Two local entrepreneurs measure success one jigger at a time.
LEWISTON – Scott Verreault and Marcus Verrill are conspiring to bring a little uptown to the downtown.
The two local entrepreneurs just opened 351, a martini bar on Lisbon Street. The upscale eatery/lounge is in a section of lower Lisbon Street long associated with seedy bars and social clubs.
But the area is changing. The city’s $20 million southern gateway project is expected to bring 200 to 300 new, mostly professional workers to the neighborhood. Verreault and Verrill see them as future customers.
“We see what’s happening here with the city and we want to be part of it,” said Verreault of the Oxford Networks and Northeast Bank building projects. The lounge is catering to professional people who want to meet for drinks after work or before a performance at the neighboring Public Theatre.
The interior design reflects the desired clientele. The decor is understated and elegant, anchored by a granite-patterned serpentine bar that seats 14. Cultured-stone walls provide the backdrop of the bar, which boasts 163 different spirits, as well as the backdrop of a small fireplace where upholstered chairs provide a cozy conversation nook.
Leather couches define one section of the room, and there are four, small bistro tables scattered about as well.
“We’re trying to provide a relaxing, professional atmosphere for people to be in, without having to worry about loud music or people elbowing each other,” said Verreault.
Of course, if a customer wants loud music or a crowd, he or she could go next door to the Gallery, also owned by this pair. The downtown club has been open two years, and Verreault and Verrill timed the opening of 351 to coincide with the Nov. 24 anniversary of the dance club.
Aptly named
The martini bar takes its name from its address: 351 Lisbon St. But it also provides the bar’s theme. It opens every day at 3:51 p.m., it offers 351 different martinis (the top 100 are memorized by the bar staff) and most martinis are under $4. The bar also offers a menu of appetizers and entrees, including many salads, wraps, sushi and chicken dishes.
Martinis, contrary to Bond lore, are not just the classic concoction of gin and vermouth. They are any combination of alcohol or spirits that aren’t diluted by mixers, juice or other nonalcoholic additives.
To date, the most popular martini at 351 is the Marcus martini: a double shot of espresso liqueur, Tia Maria, Godiva white chocolate liqueur and Stoli vanilla vodka.
“People are loving it,” said Verrill, for whom the drink is named.
Verrill has a particular motive for wanting to see the bar succeed. A native of Little Canada, Verrill said his mother tended bar at the same location when it was the L.A. Workingman’s Club. He said lots of people tried to talk him out of opening an upscale bar on Lisbon Street, but he believes the city is coming into its own and it’s a sound business decision. His partner concurs.
“A lot of people gave us six months when we opened the Gallery and two years later we’re still here,” said Verreault, who’s a Lisbon native.
The bar was closed for four days when bricks from an adjacent condemned building fell on its roof. But it’s back in business and eager to make its mark on the emerging Lisbon Street revival.
“The roof falling in hurt us bad,” said Verreault. “But we’re going to pull through, and work with the city to help upgrade the neighborhood. We’re definitely an asset to this area.”
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