Photo / Alexis Wells
Ziggi's Coffee, whose signage is now shrouded, opened on Feb. 20 at 3 Waterfall Drive in Saco, near the Scarborough town line.
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Friday Food Insider: Maine's coffee shops continue to face challenges
File Photo / Alexis Wells
Coffee By Design recently closed its coffee shop at 67 India St. in Portland.
These are tough times for coffee shops in Maine, with another shop recently closing — a branch of Ziggi’s Coffee, a Colorado-based chain that had opened in Saco in February.
Like other food service businesses over the past several years, coffee shops have had to deal with rising supply costs, staffing shortages, wage pressures and pricey real estate.
Many of these businesses are also now competing with giants such as Starbucks and Dunkin, both of which have recently introduced small-format stores just to take on the independents.
Another challenge may be the shifting habits of Maine coffee consumers. In an August poll of Mainebiz readers, 42% said they had reduced the time and money they spend in coffee shops during the previous year. Only 5% of readers said they were spending more.
Factors like these have added up to a series of coffee shop closures, including the following.
- Coffee By Design, which back in the day operated five shops, is down to one. In August, CBD closed a storefront at 67 India St. in Portland, and a year ago shuttered the original shop at 620 Congress St. The company also had a retail location inside L.L.Bean's flagship store in Freeport but closed there in April 2023 in advance of the retailer's campus expansion.
- Starbucks competes with independent stores, but it also feels some of their pain. Starbucks closed its shop at 176 Middle St., Portland, in November 2022, and a year later shut down another Portland branch in the historic Hay Building at 594 Congress St. The chain also closed a coffee shop at the Maine Mall in February.
- Wicked Brew Cafe in Bangor announced via social media in September that it would be closing. The café, home to various coffees, teas and bagels, opened at 173 Park St. in 2017. A post on the café's Facebook page said, "Due to unforeseen health issues and a desire to prioritize family, we have made the difficult decision to close our doors."
- Dandy’s Handy Store, which had long served up coffee and groceries in Yarmouth at 367 Main St., closed in October. It was the latest of several food business closings in the town.
Mary Allen Lindemann, of Coffee By Design, told Mainebiz that the pandemic has not ended for small coffee purveyors like her company.
“The past two years have been harder than the pandemic,” said Lindemann. “We are glad to have made it through the pandemic, but we have definitely been making some changes including making sure our farmers and employees are receiving a sustainable wage."
Lindemann is encouraging residents to get out and support Maine coffee businesses. “We're all in this together,” she said.
Hot dog! It's the Wienermobile!
Keep your eyes open for a 26-foot-long hot dog on wheels — the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile has been spotted in Maine. The Wienermobile will soon be traveling to various events and collecting nonperishable food items as holiday donations for the Wayside Food Pantry.
Photo / Alexis Wells
The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile made a pit stop in Portland on Tuesday. The iconic vehicle was first created in 1936 as a promotion for the famous hot-dog brand.
Among other visits, you can check out this unique vehicle Friday, from 2:30-5:30 p.m., at the Community Night “Food for Rides” in Boothbay Harbor, and at Throttle Car Club in Scarborough from 7-9 p.m.
The Friday Food Insider is working on some fun stories for the coming months. What changes have you seen in the Maine restaurant world? The Mainebiz Food Insider wants to hear from you! Contact Alexis Wells at awells@mainebiz.biz.
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