CAMDEN — A long time friend of Johanna Tutone will soon be assuming ownership of her downtown Camden restaurant, Cappy's Chowder House, but the heritage and ambience she created is sure to remain.

David Robichaud, of Appleton, and Matt Orne, of Camden, are purchasing the restaurant business and real estate from Tutone this week at a closing that is set to take place in Tenants Harbor, at Tutone's large, rambling farmhouse, whose yard is elegantly landscaped with flower beds and green grass that stretches down to the water.

Tutone has owned Cappy's for 33 years, having purchased it in 1979 with business partner Andrea Young. Robichaud, who has worked with Tutone in various ways over the past decades, will be the operating partner under the Orne-Robichaud ownership.

A graduate of the New England Culinary Institute in Vermont, Tutone arrived on the Midcoast to cook aboard the schooner Adventure. In the windjammer business, she met the owners of the Stephen Taber, Andrea and Orvil Young, and they became good friends. And while sailing, she also met Cappy Quinn, who was raised on Eagle Island in Penobscot Bay.

"For many years, he was a familiar face around the Camden waterfront, always willing to give a helping hand to anyone in need," said Tutone, in her history of the restaurant at its website. "To us, he gave his love of the bay, of boats, and of life. Nothing gave us more pleasure than reminiscing with Cappy about the old days and old boats of Maine long gone. He taught us about pride...."

With her strong entrepreneurial spirit, Tutone bought the coffee shop, with its red formica tables at the corner of Main and Bay View streets, from Aubry Young, and took it into an era of prosperity. She renovated the place, removing the old lunch counter and built a wood bar. Comfortable booths replaced tables and hardback chairs, and the interior was decorated with art and photography. In the 1990s, she expanded upstairs, where a barber once cut hair. There she put tables, covering them with drafting paper and provided cups of crayons, so the creatives, and their children, could express themselves while they waited for a meal.

Cappy's grew in popularity, and to accommodate that, she pressed out the walls and down the street toward the harbor, opening a bakery, and then a small store filled with Cappy's merchandise. Most recently, she added a patio with an Internet cafe, where sailors, business people, visitors and locals can open a laptop and get to work.

"I want to carry Cappy's into the new millenium," said Robichaud. "It will continue its cozy ambience and Maine experience. This is a formula that worked and people love the coziness."

He first met Tutone in 1981, when he owned 51 Bay View Street, a decor and interior design store. Tutone and Robichaud established a friendship that has endured for 28 years. He helped Tutone design the interior of her restaurant, and the two of them started Camden's Christmas by the Sea, the annual celebration. Since then, Robichaud has owned other businesses in the Midcoast, and he is now in the process of selling his South Thomaston store, Summersport Mercantile,  a shop that offers antiques and interior design, as well as English high teas.

Robichaud said he and Orne hope to expand and enhance the business, especially through online sales of Cappy's branded products.

"Physically, the business is the size it is," he said. "We will concentrate on the website and branding."

Robichaud said he will continue emphasizing locally-grown food on the menu, and, of course, chowder. And, he wants to ensure that local traffic stays strong.

"In the winter, Cappy's has a big local draw," he said. "In the summer, locals tend to stay away. But their business is important. I want to continue the winter specials, like dinners for people on fixed incomes, seniors, and maybe a ladies' night."

For Orne, the opportunity lies in maintaining the integrity of an established entity, while making a few tweaks.

"The numbers are great, so there is not much to improve there," he said. "We will do what we can to push the brand."

Orne declined to discuss the price of the acquisition. The building and land are currently assessed by the town at $507,200.

For Tutone, the business transfer is bittersweet, yet she is content knowing it will now be under the tutelage of a longtime friend and business associate. The biggest satisfaction from being an entrepreneur all these years lies in the challenge of crafting a successful enterprise with friends, and Tutone said she plans to stay involved at Cappy's in an advisory role, which suits Robichaud just fine.

"This is the passing of the torch," said Robichaud. "It is the best marriage that could happen, a comfortable transition among friends."

Lynda Clancy can be reached at lyndaclancy@penbaypilot.com; 207-706-6657.