FARMINGTON — A couple opening a new full-service restaurant called The Company are seeking a “comfortable and affordable” establishment with Maine grown food.
Owners Jon and Lois Bubier will seek a liquor license for the restaurant at 165 Front St. during a public hearing at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 26, when the Board of Selectmen meet in the Municipal Building.
“We’re shooting for mid-December,” Jon Bubier said of the opening that may be postponed. “We want to do it right or we won’t do it at all.”
After buying the property a couple years ago, the Bubiers tore down a small garage on the corner lot beside the entrance to Narrow Gauge Cinema and other Front Street businesses. They proposed to construct a two-story building and rent the downstairs space for another downtown bar or grill to move into.
The building would also house three retail or office spaces on the main floor. Two of those spaces have already been leased, one is still available, Jon Bubier said Wednesday.
Since the work started, the potential renter changed his mind and a couple other inquiries didn’t pan out so the couple decided to open the restaurant themselves, quite by default, he added.
The 75-seat restaurant will feature Maine products, “whatever is fresh off the hoof or in the garden,” Bubier said.
There will be no set menu, just a chalkboard featuring the dishes of the day along with 24 specialty and craft beers on tap and high-end whiskey, if the liquor license is approved, he added.
The menu will change with the seasons, according to what’s out there, Lois Bubier said. It will offer choices that can be healthy but also affordable, she added.
The Bubiers want it to be a place that’s fun and offers something different, he said. They also want it to be a place where everyone is comfortable going for a drink or a meal. Outside seating is planned for warmer weather.
“We’re looking at different ideas that aren’t already offered. You probably go to hundreds of restaurants but once you leave do you remember it? We want it to stand out in people’s minds — something they’ll remember. Something comfortable and affordable with a little twist that most people don’t have,” Lois Bubier said.
A firm believer that there is an opportunity for growth in Farmington, John Bubier said it takes vision and thinking outside the box. He’s working to expand beyond Ron’s Market and the redemption center that the couple now own and run on High Street. Specialty beverages that are available at Ron’s Market will be offered.
Along with their employees at the market, the new restaurant expects to employ about 15, bringing the number of their employees up to about 35, he said.
The couple plan to hire key people with restaurant experience to help run the business, she said.



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