos Amigos Mexican Restaurant as they pass Route 1 will be happy to know that the restaurant has been taken over, reinvented and is now open for the season. The Hoot, a breakfast and lunch restaurant, is owned and run by former food truck owner Anna Wagner.

The building is now clad in dark shingles, and adorned by planters of flowers, with an expansive back deck under a canopy of…

She is an artist, and she likes to work hard. Combine the two characteristics, and there is Jerri Finch, a longtime presence on the Maine art scene, and a bold one. She breaks ground, literally, and on her canvas. These days, her canvases proliferate under the soft allure of oil paints. She has found her groove in her studio, working through the winter, mixing colors, experimenting with light and angles, watching the fall landscape drop into winter, and then push back toward spring.

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BELFAST— A trend in Portland, where food truck owners test the waters by going mobile with a small menu and then take it to the next level with restaurant space, has taken hold in Belfast, where two new restaurants are slated to open.

Neighborhood

Four years ago, Seth Whited and Sarah Waldron were co-owners and operators of the Good ‘N’ You food truck in the back parking lot of Rollie’s Bar and Grill. They served up…

WALDOBORO — Monhegan resident Matt “Captain Mattie” Thomson has been providing the boat-to-plate experience for the public well before it ever became a trend. For the last 24 years that he’s lived on Monhegan, he has captained at various times both a groundfish boat and a lobster boat. At the end of the fishing trip when everyone else would go home, Thomson would fillet up some haddock or hake he’d just caught and then sell it through a little trailer by his house.

“It was originally…

CAMDEN — In a soft opening event Wednesday night, several dozen people got a chance to check out the renovations the Sea Dog Brewing Co. has made over the spring and summer in anticipation for their grand opening Friday, Aug. 5. The three separate buildings have been built out to resemble a cohesive classic Sea Dog color scheme of exposed beams, wooden booths and tables and splashy wall art. The space now includes two bars, (one downstairs, and one split bar upstairs where the Crow’s Nest of…

ROCKPORT — They say timing is everything. For Patrick Duffy, an executive chef and Jessica Duffy, a seasoned server and restaurant manager, the time seemed right to open their first restaurant together once they learned that Shepherd’s Pie in Rockport was closing for good this past May.

“We’d thought about opening a restaurant before, so when this space became available, we literally had days to decide,” said Jessica.

It so happened that the pair had moved from Boston in 2011…

WARREN — All winter, the bottom floor of the three-story wooden building next to the St. George River in Warren has been transforming. For 20 years, it had been Wink’s Whimseys, an antique store.  Partners Ann Gonzalez and Fanny Faye Davis left their jobs and condo in Seattle, Wash., last year and moved to Maine, hoping to find more affordable land and a country house. Gonzalez, who’d grown up in New England, said she always had a desire to come back so, sight unseen, they bought a house in…

CAMDEN — Over the last few months, a space on the working waterfront side of Camden’s harbor, at Lyman-Morse at Wayfarer Marine, has been quietly undergoing major renovations for Chef Scott Yakovenko’s latest restaurant, Rhumb Line, set to open May 18. 

A whole new kitchen had to be built and the interior of the snug space was completely retrofitted by Chris Biggart and Fred Boursier, who fashioned the walls with reclaimed barn boards from Youngtown Inn. In addition, they hand-crafted…

ROCKLAND — You know what they say: you can’t make an omelette without breaking some eggs. For Heather Symmt, a Camden resident, this is something to keep in mind as she prepares to open her first restaurant, Broken Egg at 421 Main St., formerly the site of Comida Restaurant on May 18.

An accountant by trade with a passion and degree in baking and pastries, Symmt looked around for two years, before landing the what she saw as the perfect spot for her breakfast, brunch and lunch…

What should we call food truck connoisseurs—truckies? Well, truckies will be interested to know one Belfast food truck is pulling up their wheels and handing them over to someone else, while another dormant food truck in Rockland will be rolling in this spring.

Belfast’s Good ‘N’ You, a Mexican-themed food truck run by Sarah Waldron and Seth Whited since 2012, has decided not to re-open this summer. (…

ROCKLAND — Known for the “Best Breakfast in New England” (deemed by Yankee magazine), Home Kitchen Café owners James Hatch and Susan Schiro are expanding their restaurant’s popular brand this April into the former Brown Bag location on Main Street.

Hatch and Schiro, who’d just expanded the business a year before, transforming the former hair salon adjacent to the restaurant at 19 North Main St. into an ice cream parlor and bakery, had no plans on moving until they learned the…

BELFAST — As we wrote in a recent article, it’s always tough for a fairly new restaurant in the Midcoast to thrive during the winter, but Jenifer Oakes, one of three co-owners of Nautilus Seafood & Grill, credits two factors for their winter survival: a new location and loyal customers.

