Courtesy / Hug's Italian Restaurant
The seller, Beth Strout, left, and buyer, Ashley LeBlanc.
Updated: January 16, 2024
A Carrabassett Valley restaurant known for loyal customers is sold to one
Courtesy / Malone Commercial Brokers
Hug's Italian Restaurant has two dining rooms that seat about 50 people in all. Seats are totally booked on most nights.
The warmth poured out among Facebook commenters upon the transfer of ownership of a restaurant in Carrabassett Valley that has drawn loyal diners over the decades.
Beth Strout sold Hug's Italian Restaurant, at 3001 Town Line Road, to Ashley LeBlanc for $788,000.
John Doyon of Malone Commercial Brokers brokered the transaction.
On the restaurant’s Facebook page, one commenter said, “One of my favorite spots!”
“Our most favorite restaurant in Maine and we drive 90 miles one way to eat there,” said another.
“We have loved and enjoyed your restaurant since 1994,” said a third. “Have never missed a visit to Hugs when we traveled to Sugarloaf.”
Near Sugarloaf
The 1,200-square-foot restaurant was marketed as “a favorite of Sugarloafers for over 25 years.”
Located on the corner of Town Line Road and Route 27, it is less than one mile before the Sugarloaf Access Road when driving from Kingfield to the mountain. The restaurant features informal dining and a full bar. It has two dining rooms that seat about 50 people in all. Seats are totally booked on most nights, according to the listing.
Courtesy / Malone Commercial Brokers
The 1,200-square-foot Carrabassett Valley restaurant was marketed as “a favorite of Sugarloafers for over 25 years.”
The sale included storage sheds, furniture, fixtures and equipment.
Under the seller’s ownership the restaurant has been open four nights per week during the winter ski season and for the latter part of the summer into early fall.
The 1.5-acre site was marketed as an opportunity for expansion of the building and/or outside seating, subject to town approval.
Carrabassett Valley, in Franklin County, had a year-round population of 673 at the 2020 census. As home to Sugarloaf, Maine’s biggest ski resort, the population expands by up to 10,000 seasonal homeowners and guests during weekends and prime seasons. Other features of the area include the Sugarloaf Golf Course, a $104.5 million development at Sugarloaf that includes resort-based housing, a new restaurant and lodge, ski trails and lift on West Mountain, and a network of hiking and biking trails.
Quick sale
Hug’s was on the market for just a few weeks, said Doyon.
“There was quite a bit of interest,” he said. “It has a very loyal following.”
Doyon mentioned that he’s one of the regulars.
“It’s not a fancy building, yet it has the best food in the region,” he said, citing the chicken limone as one of his favorites.
The seller
The seller, Beth Strout, said the restaurant was established in the mid-1980s by Jack and Huguette Flanagan. The restaurant is named for Huguette.
Strout began working at Hug’s, on and off, in 1988. Another owner came along, and then Strout bought it in 1999. She expanded the menu to include dishes such as chicken parmesan and meatballs. She owned a second Hug’s in Falmouth from 2010 to 2019.
Courtesy / Malone Commercial Brokers
Hug’s features informal dining and a full bar.
Both attracted numerous repeat customers.
“A lot of people who come to Sugarloaf, I would see them at the Falmouth’s Hugs during the week and then at Hug’s in Carrabassett Valley on the weekends,” she said.
She decided to sell the Carrabassett Valley Hug’s because she was ready for a new chapter.
“I’ve been really, really blessed,” she said. “But change is good and I’m really excited for Ashley and her family. They’ve been eating there for years. They recognize what a special place it is.”
Strout will stay on at least through April to help with the transition.
The buyer
LeBlanc, age 24, has been going to Hug’s with her family since she was a child.
“I’ve always loved it,” she said.
Born and raised in Madison, about 35 miles southeast of Carrabassett Valley, the family often went for weekends of skiing at Sugarloaf.
She always wanted to own a business. So as soon as she saw Hug’s was up for sale, she jumped on the opportunity.
“It was very quick,” said LeBlanc.
LeBlanc isn’t planning any changes.
“I wan it all to stay the same, because it’s amazing as it is,” she said.
She’s never run a restaurant before but is tapping into Strout’s expertise and that of the half-dozen or so employees.
“I knew I had a lot to learn,” LeBlanc said.
The dinner-only restaurant opens in the late afternoon and has a cozy atmosphere complete with strands of twinkly lights strung on the walls.
“Most of the people who come in are regulars who have been coming here forever,” said LeBlanc. “That’s pretty cool.”
Another regional listing
Another stop near Sugarloaf recently went on the market. Doyon is handling the listing for the Maine Beer Shed, at 394 Main St. in Kingfield.
Established in 2020 by Kate and Brian Ray, the business includes a local-farmers market with a beer garden and café, outdoor stage, a 2,000-square-foot retail space, greenhouse, shed on 2 acres.
“It’s a gateway to the mountains and there’s nowhere to buy outdoor gear so I really think someone could do a beer and gear business or something like that, or maybe a make it a hub for outdoor adventure,” Kate Ray told Mainebiz. “It has so much space and it’s right in the middle of town. There are a lot of opportunities.”
The property went on the market mid-December due to a family illness. The listing price is $549,000.
There’s parking for over 20 vehicles, which could be expanded.
Courtesy / Malone Commercial Brokers
Another stop near Sugarloaf recently went on the market due to family illness — Maine Beer Shed in Kingfield established in 2020.
Doyon — who brokered the sale of the Herbert Grand Hotel in Kingfield three times over the past decade — said the buyer pool in the ski area often includes people looking to move to Maine as they transition to semi-retirement or between professions, as well as people who have a connection with the area, such as LeBlanc.
“It could be someone who has a real love or passion for the area, who wants to ski Sugarloaf and be part of the community,” he said.
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