Midcoast Entrepreneurs: Bright Ideas, Creativity and Enterprise
The Midcoast bursts with creative energy and a thriving entrepreneurial spirit. Here, the Pilot highlights those risk-takers and makers, the bold and talented innovators who give it a go. Support our local business owners and entrepreneurs, all who keep our local economy humming.
Searsport's latest restaurant features innovative dishes from Thai restaurateur
Asian fusion and artistic beauty are on the menu at Sakura Harbor in Searsport
SEARSPORT—Supannee Saengwong, chef and owner of the newly opened Sakura Harbor restaurant in Searsport, takes immense pride in her culinary craft—and it shows. Take the Sakura Special maki roll, for example. The dish consists of salmon and yellowtail tuna and white tuna maki rolls. They are rolled in rice and seaweed, topped with four different types of Tabiko roe, and garnished with truffle. The plating is imaginative with house ume sauce and a spicy mayonnaise, finished with a dot of… Read more
The intricate art of creating a balanced cup of excellent coffee
Kiri, a new Nigerian-inspired coffee shop, opens in Rockport
ROCKPORT—With little fanfare and no grand opening, Kiri coffeehouse opened on the corner of routes 1 and 90 in Rockport on June 6, two weeks before its sign appeared on the lawn at the busy intersection. Owner Ebinumo Amabebe, 37, has clocked some time in the coffee business. He grew up in Camden (with several moves to other states in between) and returned in 2021. Amabebe's family is from Nigeria, and the word "Kiri" is a word in the Nembe language meaning "earth" or "gathering place." "… Read more
New thrift store sells high-quality, 'gently used' clothing and home goods
Every purchase from the new Thriftworthy fights homelessness in the Midcoast
ROCKPORT—Thriftworthy, a new store that opened June 24 at the corner of routes 90 and 17, is like a community Goodwill — only better. "The entire impetus behind this initiative was to create something that would do something for the community, bring people together, and most importantly, create a revenue stream that supports the critical work of Homeworthy," said Molly Feeney, executive director of Homeworthy. The nonprofit Homeworthy, also in Rockport, provides emergency… Read more
Downeast Donkey Walks offer quiet calm in Searsport
A calm walk through the woods with donkeys is what everyone needs
SEARSPORT—A red barn at the end of a dead-end dirt road in Searsport is one of the happiest places in Maine this summer. Inside Rebecca Loveland's barn, four gentle, sweet donkeys, Kota, Ed, Henry, and Cedar, are waiting for a visit. Her microbusiness, Downeast Donkey Walks, allows private groups or individuals to do a one-hour pasture visit, a one-hour guided walk on a wooded trail of her 13-acre property, or a combination of both. A signed waiver is required before any interaction with the… Read more
Family-run eatery also features a cocktail bar at night
Scullery Made, a new deli/cafe anchors in Searsport
SEARSPORT—The tiny town of Searsport has undergone a revival in the last few years with the addition of a new brewery, a grocery store, a mercantile, and Hello Sailor's expanded space for a music hotspot. Locals— and those in nearby towns—now have another reason to find a parking spot on Main Street. Scullery Made, a new deli and cocktail bar owned by Mary Kate Labenski, opened on May 14. Having worked in restaurants since she was 12, Labenski was originally on the lookout for a food… Read more
In business Essay
Cultivating a daycare with comfort, culture and connection
Every morning, when I welcome the children into my daycare, it feels like I’m opening the door to something I once only dreamed of. I am licensed to care for children from infancy through age 12, allowing my program to serve as both a daycare and a pre-K environment. About a year ago, I was still in the corporate world, working a job that did not bring the impact I wanted to see. I remember the frustration of searching for childcare that felt warm, attentive, and truly nourishing… Read more
Concepta's Studio is a culinary and design business built around culture
How one woman is bringing South African and Indian spices and curries to Belfast