Though it’s only been a little more than a month since they moved from the east side of Belfast, across the bridge the spans the Passagassawakeag River, and took over the former Weathervane Seafood…

ROCKLAND — It’s been a little more than a year-and-a-half since Tom Pham rolled out his bright yellow food truck, Pho Sizzle, in Buoy Park in Rockland. Whipping up authentic Vietnamese cuisine with local ingredients, his food truck quickly became a local favorite. Business grew so fast, it didn’t make sense to shut it down for the winter. Instead, he decided to lease space at 10 Leland St. in Rockland, the site of the old Oh Bento restaurant.

“This summer was really busy all summer…

LINCOLNVILLE — Tucked in the bend of a back road in Lincolnville sits a tiny one-woman enterprise called Dolce Vita Farm and Bakery. Rose Lowell has been producing fresh breads and vegetables for sale at local farmers' markets, as well as her own vegetable shed, for more than five years. For the last 15 years, she has made the trek to Italy to learn, to absorb the culture and food. There, she met Stefano Valenti at Spannocchia, an organic farm outside of Siena, Italy.

“He was working…

CAMDEN — A bit of Scotland is getting seated on Elm Street in Camden, in a little old house — eccentric, one could call it — with lots of nooks and crannies, circular staircase and bright floral wallpaper. Perfect for a Scottish pub where the kitchen will come alive with baking and frying, and a dining room full of conversation.

This is where Andrew and Shannon Stewart, their two children Harris and Tildy, plus a lot of local friends, are planning to open the Drouthy Bear later in the…

BELFAST — The name of a new Midcoast eatery sounds like what you’d say in the middle of a good story, but it’s not one you’ll forget. Meanwhile in Belfast is the name of a wood-fired pizza place and bar that opened March 19, on the back side of the Brambles building at 2 Cross St.

While the food is upscale pizza with the farm-to-table vibe, the space is warm (from the pizza oven ) and cozy with plenty of light and views of the harbor. The tiny bar area, with multi-colored stools,…

NORTHPORT—The little building on Route 1 just past Wentworth Grocery has been a number of businesses in the last couple decades, but entrepreneur Bryant Hall is confident that his latest venture is the right fit at the right location. Pizza Permare is a wood-fired pizzeria that opened nearly two weeks ago and is already getting some swift word-of-mouth attention from the locals.

“It may not be right in the middle of things, but it’s got a lot of visibility,” said Hall, who remained…

For the holidays, we’re continuing our series to shine the spotlight on Maine craftspeople who make products by hand. This week it’s all about locally made wearable gift ideas. Each week, until Dec. 25, we will bring you this series until you can’t take it anymore. Ready. Set. Go.

Karyl’s Jewelry Silver Filigree Earrings

The back story
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For the holidays, we’re continuing our series to shine the spotlight on Maine craftspeople who make products by hand. This week it’s all about locally crafted food or drink items. Each week, until Dec. 25, we will bring you this series until you can’t take it anymore. Ready. Set. Go.

Maine Beer Company ‘Lunch’

The back story

This small family business began between two…

For the holidays, we’re continuing our series to shine the spotlight on Maine craftspeople who make products by hand. It’s important to support innovators and entrepreneurs who keep the creative economy alive in this state. This week it’s all about green, sustainable and upcycled handmade products. Each week, until Dec. 25, we will bring you this series until you can’t take it anymore. Ready. Set. Go.

Goat Soaps
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ROCKLAND — ‘Wich Please, a sassy, comfort food sandwich truck will soon be rolling up to Rockland.

On Nov. 18, with fewer than three days to go in his crowd-funding Kickstarter campaign, local food blogger Malcolm Bedell blew through a $25,000 goal to fund his food truck project. The campaign ended on Nov. 21…

ROCKPORT — What does the fox say? It says: “I’m hungry.” The Midcoast just gained a new gourmet food truck with the launch of Fox on the Run, owned by Lauren Jellison and assisted by her partner, Kevin Allen.

The bright red truck with the sprinting fox logo will be easy to find once Jellison finds the ideal spot. She’s kicking off her soft launch in May in downtown Belfast, then moving to Rockport Marine Harbor for the summer. On weekend nights, she’s working on securing a late night…

NORTHPORT — Doris and Ed Moran didn’t know what type of business they were looking for when they decided they wanted to move from Ohio “back east to Maine,” only that they were on the hunt for a business for sale in the area and that Hideaway Diner happened to be for sale.

The pair took over the business in 2001, and said things have been going well since

In an effort to attract new customers, Doris said the restaurant has expanded its menu to include pizza and fried chicken,…

BELFAST — If you’re looking for a piece of beautiful wood product crafted in Maine, look no further than Out of the Woods, a retail store born from a desire to help members of the Maine Wood Products Association sell their products.

The selection in the store varies widely, from carefully crafted furniture to character ornaments fashioned from lobster claws. The store only has one set criteria for products: They must be made in Maine, according to manager Colleen Marsh.

