ROCKPORT — Straight from his mouth, Shepherd's Pie is taking a winter break for the first time since owner/chef Brian Hill opened the restaurant in Rockport Village nearly six years ago.

"I certainly understand why restaurants have always been seasonal here," said Hill, who has basically been running both Shepherd's Pie and his original restaurant, Francine Bistro in Camden, single handedly. "Sometimes it just gets so slow, you just can't pay the bills."

Hill opened Francine, a 44-seat restaurant located at the bottom of Chestnut Street, about 13 years ago. A self-described working chef, "not a clipboard kind of guy," his passion is cooking.

"I love cooking in the kitchen, making sure that everything is perfect, and I think that's been a big secret to our success," said Hill.
But this year, while it's been fun to be open year-round at Francine, it hasn't been as fun to be open year-round at Shepherd's Pie.

For one thing, the Rockport restaurant, which Hill created the menu for, worked the line at for two years and said he designed to be a neighborhood pub but that got "perfectly fancier," seats 64. That's not only space for 20 more patrons than at Francine, but requires more staff to tend to the customers and run the place. He also created a lunch menu there, and now Hill has a team that maintains the restaurant in his stead, while he works every night cooking back at Francine.

"It's tough here in Maine, and on days when there is inclement weather and only 12 people come in, and it costs $1,000 just to open the doors, it adds up really quickly," said Hill. "It's easier to make it work here [Francine], it takes more staff over there."

And while Hill lamented the struggle of so many businesses trying to make it through quiet Maine winters, especially restaurants and other businesses that rely on throngs of tourists, he said it's also time to bring in a partner.

That could be a single business partner, or a coalition of some people who want to get involved in the nuts and bolts.

"I have been this sort of army of one for 13 years here. And for almost six years over there. And I would love to get a business partner.

It's something we have talked about over the years, but I think it's time to really have that extra bit of help here," said Hill.

That could mean another chef, but ideally it would be someone to run the business end of things. This would allow Hill to remain, or get back into the kitchens that have earned him not only legions of dining fans year-round at Francine, but seven James Beard Foundation Award nominations, including a 2016 Best Chef-Northeast nomination announced last month.

"We are talking with some people now about joining me [in that capacity]," said Hill. And he would like to hear from anyone else that he hasn't already talked to.

And will he make changes when Shepherd's Pie reopens mid- to late-April?

"Freshening up the menu would be a natural for me to do once we reopen. It's such a beautiful place and an amazing space, with that wood fired kitchen. I worked for two years with the architects of the place, and it's so perfect, the perfect neighborhood pub. But this time of year, it seems like a natural thing to take a break," said Hill.

Related story:

• Three Midcoast chefs named James Beard Best Chef award semifinalists

Reach Editorial Director Holly S. Edwards at hollyedwards@penbaypilot.com and 207-706-6655