BELFAST — Concepta, who goes by her first name, is a fixture at the United Farmers Market of Maine in Belfast every Saturday. Behind the hot bar where she serves up chicken curry, minced beef curry, and lentil and potato curry, all over white rice, she is a one-woman powerhouse, selling out of her food and products every weekend, all the while conjuring up more angles for her business. Her food and custom-packaged ground spices are more than just flavors. As her website states: Concepta's… Read more
interior design and home products
Lupine Home Co. holds grand opening in Rockland
ROCKLAND—Coinciding with Rockland's First Friday Art Walk, Lupine Home Co. opened its doors for the first time May 1 at 412 Main Street, offering frosé and a lavish charcuterie board to invite the public inside. The new store is owned by Jennifer and Will Finan, who moved to Maine in 2023. Jennifer Finan, who previously ran an award-winning interior design practice in Connecticut, combined her love of home boutique and design with her husband Will Finan's background in finance and project… Read more
Grand opening held on May 1
Inside the new indoor Rockland Makers Market
ROCKLAND—After three years of operating an outdoor Makers Market in Rockland, Christa Zuber opened the doors to her first brick-and-mortar makers' shop at 376 Main Street on May 1. It's a full-circle journey for Zuber, an artist and a teacher who ran an arts market in New Hampshire before moving to Maine in 2020. "I had an art studio in New Hampshire where people could do drop-in art-making and take classes, and it was the hardest five years of my life," said Zuber. "And I said, 'I'm… Read more
'We want to meet you where you are in your day'
Dayboat Cafe opens in Waldoboro as a community hub and marketplace
WALDOBORO—On March 16, the doors opened for the first time for Dayboat Cafe, a new daytime neighborhood cafe and market in Waldoboro's downtown. Two good friends, Anna Hymanson, 32, and Kelsey Woodworth, 35, took on the business venture together, offering a warm, welcoming hub for locals and visitors, serving sandwiches, soups, salads, and take-home meals to go. The retail side of the cafe offers beer and wine, Maine-made goods, and other specialty items. The pair have varied backgrounds in… Read more
Whitney Brown's Mossflower Cottage Bakery now offers goods for free or barter
Belmont home baker takes prices off menu, valuing community over cash
BELMONT—The garden space is still fallow on a dreary March day at 77 Halls Corner Road in Belmont, but a bright, hand-painted wooden cupboard at the end of the driveway beckons neighbors to stop and take a peek inside. Mossflower Cottage Bakery is the home-baking business of Whitney Brown, 37, a wife and mother of two boys, 10 and 14, whom she schools at home. Like many home-based entrepreneurs, she looked into expanding her business with a licensed kitchen, but discovered that her… Read more
Sunday Brunch, daily specials and ever-evolving culinary riffs on New Americana cuisine
The Apron at Knox County Regional Airport rebrands to Nomad
OWLS HEAD — Two years ago, The Apron at Terminal A, a fast casual restaurant helmed by Matthew Stilphen, opened inside the Knox County Regional Airport terminal. This past winter, with the help of Evan Stevens, a visual artist and self-taught home cook, The Apron is spreading its wings and rebranding as a different culinary concept called Nomad. Stilphen is now taking an administrative role, allowing Stevens to take his unique spin to the restaurant. Previously, Stilphen's daily menu consisted… Read more
Salty Witch Sauna is newest outdoor venture of Nicolle Littrell, a.k.a. DoryWoman Rowing
New six-person wood-fired sauna opens in Belfast, offering public and private sessions by the sea
BELFAST—Nicolle Littrell, founder of DoryWoman Rowing, unveiled a new service to her business, a wood-fired six-person sauna at 15 Front Street Belfast, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, January 29. Littrell, a licensed Maine Guide who rows a traditional-style 19-foot, 5-inch wooden Swampscott dory, takes clients out on rowing lessons, nature/wildlife tours, workouts, and specialty rows in Belfast Bay. Her new sauna service took nine months to develop. "Last year, through a… Read more