The…

CAMDEN — At first glance, the little faces Chris Gray has carved into his handcrafted guitar picks reveal big personalities. Are they pensive? Wincing? Smiling? Hard to tell, but whatever they’re “thinking” they’ve become the signature look of his most recent entrepreneurial venture, Riff Wood Picks.

Riff Wood Picks are upcycled and handmade hardwood picks for guitar, bass guitar, ukelele and mandolin. Gray and his wife are originally from Tennessee, but moved up to Union seven years…

For the holidays, we’re continuing our series to shine the spotlight on Maine craftspeople who make products by hand. It’s important to shop locally and support innovators and entrepreneurs who keep the creative economy alive in this state. So each week, until Dec. 25, we will bring you this series until you can’t take it anymore. Ready. Set. Go.

Woodland ornaments

The back story

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For the holidays, we’re continuing our series to shine the spotlight on Maine craftspeople who make products by hand. It’s important to shop locally and support the innovators and entrepreneurs who keep the creative economy alive in this state. So each week, until Dec. 25, we will bring you this series until you can’t take it anymore. Ready. Set. Go.

Chart luminaria

The back story

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ROCKLAND — Cheryl Denz, owner of Terra Optima farm in Appleton, which she's run for more than 15 years, had bigger dreams for the farm's community outreach. She initially opened a small, independent store after her eponymous farm in Thomaston, but recently relocated to the Main Street space left vacant by Sweets and Meats in South Rockland. Last week was her soft grand opening. With The Good Tern at the most northern end of Rockland and now Terra Optima at the South End, people don't have to…

ROCKPORT — It's not that easy to see from the road on Route 90 (in the building that formerly housed L.O. Gross & Sons), but Mama's Boys has been open a month and is fast becoming an eatery people are seeking out for sandwiches and pizza.

Mama, aka Vivienne Larmor, is the matriarch of the business. "The word of mouth has been awesome; it's been a nice and steady build," she said. Her five boys range in age from 9 to 17, and they have been an integral part of the business — even…

BELFAST — The concept is astoundingly simple, yet no one in the Midcoast has ever done it before. This past winter, a little take-out place called Scallions opened up in the Reny’s Plaza mall in Belfast, but lest anyone equate the idea of “to go” with fast food, this eatery is setting itself apart with its fine dining options.

Scallions describes itself as “restaurant quality prepared food to go.” For 14 years, Diana and Charles Evans husband owned The Rhumb Line, a fine dining…

ROCKLAND —With the recent opening in Rockland of 3Crow Restaurant and Bar, Executive Chef and Owner Josh Hixson’s latest restaurant, it appears everything has come full circle.

Hixson and his family have lived in Rockland for the last 10 years, and opened their first retail store, Sage Market, there in 2006. When that business eventually closed, Hixson opened his first restaurant, Brevetto Kitchen & Wine Bar, in Camden in 2008, transitioning that to 40 Paper Italian Bistro…

CAMDEN — Seabright in Camden is the new kid on the block. At 7 Public Landing, the space occupies what was once Paolina’s Way. Brian Hill, owner of Francine Bistro, opened the new restaurant that specializes in pizza.

Though not scheduled to officially open until April 1, Hill and staff hosted a soft opening allowing friends to sample what the restaurant will be like.

“Just pizza,” said Hill. “And it’s simplified further than that."

Seabright will offer five…

CAMDEN - For many people, owning one’s own restaurant is the American Dream. Night after night of working in someone else’s kitchen, chefs can’t help dream of what it would be like to run their own kitchen, come up with their own menu, and introduce regional flavors to a new community.

Tom Sigler’s time has finally come. He is the chef-owner, along with his wife, Lisa Laurita-Spanglet, of the new Latin-inspired restaurant Comida on 31 Elm Street in Camden next to Zoot Coffee. They’ve…

Folks, it's the last week to shop local and in honor of the innocence of children everywhere, this last series is dedicated to crafters who make special things for kids by hand. All of these items can be found through the unique Maine (and green) resource, The SunriseGuide. It’s important to shop local and to support the innovators and entrepreneurs who keep the creative economy alive. Happy holidays to all!

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For the holidays, we’re launching a new series to shine the spotlight on local craftspeople who make things by hand. It’s important to shop local and to support the innovators and entrepreneurs who keep the creative economy alive in the Midcoast. So each week, until Dec. 25, we will bring you this series until you can’t take it anymore. Ready. Set. Go.

A Sixer of Home Brewed Soaps…

For the holidays, we’re launching a new series to shine the spotlight on local craftspeople who make things by hand. It’s important to shop local and to support the innovators and entrepreneurs who keep the creative economy alive in the Midcoast. So each week, until Dec. 25, we will bring you this series until you can’t take it anymore. Ready. Set. Go.

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