The owner of Dunkin’ at 319 Main St. in Lewiston received approval this week to build a store at the vacant lot at 420 Main St. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal Buy this Photo
This week the Buzz is bursting, and not just from 12 pounds of poutine, though we’ll get to that.
First up: One of Lewiston’s Main Street Dunkin’ coffee shops is on the move.
On Monday night, the Planning Board unanimously approved a new Dunkin’ for 420 Main St. and 23 Whipple St., according to David Hediger, the city’s director of planning and code enforcement.
The only caveat: The city will study pedestrian movements around the new location and determine the best spot for a new crosswalk, which developer Collette’s Donut Shoppe, LLC, will pay for.
Collette’s is also bearing the cost of extending the center turning lane to 420 Main St.
The 2,532-square-foot building will have two drive-thru lanes, seating for 25 inside and a portico for sitting outside, according to plans filed with the board.
The $1.3 million project will start immediately, and Hediger said the developer would like to open in late fall 2020.
Some neighbors came out early against the project over parking concerns but none spoke Monday night.
While it might become a 24-hour location eventually, the current plan is to open from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. with 25 to 30 employees, according to a letter from Stoneybrook Land Use Inc.
What will become of the Dunkin’ at 319 Main St.?
Norm Boulay Jr., with Collette’s, said Tuesday he’s not sure at this time.
Starbucks is an early contender in the rumor mill, but there’s nothing to see here, says a corporate spokeswoman:
“Starbucks is always looking for great locations to better meet the needs of our customers and we are continually evaluating our store portfolio. At this time, we remain focused on serving communities at our existing stores in Maine and have no store-opening plans to announce.”
Heather Jeselskis-Swift cuts Dennis Lemieux’s hair at Proper Cuts in Lewiston on Tuesday. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal Buy this Photo
A CUT AND A SHAVE
After working with others for years, Heather Jeselskis-Swift said she decided to go out on her own, opening Proper Cuts barbershop last month in the Marketplace Mall at 675 Main St. in Lewiston.
Last year, she was part of Judy & Heather’s Barbershop on Sabattus Street. She’d been at Marcel’s Barber Shop in Auburn for five years before that.
“Men’s cuts is my specialty, but I do women’s cuts, perms, colors, waxing — I do everything,” Jeselskis-Swift said. “I’m a licensed cosmetologist, but I prefer to work in the barbering field.”
She lives in Lewiston and has two daughters, and going solo is going great so far.
“I’m meeting all kinds of new faces, people referred by other customers,” she said. “I’m finding lots of ways to cater to my customers. I do hot towels and straight razor shaves on the back of the neck, to kind of give a little treatment to the gentlemen because they deserve it, too.”
Jeselskis-Swift may hire someone part time in the future, potentially doing nails or massage.
“I know a lot of men, they want to get their feet done, but they’re embarrassed to go into a nail salon,” she said.
ANOTHER WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Illinois-based Lanter Delivery Systems has moved its Maine headquarters from Portland to 71 Commercial St. in Lewiston.
Nick Lucas, an associate broker at The Boulos Co. who helped broker the lease with Boulos’ Chris Paszyc and Anne Zanola of Colliers International, said Lanter started its search looking elsewhere in the Portland area.
“They service car dealerships all throughout the state,” he said, and needed space with five or six loading docks. “I sent the building over to them and it was a really good fit.”
The nearly 10,000 square feet on Commercial Street with plenty of loading docks had been vacant.
Within Maine, Lanter services up to Bangor.
“They looked at their map and realized it was actually a smart business decision being in Lewiston,” Lucas said. “So the combination of the building working really, really well for what they do and also the location were really the driving factors with them locating there.”
Keith Saunders, left, and Ed Dippilito work on a 12-pound bowl of poutine during an eating challenge Saturday at Pinky D’s Poutine Factory in Auburn. They were declared the winners with only gravy left. Pinky D’s Poutine Factory photo
12 POUNDS OF POUTINE OR BUST
More than 700 people turned out Saturday to celebrate the first anniversary of Pinky D’s Poutine Factory inside Side By Each Brewing Co.
As part of that, 10 men, five teams of two, stepped into the poutine ring for an eating contest: devour five pounds of fries, three pounds of cheese curds and three-quarters of a gallon of gravy in 30 minutes or less.
A pair of Auburn firefighters won with just a bit of gravy left in their bowl.
“Five minutes into it, all they had was gravy left,” said Pinky D’s Randy Smith. “They were drinking the gravy out of the bowl and I’m like, ‘Oh my god, this is nuts.’ About 15 minutes (in), they were like, ‘There’s no way.'”
Two teams tapped out and in the end, Keith Saunders and Ed Dippilito, having eaten the most, were declared winners with a $100 prize and T-shirt each.
Smith is already making plans for next year’s contest.
Jason Bucknam, left, and Kevin Cunningham talk in June 2019 about opening their My Waffle food truck on Memorial Day. Sun Journal file photo
FEELING FOOD TRUCKISH?
My Waffle is up for sale.
The 2019 local startup by friends Jason Bucknam and Kevin Cunningham made money last year with a busy schedule, but “we are selling because the impact on our family was too much!,” according to a post on Craigslist on Tuesday.
After listing everything on the truck, it continues:
“If we don’t sell soon we will run it for the 2020 season and see what happens from there. We have already started to book larger events for the 2020 season.”
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.