Allen Insurance and Financial acquires Skowhegan-based William E. Clark Insurance Agency
CAMDEN — Allen Insurance and Financial, an independent, employee-owned company specializing in insurance, employee benefits and wealth management, has acquired the William E. Clark Insurance Agency of Skowhegan. The William Clark Agency is a third-generation family-owned Maine business with deep roots in the greater Skowhegan community, according to an Allen Insurance and Financial news release. As part of the acquisition, Clark Agency owner Jennifer Frederick joins Allen as the company’s 98th… Read more
New tacqueria Salsa Shack spices up Bucksport this winter
BUCKSPORT—In the Penobscot River harbor town of Bucksport, one joint is jumping on a Tuesday afternoon. It's the new restaurant of chef/owner Cory LaForge and, because it's Taco Tuesday—three tacos for the price of two—the place is still packed past lunch hour. The Salsa Shack, at 84 Main Street, is the first brick-and-mortar restaurant for LaForge. It's been a roundabout journey for the self-made chef, and he couldn't be any happier about where it's all ended up. Salsa Shack Menu Notes… Read more
Glo's Market, a new Asian and specialty store, opens in Belfast
BELFAST—If you've ever strolled around the bustling United Farmers Market of Maine in Belfast and came across Claire Fuller's 'Glo's Carinderia' Filipino food stand and enjoyed her lumpia (similar to spring rolls) and other Filipino hot dishes, now you can try to make some of these recipes on your own. Her new market, an Asian and specialty store called Glo's Market, opened in early December in Belfast at 382C Starret Drive (next to Foster's Pets store) as an offshoot retail location of her… Read more
Munchies in Maine, a new restaurant review duo, digs in for the best eats
MIDCOAST— Have we ever had a legit food critic in this area before? Yelpers and Facebook reviewers, notwithstanding. We do now. Munchies in Maine is the idea of two culinary crusaders and best pals, Ali Farrell and Bill Boyle, who bonded over their shared love of scrumptious bites and delightful sips. The pair invited me along for a lunch date to try Darby's Restaurant, in Belfast, where we discussed the purpose of their new volunteer venture and enjoyed some great food. Both work full-time in… Read more
Forage & Press
Camden Artist Gabrielle Benzie captures quiet magic of natural world
Nature has a palette, and artist Gabrielle Benzie is the paintbrush. When Benzie was a little girl playing outside in her backyard in Camden, she would often gravitate toward the neighbor's field. "As a kid, we would spend hours back there, playing and exploring, making play houses, and collecting things," she said. Those carefree childhood moments stuck with her while she went on to study graphic design and digital media at the Savannah College of Art and Design before completing her… Read more
Mondays and Tuesdays, the Portland-based sandwich shop sets up in Main Street Markets Gallery
New roast beef pop-up, Roasty's, takes over Main Street Markets' kitchen in Rockland
ROCKLAND — Roasty's, Portland's roast beef sandwich shop, quietly made an appearance in Main Street Markets' kitchen last week for two days, delighting locals. It seemed like a random collaboration until the connection was revealed. Co-owner Jenn Rockwell is also the owner of Roasty's, the casual eatery she founded quietly last year. "We had a very niche, very regionally specific concept of what a roast beef sandwich should be," said Rockwell, "We make sure it's perfectly, consistently cooked… Read more
Lemon Bar, a cocktail/wine bar, pops up in Rockland
ROCKLAND—Rockland’s creative economy just got a zesty boost with the arrival of Lemon Bar, a stylish yet comfortably down-to-earth new spot at 305 Main Street. Owners Carly and Wesley Summers made the permanent move to Maine from Nashville, Tennessee, a year and a half ago after Wesley completed a three-month class at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship. Having both worked in restaurants—often together, most of their careers—the time and place felt right to open up their own cocktail and… Read more
