Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 27 A P R I L 1 7 , 2 0 2 3 F O C U S R E A L E S TAT E / C O N S T R U C T I O N / E N G I N E E R I N G S aco, a town of 20,381, is known for ornton Academy, Ferry Beach State Park and Funtown Splashtown USA. Although its historic downtown is at a crossroads — with a lack of open spaces, few downtown apartments and just a handful of restaurants — parts of the town are heading into a devel- opment phase. Like many towns in Maine, the U.S. Route 1 corridor has been boom- ing of late, with the addition of several chain restaurants, including Chipotle and Jersey Mike's. Efforts to bring more business to the downtown have been piecemeal, though local officials are hopeful that a range of incentives will help spark new business development. A downtown anchor Rob Biggs, the former executive director of Saco Main Street, opened the Saco Scoop, at 209 Main St, in June 2017. e ice cream shop was created as a space for the community to gather on Main Street. e project also filled a long-time vacant space in what's known as the Atkinson Building. "I took it upon myself to talk to the board and we decided we needed to do something there to create a spark," says Biggs. "It ended up being an ice cream shop with Maine-made products. After that happened, the flower shop and the restaurant behind it came in. We also pushed it to stay open till 9 p.m. seven days a week. With that, we heard from Rapid Ray's [restaurant] that they saw an influx of business coming downtown." e Saco Scoop ran as a nonprofit until Melissa Colley bought the business in January. Colley was first hired as the ice cream shop manager in October of 2019 after her family moved from Kittery when her daughters started school at ornton Academy. "I just needed something to do because they were walking to school," says Colley. "So I took on the job as manager again just as something to do. e rest is history. Saco Main Street considered the Scoop a success, but it blew beyond their expectations, so that is when they decided to sell it." "ey came to me and said, 'Here is the situation: Would you be willing to buy it?' At first, I was like, 'I am going to be 51.' I didn't even know if I wanted to continue managing because, again, I did this as something to do and not a full- time job which is what it turned into. It was just that I had been so loyal." Once Colley took over, she invested in upgrades, including new flooring, and added Maine-themed merchandise, including mugs, ballcaps, stickers and novelty socks. She also expanded the menu, adding fresh, locally baked treats paired with ice cream or a made-to- order espresso, latte, or flavored coffee. Her staff, which primarily consists of high school students who call her Mom, encouraged her to add flavored Red Bull drinks to meet the demand of her younger customers. "It was a successful decision spear- headed by our previous executive director, Rob Biggs," says Angie Presby, who is executive director of Saco Main Street. "e recent sale to the manager for the past three years, Melissa Colley, had a fairytale ending in our eyes. She was the spirit of the Saco Scoop, attracting visitors who enjoyed the ice cream, but were mostly there so they could converse with her and catch up. e scoopers all became family to her, and she's kept them all on as employ- ees. Saco Main Street opened a path for an entrepreneur." What's needed During Biggs' tenure as executive direc- tor of Saco Main Street, he introduced events like the Cabin Fever Reliever — a celebration of all things Maine — and the annual Small Business Saturday, which encouraged people to shop downtown by distributing $5 gift certificates that could be used at local merchants. Biggs has also led efforts for streetscape upgrades like planters, Adirondack chairs, flags, better holiday lighting on Main Street and a creatively painted crosswalk. He spearheaded the creation of Post Office Park from an Stop settling for slow internet, high latency, and network downtime. At APX Net, we design the most reliable, low latency networks available in metro and rural areas. Get a dedicated fiber connection for enhanced network agility, performance, and security. www.apxnet.com Contact Karen Mathis kmathis@apxnet.com (207) 221-8389 LEARN MORE Delivering High-Speed Connectivity to Businesses Nationwide C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » Saco Main Street considered the Scoop a success, but it blew beyond their expectations, so that is when they decided to sell it. They came to me and said, 'Here is the situation: Would you be willing to buy it?' — Melissa Colley Saco Scoop North Saco is in the development phase B y A l e x i s W e l l s

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