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V O L . X X V I I N O. X M AY 1 7 , 2 0 2 1 18 S M A L L B U S I N E S S F O C U S LONG ISLAND Byers & Sons Long Island Bakehouse In March 2020, Catlin and Matthew Byers bought the Long Island Store, dating back to 1909, and created Byers & Sons Long Island Bakehouse. Catlin's family has long summered on Long Island. She's a former business analyst and advertising agent. Matthew is a merchant mariner who ships out six months each year. ey signed a purchase-and-sale as the pandemic was taking hold, had a chance to back out, persevered, per- formed renovations and opened last June. Operations surpassed expectations, with over $250,000 in sales, which they reinvested into renovations, equip- ment upgrades and debt service. Sales included over 5,000 home-baked goods and 23,000 gallons of gasoline. Over the winter, they maintained limited hours to sell gasoline and monthly pizza. "I have never worked so hard in my life, and we're happy that we made enough money to pay the bills," says Catlin. Last summer saw as many as 300 orders per day. ey expect that to increase this year, based on the number of renters and vacationers they've seen. "We haven't seen this level of activity for a long time, especially this early in the season," she says. NORTHEAST HARBOR Nor'Easter Pound & Market When Ronald Musetti and Adam Fraley, childhood friends now in their early 20s, conceived the idea of opening a restaurant and retail seafood market in Northeast Harbor, they didn't know they'd be opening in a pandemic. ey adapted. Fraley is trained as a naval architect. Musetti is a lobsterman. ey opened the Nor'Easter Pound & Market a year ago with online ordering, curbside takeout, a wide-open deck and spaced indoor dining. e business leverages local prod- ucts, including Musetti's lobsters, combined with a local movement seek- ing to position Northeast Harbor as a destination. Financing mainly with savings, a small bank loan and sweat equity, success struck early. "e deck was fully booked through- out the summer," says Fraley. "People stayed interested well into October. ey brought blankets." ey sold retail seafood, too. "at turned out to be very success- ful," he continues. "Lots of people were cooking at home." is year, plans including installing barriers to allow more seats in the bar area and HEPA air filtration units; shipping seafood nationwide, possibly year-round; and streamlining the takeout process. "Quite a few people ask us to send sea- food to relatives," he says. "We'll also have it available to order through our website. We'll do a lot of advertising this year." e venture started with anxiety. "But between having the space we did and people making a conscious effort to support us, we did pretty well," says Fraley. "We paid all our bills and had enough going into this year." Laurie Schreiber, Mainebiz senior writer, can be reached at lschreiber @ mainebiz.biz WANT TO BUILD A BUSINESS YOU LOVE? We are here for you. From Wicked Fast working capital loans to business advice and policy advocacy, CEI is here to help Maine's small businesses. 207.504.5900 www.ceimaine.org Gain access to unlimited articles & lists for download Access to print and digital editions, website content, email newsletters, and downloadable business lists, plus events discounts! MAINEBIZ.BIZ/PRINTSUB Become a premium member of Mainebiz today to receive unlimited access! » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E Catlin and Matthew Byers established Byers & Sons Long Island Bakehouse last summer. Operations surpassed expectations. The deck at Ronald Musetti and Adam Fraley's new Nor'Easter Pound & Market in Northeast Harbor was fully booked last summer. P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y B Y E R S & S O N S L O N G I S L A N D B A K E H O U S E P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y N O R ' E A S T E R P O U N D & M A R K E T

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