Former Dockside Restaurant takes on new life, menu
Must Be Nice Lobster holds grand opening of new Belfast restaurant
BELFAST—Sadie Samuels, a young lobsterman who got her start in the restaurant industry in 2019 with a food truck in Belfast named Must Be Nice Lobster, has expanded her enterprise into the former Dockside Restaurant space just up the street. They held the grand opening Wednesday, November 5. Belfast doesn't have a lot of zones for restaurant spaces that aren't already in use, so when Jeff and Lisa Mosher, owners of Dockside Restaurant, told Samuels that they wanted to spend more time with… Read more
in business
A sweet little candy shop spices up Camden
CAMDEN —This past June, a quiet little candy shop opened at 27 Washington Street in Camden, owned by Amanda Murray and Ian Cheney, and it all started from a whim. The couple, who owns the business next door, Other Media Other, had an additional adjacent space that was unused. "Last December, we opened the space up as a pop-up shop for holiday movies and people loved it," said Cheney. "We love the holidays, and after doing a film shoot at a maple sugar shack and driving home, I got the idea to… Read more
Owner of North Beacon Oyster expands with a new food truck
QP Burger rolls onto St. George Peninsula serving burgers and hotdogs
PORT CLYDE — Michael Mastronardi, owner of North Beacon Oyster in Rockland, launched a new food truck this month featuring high-quality beef burgers and hot dogs as its stars. Named QP Burger, the new business features quarter-pound smash burgers with all-natural chuck from Pineland Farms and red snapper hotdogs from W.A. Bean & Sons. The burgers and dogs concept is "Build your own" with a variety of handmade toppings and chili. As for the name, Mastronardi said, "I knew I wanted to have my… Read more
Employees are now beneficial owners of the company
Gartley & Dorsky Engineering & Surveying form Employee Stock Ownership Plan
Gartley & Dorsky Engineering & Surveying, Inc., a firm with offices in Camden and Damariscotta, as well as Epping, New Hampshire, has formed an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), officially making its employees beneficial owners of the company. "This exciting milestone underscores the firm's long-standing commitment to its people, clients, and the communities it serves," said a news release from Gartley & Dorsky. Founded in 2003, Gartley & Dorsky has built a reputation for… Read more
An expertly curated vinyl experience
Private Press brings old-school records to Rockland's Main Street
ROCKLAND — Like most Gen Xers, Justin Miller remembers his first vinyl record, The Germs. Back in the 1970s and early 1980s, before cassette tapes became overwhelmingly the popular choice for playing music, vinyl was king. Private Press, a 200-square foot space on 385 Main Street, which opened June 13, has been Miller's dream business for some time. A private collector of vinyl records for more than 30 years, he began buying and selling records online before deciding to move the business to a… Read more
Started by two Midcoast authors
No Shelf-Control is an authors' collaborative that aims to be a force for Maine writers
MIDCOAST—Maine authors, particularly those who would rather write than wear a sales and marketing hat, are finding community and collaboration with a new authors' collective called No Shelf-Control. Midcoast authors and friends Danielle Bannister and Carley Packard were socializing through an informal breakfast club held at Bell The Cat in Belfast one morning in 2024 when they discussed how hard it was to set up bookstore events as authors. They shared the struggles that many new authors… Read more
Ribbon cutting in Thomaston celebrates opening of YOIKI Japanese Express
THOMASTON — Town officials and community members gathered on Tuesday, June 10 to celebrate the ribbon cutting for YOIKI Japanese Express, a new food truck offering Japanese cuisine at 218 New County Road in Thomaston. The location, formerly home to Plants Unlimited’s Big Tree Lot, is now a destination for fresh hibachi, sushi, and boba tea.
