This week the Buzz is opening, reopening and rebranding, and making Maine connections.
First up: Eats and refurbished seats.
Posh Emporium and Cafe opened at 41 Millett Drive in Auburn on Saturday, part traditional store, part restaurant and part refurbished furniture shop.
Owner Melissa Simao said she was inspired by both a longtime love of baking and doing clean-outs as a side hobby, often refurbishing the best finds.
“I own three properties right now, and I have stuff, fortunately or unfortunately, at all three properties,” she said.
For something like a solid wood dresser, “I would sand it down, paint it, put new knobs on, or do an ombre color on it, just basically giving the dresser new life, making it shabby chic again,” Simao said.
She liked the idea of somewhere to both eat and shop, and for that devised a menu of what she calls “unique and out-of-this-world sandwiches,” along with soups, salads, desserts, chocolates, pastries and cakes.
“There are some breakfast sandwiches like a cheesecake and bacon stuffed French toast sandwich, or apple pie French toast,” Simao said.
Posh’s menu also includes a loaded baked potato panini, sweet potato nachos and sandwiches available on wraps or lettuce leaves.
Melissa Simao stands in the middle of her new business, Posh Cafe and Emporium Monday afternoon on Millett Drive in Auburn. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal
It’s open Wednesday through Monday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
She said it took about four to five months to pull together all of the details to launch, including receiving one of the city’s STAR loans.
Glen Holmes, Auburn’s director of business and community development, said Posh was the only business to receive one this year, and also the last. The program launched in 2017.
“We are working to create a new business program,” he said Monday. “We hope to launch sometime next year as more funding is identified.”
Heidi Hilton stands in her newly opened Juliet’s Resale Boutique on Monday on Village Street in Lisbon. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal
MOVING FROM AUBURN TO LISBON
Heidi Hilton closed Juliet’s Clothing and Accessories on Center Street last month and this month opened Juliet’s Resale Boutique in Lisbon, smaller and slightly retooled.
She’s been in the clothing resale business for 15 years and found her inspiration at home.
“My father was an antique dealer, so I grew up buying and selling,” Hilton said. “When the opportunity came for the store in Gardiner, I was like, this is really neat. I have eight brothers and sisters and we always shopped yard sales and flea markets and I thought it would be a cool thing to have. It’s just evolved since then.”
A display is seen Monday at Juliet’s Resale Boutique on Village Street in Lisbon. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal
She sold the Gardiner shop nine years ago and had been in Auburn for 14 years, most recently on Center Street.
“We had a really big store, and I always wanted a big store, but I think once COVID came in, that people did not want to shop big anymore and we found that we weren’t getting as many shoppers,” Hilton said.
A display is seen Monday at Juliet’s Resale Boutique on Village Street in Lisbon. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal
At 12 Village St. in Lisbon, the former home of Dr. Mike’s Madness Cafe, and once, she’s been told, the town office and town library, Hilton said she found a building she could own and renovate to fit her needs.
She’s gone from 7,000 square feet in Auburn to 1,200 square feet in Lisbon and narrowed her specialty to clothes for women and teenage girls, along with accessories like belts and handbags.
“I’m very picky at what I take,” she said. “I’m always looking everywhere; I’ll go all over the state to purchase items that fit my criteria to put in the store. My goal is to have a resale shop with a retail feel.”
She opened Nov. 6 and said the community response has been amazing.
“I know I want to do this the rest of my life,” Hilton said. “I love buying and selling, I love giving people deals and discounts, I really enjoy that whole aspect of it. … I’m here every day even though I have a manager, because I’m just really excited about being in the space.”
WELCOME (BACK) TO MAINE
Live and Work in Maine is holding a Welcome Home Event on Tuesday night at Gritty McDuff’s Brew Pub at 68 Main St. in Auburn, one of four events across the state this month targeting both people who have moved back to Maine and those who’ve recently moved here for the first time.
It runs from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Expect networking. Expect Live and Work swag. Expect Shanna Cox.
“This event is perfect for rising professionals and anyone new to the area,” said Cox, president and CEO of the Lewiston Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. “Whether someone is a boomerang Mainer — grew up here and has moved back — or just coming to Maine, this event is a fun way to meet other professionals and people in the area.”
Quick hits about business comings, goings and happenings. Have a Buzzable tip? Contact staff writer Kathryn Skelton at 689-2844 or kskelton@sunjournal.com.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
