Mainebiz

V O L . X X V I I I N O. X X I I I O C T O B E R 1 7 , 2 0 2 2 16 M I D C O A S T / D O W N E A S T F O C U S Barrett has lived in the area for over four years and is also one of three women-owned businesses in town. Barrett had always dreamed of operating her own bookstore since her childhood. In 2018 she acquired the Compass Rose Books, and her dream became a reality. Castine locals got busy during the pandemic. e community rallied together to support the local busi- nesses that were able to make it through the pandemic. According to Barrett, everyone remembered that they'd always meant to read "Moby-Dick" or "e Decameron." e bookstore began doing a lot of porch drop-offs and mailed many books. After two awful years, a glimmer of hope was brought to the town when two legacy businesses reopened. e charming midcoast spot which offers cozy inns and beautiful views has welcomed a new generation of business owners to the area. "In a small town like Castine, every business feels the impact when another business closes or shifts somehow," says Barrett. "For example," she says, "I added a merchandising refrigerator to my store so we could sell sandwiches and prepared foods this past year. I made that choice because a much-loved bakehouse closed and has not yet reopened. Limited food options present a chal- lenge — and an opportunity — for every remain- ing business in town, but there are risks and costs associated with changes a very small business makes to its business model. For us, it's been great thus far — we work with local chefs and bakers, we source from local farms, and we have been able to absorb the added costs of more food service." The return of Dennett's Wharf Dennett's Wharf, at 15 Sea St., had been closed since 2016. e restaurant reopened under new stewardship from an award-winning chef, restau- rateur and hospitality team: Katzenberg, who had moved from Brooklyn, N.Y., and Ingrid Paronich and Chef Taylor Hester. ey reopened the restau- rant on June 16, in time for the summer rush. Dennett's Wharf was originally a beacon for boaters, but has operated for much of the last 25 years as a restaurant, albeit with several ownership changes and periods of closure in recent years. A historic inn on Main Street e 128-year-old Pentagoet Inn & Wine Bar on Main Street is the coastal town's oldest summer inn. e midcoast Maine bed and breakfast was built in 1894. It has a prominent three-story turret, gables, an adjoining 18th-century house, and a charming wraparound porch. In the summer, a New York couple, Matt Powell and George Trinovitch, alongside Monica Powell as a financial advisor, took ownership this past spring. Powell and Trinovitch bought the Pentagoet Inn & Wine Bar at 26 Main St. from Julie Van de Graaf and Jack Burke, who owned the business for 22 years. Powell comes from a background in high end restaurant hospitality and marketing, and Trinovitch has worked in the interior design and restoration industry for many years. e Castine community has been credited with not only welcoming the new business owners but helping their projects become a reality this summer. Katzenberg credited the local community for coming together to help the project, including pro- viding housing and working capital. e community showed excitement to see the restaurant open with the three new partners. e project included workflow improvements, refurbishing a deck, and building a new service area. Powell and Trinovitch say that on the second day there were at least 10 people that came in wanting to introduce themselves. "We had people dropping off bottles of gin, cham- pagne and casseroles, just welcoming us to the neigh- borhood. at welcome attitude has only continued throughout the entire season," says Powell. "is is such a network that we needed because we are so social that we knew we would miss our friend » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E P H O T O / DAV I D C L O U G H Compass Rose Books owner Johanna Barrett acquired the downtown business in 2018. She was on the front end of a wave of new owners in legacy businesses. Limited food options present a challenge — and an opportunity — for every remaining business in town, but there are risks and costs associated with changes a very small business makes to its business model. — Johanna Barrett Compass Rose Books P H O T O / DAV I D C L O U G H

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