On an island, a general store is a precious commodity. Beyond a means to stretch out visits to the mainland by providing basic groceries, a store becomes a place to meet and socialize, talk over the events of the day and perhaps get a meal cooked by someone else.
This summer, for the first time in years, Frenchboro residents are enjoying the benefits of having their own store, after island resident Tammy DesJardin opened the Offshore Store on July 18.
Like others before her, DesJardin accepted that the island had no store when she moved to Frenchboro three years ago. Other newcomers had more trouble with the lack of facilities, especially the boaters who stop in to visit the scenic island. “We live right on the main drag,” DesJardin explains, “and boaters would stop by my house and ask to buy milk, bread, and lobster.”
At the time, the only option for provisions was the Lunt’s Dockside Deli, an island institution that is open for lunch and dinner in July and August. DesJardin realized that she was looking at an opportunity.
A cautious businesswoman, DesJardin decided to test the waters last summer by offering limited items out of a relative’s basement. “It turned out to be great for the island kids. It gave them a place to walk to for ice cream and soda. I had a lot of boaters stop in… and no one even knew I was there! I decided it might be worth trying.”
DesJardin spent the winter getting their permits in line and began building in April, with the majority of the work being done by her lobsterman husband, Jay.
The Offstore Store is in a 16 foot by 20 foot wood building across the street from the DesJardin house, just a short walk from the town dock. A full commercial kitchen will allow DesJardin to offer breakfasts, lunches, and baked goods.
Islands with small populations have difficulty sustaining year-round grocery stores and DesJardin admits that her success will rely heavily on the boaters and tourists of summertime (Frenchboro has a year-round population of 43).
She has advertised heavily in cruising guides and left her business card at marinas and docks. She’s counting on the fact that boating is a small world and that word of her store is likely to travel fast. DesJardin has a web site (www.offshorestoreandmore.com) and Facebook page.
DesJardin is also hedging her bets by offering a full-slate of services, including basic grocery items, candy and ice cream, live and cooked lobster, sandwiches, lobster rolls, cheeseburgers, subs, hot breakfasts for boaters, “anything that people might be looking for.” She plans to stock the store with fresh vegetables brought over from the mainland this year, with hopes that next summer the new school garden can supply vegetables as a fundraiser.
Her husband, an experienced marine mechanic, can offer boat repair if needed. Her nine-year old son, Brody, is on stand-by with his skiff for boat deliveries. She is also considering the possibility of picking crabmeat and shipping lobsters during the wintertime. While some of the store’s offerings compete with the existing deli, DesJardin thinks she offers a different take and that there is room for both businesses.
Like everyone, DesJardin is worried about the economy and hopes the store helps her family ride out the downturn. “This business is going to be supporting a fishing family. We had to supplement somehow. Out here it’s pretty limited what you can do.” While she hopes to serve the island as a whole, she admits that the boaters are responsible for her new venture. “If boaters hadn’t stopped to ask for things, the idea might not have hit home.”
Cherie Galyean is a freelance writer who lives in Bar Harbor.