YOIKI Japanese Express is owned and operated by Chef Rei Nugraha, who brings years of culinary experience to the business. After completing culinary… Read more
in business
Crow’s Keep Games: Your Midcoast Gaming Fix
Most of us have played a number of board and card games in our lives. A standard pack of cards, the Monopoly box on the hall shelf. Maybe Risk or Clue, if you’re feeling up for something a bit more complex. You may not be aware just how much games have changed over the last few decades. They go so far beyond the relatively simple competitive games most are familiar with. Cooperative games, games developed for all ages, games with mindbogglingly in depth rules for immersive play. Independent… Read more
Leigh Barry Watercolors and Gifts shop opens in Camden
Leigh Barry Watercolors and Gifts recently opened a new shop on Route 1 in Camden at 94 Elm Street. The shop offers a variety of beautiful gifts, featuring her artwork, such as original and fine art prints, each hand signed by the artist. She and her husband also print her artwork on stoneware mugs, tea towels and ceramic ornaments. There is a wide variety of art and gifts to choose from, including many scenes of Midcoast Maine. In addition to the coastal scenes, landscapes and florals,… Read more
The tiniest book store in the Midcoast
ROCKPORT — Inside Kelly Hokkanen's pocket-sized used bookstore measuring only 120 square feet, there are vast worlds — and the public is just starting to hear about it. The Tiny Bookshop, sitting at 163 Union Street, is in a little outbuilding on the property she owns with her husband. Having opened on March 15, it is an inviting spot for anyone who loves books and bookstores. While a vast, big-box store gives off cavernous impersonal vibes, Hokkanen's minuscule shop is precisely the opposite.… Read more
This Week in Lincolnville: A Visit to Dot’s Market
In a sign that summer is imminent, the garbage bins have arrived at the Beach, and my family’s hereditary duty has begun. Well, the summer job my then-teenage brother passed on to my parents, which my wife, and to a lesser extent I, is taking over. For the last 35 years or so, we have been cleaning the Beach every morning from May to October — emptying the garbage bins at the shore and the wharf, picking up what detritus has settled on the sand and parking lot and sidewalks. The compensation… Read more
The virtual museum experience takes a multi-facted journey through the iconic industry
Two entrepreneurs open Maine's first virtual Lobster Museum
ROCKLAND—Sebastian and Coral Crissey, both 25, just launched the state's first virtual Maine Lobster Museum this week. The venture took the couple eight months of planning, designing, researching, and building to bring the virtual museum to life. For $10 for a day pass, visitors can browse a virtual experience dedicated to the rich culture, history, and sustainability of Maine's iconic lobster industry. Sebastian Crissey, who grew up in Maine, credits several experiences with this new venture.… Read more
For those coming back to Maine, here's what's new...
Welcome back to the Midcoast, Snow Birds 2025
MIDCOAST—This year, we are consolidating our annual “Welcome back” article to acquaint those who haven’t been around this winter with what’s open, what’s closed, what's new, and what's happening in the Midcoast. Belfast Pulling Corks: A new wine bar and shop recently opened at 31 Pendleton Street. It offers a curated selection of wines and snacks, such as cheese, charcuterie, popcorn, and olives along with some lighter wine-friendly fare. Carousel Wine & Cheese opened in early… Read more
Midcoast Sports Exchange moves to Rockland, doubles its space
ROCKLAND—Midcoast Sports Exchange, a center for used and new sports equipment and recreational gear, recently moved from the former KeyBank building in Camden Market Square to the vacant sporting goods store, Olympia Sports in Rockland's Harbor Plaza. Justin Hovey, the store's owner, said the new location has more than doubled the store's inventory space. "In the last space, we were constantly moving seasonal inventory up and down the stairs and re-arranging things," he said. "It was… Read more
launched Feb 1 with live stream coverage of the US National Toboggan Championships
StreamState, a new streaming service, offers movies, TV, live video of everything Maine
PORTLAND—A new Maine-based film and TV streaming service just launched this month. If the creators achieve their goal, the platform will be a curated "Netflix for Maine" with immersive documentaries, feature films, TV programs, live events, and cultural deep dives.Rory Strunk, his business partner, Tristan Noyes, and media Director Ken Hess from O'Maine Studios launched StreamState on February 1 with a platform of Maine-focused movie features, such as Islander; TV programs, such as… Read more
