Several weeks after Local Cravings in the Twin Town Plaza held its soft opening March 15, the budding restaurant at 247 Main St. has been cooking.

“We have yet to do our grand opening,” owner Miina Pawlowski said recently following the lunch rush, “but we feel like everything has been grand so far.”

New to launching a restaurant but no stranger to small business management, Pawlowski saw a need in the community for the type of cooking and flavors she favors in a cafe style setting. She has set her sights on grab-and-go, “healthy, prepared from scratch, comfort foods,” she said.

“Food is my love language,” Pawlowski says of her motivation to make a leap from passionate cook to restaurant entrepreneur. “Feeding people is what gives me the most joy. I love the creative aspect of it, of making it beautiful.

Pawlowski tapped Ian Whitney, a local chef on winter break from his Bridgton food truck, as a consultant for the startup, guiding her through the steps of planning a new restaurant — from seating and kitchen design to applying her vision and menu planning.

Local Cravings offerings are based on luncheon staples but also spin different plates in and out as daily specials. 

The “potato bar,” was a dominant feature when the doors first opened. Baked tubers were prepared to order using meat or poultry, choice of cheeses and other ingredients.

“That was our opening menu board,” Pawlowski said. “It’s still part of our menu but we’ll keep changing things up. We may move toward a mac n’ cheese bar, and maybe combine that with baked potato. We’re building our menu over time.”

Asked about targeted fare, she said the menu features seasonal standards with a rotation of daily variations of chicken or tuna salad sandwiches, macaroni and cheese combination dish and soup of the day, as well as a drink special. 

Ingredients are as local as possible, coming from producers such as Shady Grove Mushrooms of Harrison and distributor Maine Family Farms.

Breads from Samantha Harvey’s Harvest Moon Sourdough in Buckfield are served and sold retail at the cafe. The baker also works at the cafe.

Harvey is one of 14 part-time employees. Pawlowski’s daughter, Aila, also works at the restaurant; she is developing Local Cravings’ nonalcoholic specialty drink menu.

Cafe hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Once Pawlowski obtains her liquor license, she plans to hold themed evening events, possibly book clubs, art classes and bread-making classes led by Harvey. She is incubating a number of other ideas to unveil in the near future.

“We want to make the most of this space,” she said. “I want it to be a well-rounded, welcoming spot to hang out.”

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