LEWISTON – Did you miss the whole Greenwich Village coffeehouse scene of the ’60s?

Not to worry. Lewiston’s latest eatery gives you a chance to nosh on classic cafe fare while nursing an espresso and humming along to a guitar-playing folk singer.

Or bouncing along to a banjo-strumming bluegrass player.

Or swaying to a smoky jazz trio.

“We’re trying to create an atmosphere where people can still hold a conversation, but enjoy local musicians as well,” said Randy Letourneau, one half of the entrepreneurial team that recently opened She Doesn’t Like Guthries.

The cafe/coffeehouse on Middle Street has been a longtime dream for Letourneau, who has played guitar with various local bands since graduating from Lewiston High School 12 years ago. Inspired by Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie, Letourneau has great respect for singer/songwriters and the kind of activism they can inspire.

It was his fondness for Guthrie that made him suggest “Guthries” as the name of the coffeehouse.

But Heather Morin – the other half of the entrepreneurial team – didn’t like it at first. So Letourneau, who has a background in graphic art, added the “She Doesn’t Like” prefix and the quirky name was born.

“It’s always a conversation starter,” said Letourneau, who flashed a quick smile at Morin.

The two are partners “on all levels,” as Heather likes to say: business, life, love. Although it’s been Randy’s dream to run his own business, she brings her own passion to the enterprise.

“We talked a lot about how I wanted this to be an ecological presence in the community … it’s important to us both to have an environmentally sustainable business,” she said.

To whit: All the cutlery and to-go cups and containers are made from a Nebraska corn product that completely degrades within 60 to 90 days of disposal. Plates are a fanciful mix of flea-market finds. Most of the food is produced either in the L-A area or within Maine, and much of it organic. The menu features plenty of vegetarian and vegan offerings, as well as variety of panini sandwiches, burritos, quesadillas, soups and salads.

The beer tap features many made-in-Maine labels and the coffee is courtesy of Coffee By Design, a Portland-based company that roasts its own beans and embraces a similar sustainable business philosophy.

“It’s important to support each other and to know what kind of environmental footprint your business is creating,” said Morin, a former science teacher at Leavitt Area High School who is now working on her graduate degree in ecological teaching and learning from Lesley University.

Her and Letourneau’s green philosophy even extended to the construction phase of the project. With help from both families (Heather’s dad runs G.M. Morin contractors and Randy’s family boasts several masons), they used low- or no-VOC paint wherever they could and recycled brick for the serving bar and archway.

It’s the brick that lends the cafe its cozy atmosphere. There’s seating for about 40 people, scattered among conventional tables and chairs, a couple of picnic tables and couches – all with nearby wireless connections. Fresh flowers adorn many of the table tops and the pair plan to have local artwork displayed on the walls. A guitar and audio system remain fixtures against one wall, a visual reminder that the cafe actively supports live music.

There’s even a toy chest in one corner, an inducement for people to feel comfortable bringing their children to Guthries.

“There’s not a lot of places for kids to watch great music,” said Letourneau, father to Mya, 7, and Andrew, 4. “It’s important to us to have a nice atmosphere where everyone’s comfortable.”

That inclusive attitude helped convince city officials and neighbors that Guthries wouldn’t be contributing to the downtown’s rowdy club problem. “We’re polar opposites,” said Letourneau.

“It’s so important to have a sense of community,” said Morin, who also graduated from LHS. “If we can help create that, and be happy with it and share with everyone else … that would be something great.”