Initiative to create new business chamber begins; Rock Coast Entrepreneurs to take lead on networking, education functions
ROCKLAND — Almost one month ago, the Board of Directors governing the Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce announced that organization's dissolution following its financial collapse. It came as shock to the Rockland-Camden region, where the chamber, once the fourth largest chamber of commerce in the state, had been considered a stalwart fixture. That Dec. 12 announcement was accompanied by a message that a plan was evolving to create a new structure — not to replace the chamber, but… Read more
Just a stone's throw from the South End
Stone Alley Brewing emerges as Rockland's newest brewery
ROCKLAND — Six friends, homebrewers themselves, launched their dream job last month. Taking over after Liberator Brewing Company closed, Shawn and Andrea Wilcox, Jill Mitchell, Brandon Allen, and Tara and Todd Boynton launched Stone Alley Brewing at 218 South Main Street in Rockland. Like most great stories, their entrepreneurial venture began over pints of home brew with their buddies. "We got the crazy idea we should start a brewery together," said Todd Boynton. "When Richard [Ruggerio, owner… Read more
Maineport Brewing Company is Searsport's newest hangout
SEARSPORT—At the site of the old Captain Tinkham's Emporium, a new brewery has quietly opened, becoming a new "third place" for locals and visitors to sit down at the wooden benches, talk, and enjoy a craft brew. Rob and Paula Martell opened Maineport Brewing on 34 E. Main Street in June, after relocating to Searsport from Los Angeles during the pandemic.The brewery offers four brews on tap, all special recipes crafted by Rob Martell, who honed his home brewing skills while running an… Read more
Open to the public on weekends and offering the road stand all season
Sweet little roadside stand blossoms into a full garden nursery in Lincolnville
LINCOLNVILLE—It’s always exciting to see someone’s hobby bloom into a full entrepreneurial business as we’ve seen in past PenBay Pilot stories, from The Scone Goddess in Northport and Sunflour Meals & Cookies in Hope. Two years ago, PenBay Pilot stumbled upon Lincolnville resident Jessica Weeks’ tiny roadside plant stand in a local story, “The beauty of roadside farm stands.” Back then, Weeks and her husband were growing a small garden of herbs, vegetables, plants, and flowers for passersby… Read more
In business
‘Mise en place’ serves up a place for home cooks in Rockland
ROCKLAND—It was Anthony Bourdain’s first book, Kitchen Confidential that first introduced me to the chef’s term, mise en place, a French expression for having all your ingredients measured, cut, and prepared and all your tools all aligned before you start cooking. For Eileen Gaughan, the owner of the new kitchen store Mise En Place that just opened in May on 425 Main Street, the term was apropos of her entire store concept. “I love to cook and I love to read… Read more
In business
Camden’s new wine bar, First Fig, opens on Elm Street
CAMDEN — First Fig, a neighborhood wine shop and bar at 31 Elm Street, has opened for business, Wednesday through Saturday 12-7 p.m.Tucked into a welcoming old storefront adjacent to the Camden Opera House, First Fig’s offerings include a retail wine shop, wine by the glass, Guinness, Kavka coffee, tea and other non-alcoholic beverages.Fresh bread from Brazen Baking Company (Wednesdays and Fridays) and pastries from the Place Bakery (Saturdays) are regularly available. A simple bar menu… Read more
Albatross Restaurant to offer new Camden dining experience
CAMDEN – Albatross is a new restaurant opening at 115 Elm Street in Camden, on the same property as the Cedar Crest Inn. Owners Maggie and Jeffrey Harris have a rich history in the food service industry and this is their first foray into restaurant ownership. Maggie is from Austin, Texas, and Jeffrey is from Fairfield, Iowa. Maggie said her mom has always loved Maine. “Jeffrey and I met each other in college in the art department of Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa,” she said. “We both… Read more
ScrapDogs Community Compost has diverted 260,000 pounds of food waste from landfills so far in 2023
Young couple makes it their mission to divert food waste from Midcoast landfills
MIDCOAST—It’s been five years since Rockport native Davis Saltonstall and his partner Tessa Rosenberry started ScrapDogs Community Compost, an innovative business to collect food waste from subscriber restaurants and Midcoast households, keeping it out of the landfills.
“When we first started, it really felt more like a project than a business,” said Rosenberry.
That was in 2018: they only had between 80 and 100 customers and no facilities.
