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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 25 O C T O B E R 2 1 , 2 0 2 4 M I D C O A S T / D OW N E A S T She saw plenty of opportunity for a wine bar, thanks to the city's year-round population and its reputation as a cul- tural hub. "My favorite kind of evening is having five to 10 customers and it feels like an extension of my living room," Stanczyk says. "e nice thing about a place like this is you really get to know people. It's very 'Cheers'-like."" Lisa and Jeff Smith started Horn Run Brewing in 2021, then added an eatery. e couple, Calais and Eastport natives respectively, loved visiting brew- eries and decided to start their own. Initially looking at Calais, they felt noth- ing was right. A friend introduced them to Stanczyk, who had recently acquired 75 Water St. and had space available. Lately the couple has expanded to Perry, the next town over. "We have quite a local following throughout the off-season," says Lisa. "We're up to 180 'mug club' members — those are our loyal diehard following." Customers embrace the pub as a gathering and meting space. Open year- round, revenues have climbed at least 30% every year, mostly due to tourists and festivals. "We made a brand for ourselves," says Jeff. "Brewing and tap rooms are really new to this area." Windows and décor Business startup hasn't necessarily been easy, the couple notes. "When we were opening, the his- toric nature of our building had to be addressed just to meet public safety guidelines," says Lisa. Several years ago, Micah Winship opened a historic window restora- tion company, Overstory Restoration. He heads the parks and recreation committee. Coming from Buffalo, N.Y., he and his partner had visited Eastport years before and loved it. Starting a business in the remote city is both easy and chal- lenging, he says. "Getting materials here — there are certain types of wood that aren't avail- able through local lumber suppliers," he says. "On the other hand, it's a really supportive community. And there's no shortage of old houses here." Novack and Bruce's White Birch Exchange evolved from a garden décor online business from their previous St. Andrew's, New Brunswick, home; then a brick-and-mortar store in Calais, add- ing home décor and furniture. But trade in Calais wasn't great. rough word-of-mouth, they learned Quality coverage is everything. Business • Employee Benefits • Bonding • Home • Auto Feeling uncomfortable about your business insurance or benefits plan? Discover how good it feels to work with our experienced advisors. UnitedInsurance.net C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y W H I T E B I R C H E X C H A N G E P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y W H I T E B I R C H E X C H A N G E F O C U S The owners of the White Birch Exchange view locals as their bread-and-butter, but added items for a burgeoning market of cruise ship passengers. From left, Michael Novack and Craig Bruce opened the White Birch Exchange last year and sold out of almost every stick of furniture in the first week.

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