Historic. Resilient. Wicked tough. The words regularly associated with Maine easily could describe one of the Pine Tree State’s oldest retailers as well. In 1897, Mike Povich opened Mike’s Country Store in Ellsworth. More than a century later, the town has witnessed plenty of change—world wars, a major fire, walking on the moon—but Mike’s is still a constant. The once-sleepy Ellsworth, gateway to the popular Acadia National Park, is now Maine’s fastest-growing city, and Mike’s has kept up with the progress.
The original Mike’s building burned in the Great Fire of 1933. It was rebuilt, and the store became famous for its candy counter. Later, it had the first walk-in cooler in town. Adam Hastings, who manages the store today, said he remembers “coming in as a kid and buying penny candy.”
Up until 2014, Mike’s was still owned by the Povich family. When this piece of history came up for sale, real estate agent Jeff Clark wanted to make sure it remained part of Ellsworth’s landscape. “They closed, so we decided to buy so it would stay in business,” Clark said. “I believe it’s the oldest store in town.”
We do things other c-stores don’t do.
Drawing the Locals
As retailers know, the three rules of real estate apply equally to convenience stores: location, location, location. Mike’s benefits from being in a great spot. The Maine Shellfish Co. and a couple of construction companies are right across the street, so the store attracts heavy breakfast and lunch crowds.
On the breakfast menu, the pizza has gotten some attention. It’s pizza crust with eggs, cheese, sausage and bacon. Also popular is Lisa’s Famous Breakfast Sandwich, the specialty of the chef. It’s served on the customer’s choice of biscuit, English muffin, croissant or everything bagel. “Lisa’s been here three years,” Clark said. "She jokes that she’s made a million of them.”
At lunchtime, things get hectic as nearby workers file into the store. The lunch rush is early, running from around 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. And once again, pizza takes center stage. “People like our pizza because we do something special,” Hastings said. “We season the crust with garlic salt.” The store also gets ideas from its customers. For instance, employees at Patriot Automotive requested Alfredo sauce with steak, mushrooms and green peppers. Mike’s put it on the menu as the Patriot Pizza, and it became a big seller.
The Sweet Heat Pizza is another customer favorite. It features a sweet chili sauce base with chicken, pineapple and a ranch drizzle. Jalapeños can be added for customers who want to kick it up a notch.
A variety of sandwiches, subs and wraps—including chicken parmesan, fish & chips and fajitas—round out the menu. Sides range from traditional fries, onion rings and wings to fried ravioli, mushrooms and pickles.
Manager Adam Hastings and owner Jeff Clark show off the store's most popular lunchtime offering.
Fine-tuning ‘Foodservice’
With all the indulgent menu options at Mike’s, the introduction of healthy eats has been a slow process, Hastings said. “It’s been difficult because most regular customers get the same thing every day,” he said. The store does offer three different types of salads—chef, Cobb and tossed—for customers looking for lighter fare.
And the core menu is evolving with the times. “One lady has a strict diet, and we had to search for gluten-free crust that didn’t have xanthan gum in it,” Hastings said. Some stores might have told her the crust is simply too hard to find, but Mike’s found a crust that met her needs, which is now on the menu too.
The store also offers a redemption center, which provides customers a service while serving as a revenue stream. Bottles and cans sold in Maine have a five-cent deposit. Customers bring them to Mike’s, and the store gets about 3.5 cents as a handling fee.
Mike’s prides itself on going the extra mile—and often, the last mile—for its customers. “We do things other c-stores don’t do,” Hastings said. “We offer commercial delivery for lunch around town. On weekends, we do residential delivery. I’ve delivered cigarettes and beer before. The only thing we ask is that you tip the driver.
“You take care of your customers, and they will take care of you,” Hastings said.
Reeling Them In
Mike’s Country Store has an active Facebook page with more than 1,700 followers. “I try to do one or two posts a day, with at least one offering the customers something,” Clark said. When he offered them a chance to order one pizza at the regular price and name their price on the second pizza, the response was great. “I was expecting everyone to offer a penny for the second pizza, but most offered a dollar or two,” he said. Thinking of ways to bring customers in is an ongoing process. In the past, Mike’s has honored competitors’ coupons and offered a six-inch sub, a drink and chips for $5. However, Clark found that not every offer works. When the store offered beat-the-clock pizza pricing based on the time of day, customer response was tepid.