“We were composting at a farm, and because we… Read more
Darrowby Farm Sanctuary open house, Oct. 14
Jefferson couple take on 50 farm animals as a sanctuary
JEFFERSON—In a rural corner of Maine, a sanctuary for farm animals has quietly taken shape for pigs, goats, equines, and birds who’ve been abandoned or dumped by their owners. Or, who grew too big to be “pets.”
Amanda Glenn and Andy Theriault bought the 50 acre-property in 2018, not knowing at the time, that a draft horse named Jay would change the course of their lives.
The couple both grew up in Maine.
“I quit teaching to start a pet care business,” said Glenn, Darrowby’s founder and… Read more
in business
New Downeast School of Massage graduate opens business in Camden
Cody Wilson, of Camden, was one of eight recent graduates from the Downeast School of Massage. The school held commencement exercises for the new massage therapists as the 71st graduation class July 15, at the school in Waldoboro. As an LMT and Fitness Trainer, Wilson runs On Point Massage at a private studio five minutes from downtown Camden. He enjoys helping people with chronic stress, orthopedic challenges, sports injuries, acute and chronic illness. Wilson uses various massage… Read more
Midcoast entrepreneurs
Camden’s ‘Lazy Jack II’ sails with a new captain at the helm
CAMDEN - Captain Gus Kodros is originally from Alton, Illinois When asked what brought him to Camden, he says with a wry smile, “a boat.” Kodros recently purchased the Schooner Lazy Jack II from its builder Sean O’Connor, of Thomaston. O’Connor operated the Lazy Jack out of Camden Harbor for many years, offering day sails to locals and tourists. Kodros said it was the Nina and Pinta that originally attracted him to Camden Harbor. “I took one look… Read more
Motifs, once a Rockland store, reemerges on Camden Wharf
CAMDEN—A favorite Rockland store has reemerged in Camden on the Lyman-Morse waterfront boardwalk this summer. Motifs, a boutique specializing in coastal-inspired wares, men’s and women’s fashion, home décor, vintage, and antiques, reopened Memorial Day weekend. The store is run by Paula Jalbert, who has the same exuberant style as she did when we first covered her Rockland location in a 2014 story. Jalbert has been in retail for 40 years having opened her first store in 1981, a card shop… Read more
Goods, Mosaic, and Paper Plane
Three new bars/restaurants invigorate downtown Camden
After the pandemic left a dearth of empty storefronts in Camden around 2022, as reported in our annual Welcome Back Snow Birds series, the town has gotten a shot in the arm with a number of new restaurants.
Here’s what’s popping this summer:
Goods —A Fun Food Shop & Bar
Even though Goods, a specialty market on 31 Elm Street in Camden, has technically been open for a year, owners Megs Senk and George Korsnick have developed a new offering in the little market—a bar with snacks starting at… Read more
Nicole Moore’s Maine Produce Alliance is a chef’s and home cook’s dream
Liberty farmer launches statewide network with Maine Produce Alliance
LIBERTY— From 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Nicole Moore, a first-generation Liberty farmer, does not stop working. Most farmers understand that lifestyle already, but Moore has more on her plate than just growing produce. This past January, Moore founded Maine Produce Alliance, an online and offline network of nearly 50 farmers throughout the state of Maine. With 38 restaurant accounts, natural food stores, farmer’s markets, wholesale accounts, and individual customers, Moore and her team travel… Read more
Finds home in former ‘Bob the Butcher’s’ old barber shop
Dark Harbor Barber Company expands with second location in Waldoboro
WALDOBORO – The faces of Waldoboro are changing and we mean that literally; heads, too, for that matter. Dark Harbor Barber Company has established a shop at 904 Main Street. Sam Weldon, (owner/barber, opened the original barber shop in Rockland, currently at 436 Main Street. Bringing on D.J. Jones as a partner/barber, the two enjoyed immediate success in the Rockland area. Something exclusive about the barber shop is that it does not sport the traditional red and white barber pole, but is… Read more
Excellent food at pre-pandemic price points
The Apron takes off at Knox County Regional Airport
OWLS HEAD—Though the Knox County Regional Airport may be far away from the downtown Rockland dining scene, the fast-casual eatery called The Apron at Terminal A located inside the terminal is hoping to cement itself as a social and cultural hub in the coming months. Matthew Stilphen, owner of The Apron, is a one-man operation with a simple philosophy: Make good food at prices working people can afford. The space is designed to be a food truck without wheels. A former reporter for the… Read more
Anodyne, a new bookshop in Searsport, is another gem to the burgeoning Main Street
SEARSPORT—A new, independent bookshop has opened in Searsport to the delight of Midcoast book lovers. The grand opening of Anodyne at 33 East Main Street, took place April 8. Owner Elly Burnett, a former attorney, saw the bookstore as a way to shift toward the meaningful and personal, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic. She estimated that more than 100 people came through the shop for the opening. “It was just phenomenal,” she said. “We had people from the Midcoast and as far away as… Read more
On Camden Harbor at the Lyman-Morse marina
Whistling Whale cold brew coffee bar opens in Camden
CAMDEN—A cold-brew coffee shop has just opened on the quiet side of the Camden harbor this spring. Tom and Holly Griffin opened their first Camden-based business in the Lyman-Morse Marina April 5 serving cold brewed coffee and home-baked goods. “We’re not a traditional coffee shop,” he explained. “We’re on the edge of being a brewery. Cold-brewed coffee means no heat is applied to the coffee. We brew in five seven-gallon S.S. Brewtech brewers designed for the coffee industry; it’s brewed… Read more
Restaurant relaunches to be a casual neighborhood spot for drinks and snacks
Wolfpeach 2.0 relaunches with a new dining concept in Camden
CAMDEN—Wolfpeach, a Camden restaurant at 50 Elm Street, has undergone some pivotal changes since it opened in 2021. First, it opened as a pop-up to meet the community’s needs while renovating the restaurant’s interior; then, as a full-scale restaurant, which was named as a semi-finalist for the James Beard awards. And it is now, as what owners Gabriela Acero and Derek Richard call “wolfpeach 2.0,”—a more casual, neighborhood establishment.
“We’re still the same name, same team, same space, it’… Read more
Set to open at the end of April
Hot Hill Tavern brings lunch, dinner and late-night menu back to Thomaston
THOMASTON—A Thomaston couple has plans to open a community tavern and restaurant in the spring with the aim of serving lunch and dinner as well as give late-night workers—such as restaurant staff and second-shift workers— a place to grab a bite and a sip past 9 p.m. The old Weymouth Grange Hall, formerly Billy’s Tavern, and most recently, a second location for Thresher’s Brewing Company, is named Hot Hill Tavern, after co-owner Nate Miller’s “Hot Hill” sauces, a recipe he perfected as a stay-at… Read more
Small Business Owner Resources
Maine's Small Business Resource Center
Midcoast artists and makers: Is consignment right for you?
19 Free Resources for Small Businesses to Leverage Year-Round
U.S. Dept. of Treasury Small Business Resoures
Maine's Blue Economy
Maine's Blue Economy is defined as a sustainable and equitable ocean economy that optimizes innovation to expand economic opportunities in our coastal communities and to solve pressing societal needs. It is grounded in Maine’s maritime heritage, research expertise, and location.
According to a Dec. 5, 2025 report, Maine’s ocean economy contributes nearly $6.8 billion a year and supports more than 90,000 jobs across dozens of industries. These jobs shape life in many coastal and inland communities and represent one of the state’s biggest long-term economic opportunities.
In June 2025, the Legislature reestablished the state's Blue Economy Task Force and codified the definition of Maine’s blue economy. This new Task Force was charged with two priorities: 1) develop recommendations for a Maine Center for the Blue Economy; and 2) recommend improvements to blue economy workforce and training programs.
Read the Task Force report here.
According to the Maine Center for Economic Policy's December 17, 2025 report, "State of Working Maine 2025, Strengthening Economic Opportunity in Rural Communities and Beyond" that:
