Penn and Jaime Way stand in Barco, at 95 Main St. in Damariscotta, on the stores opening day, Friday, Nov. 15. The store, which sells a selection of international pantry staples and vintage finds, is in the same building as the couples other business, Sea Smoke Shop that sells handmade glassware, such as pipes and other products. (Johnathan Riley photo)
A global provisions and curated vintage finds storefront opened its doors on Main Street for the first time on Friday, Nov. 15.
Penn and Jaime Way, co-owners of the business at 95 Main St., said the goal of the storefront is to bring their finds from international travel, such as hard-to-find ingredients, back home for the community to have access to at a reasonable price.
“We’re passionate about travel, we’re passionate about food, and affordable style,” Penn Way said.
The space, which is connected to the couple’s other business, Sea Smoke Shop, was formerly home to the couple’s ice cream shop, Wicked Scoops.
The idea for the storefront has been taking shape over a lifetime of international travel, according to Penn Way, but it was this past summer that the vision really started to come into focus.
“I always joke, if I’m not working, if I’m not on a tennis court, I’m either somewhere around the world with a backpack, with my family, or cooking, and those two come together a lot,” Penn Way said.
Jaime Way said the couple are big home cooks, but the area is “in a little bit of a desert” when it comes to international cuisine ingredients.
“It’s just nice to be able to have the ingredients here and be able to cook because for some of these ingredients, we need to drive to Portland to get,” Jaime Way said. “It makes it an easier solution to be able to shop locally to make fantastic recipes.”
Some of the items the couple has in stock are small batch fish sauces used in Asiatic dishes, balsamic vinegar from Italy, and tinned fish was Europe.
“We’re trying to pick different things,” Penn Way said.
Among the offerings are chips and snacks from Thailand and other Asian countries that Penn Way said are popular among kids and can be a source of comfort for international students “missing home” while attending Lincoln Academy in Newcastle.
Penn Way said he would also consult his son, Penn “Cinco” Way, about some of what the store offers.
A smoked fish sauce sits on the shelves of downtown Damariscottas newest business, Barco, at 95 Main St. on Friday, Nov. 15. Fish sauce, Italian olive oils, European tinned fish, and Thai chips are just some of the culinary offerings at the new provisions store. Co-owners Penn and Jaime Way said offerings in the store will change based on price and availability of the goods. (Johnathan Riley photo)
“He’s of that generation, they’re all into that funky snack stuff,” he said.
The name of the business, Barco, is recognized as a word meaning ship in Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese, among other languages. The word holding meaning around the world is something the Ways felt was important to represent in their business.
“It carries meaning in so many countries, and that’s what we want to do,” Penn Way said.
The name of the business is displayed as a decal on the window facing Main Street, with a banana tree depicted beside it. According to Penn Way, the banana tree is found all over the world, just like the goods he and his wife sell at the shop.
Penn Way said he went around wholesalers to get better prices on the items sold at the store and make its offerings accessible financially to more customers.
“The way the economy is, cooking at home is a better option,” he said. “I feel like a lot of places, especially as we’re in Maine, we’re pretty far north and people charge a lot for this stuff … you can make a good profit and you can do a great business but you don’t have to gouge. I would much rather have people come in and make recipes or buy pantry staples that’ll last them for five or 10 recipes.”
Penn and Jaime Way said offerings in the store will change based on price and availability of the goods, but that some staples will remain, such as the balsamic vinegar from Modena, Italy.
Some of the nonfood offerings include vintage finds that pair well with the food offerings, such as vintage appetizer forks, dishes to serve food in, and glasses for digestifs.
“Vintage is about sustainable reuse, it’s about style, we love vintage for that,” Penn Way said.
The store’s hours will be updated on a weekly basis and posted on the store’s Instagram page and in the store’s window by Monday, according to Penn Way.
Customers are also encouraged to follow the store’s Instagram page at @barcomaine to keep up with updated hours and the stores rotating offerings.
The entrance to Barco, at 95 Main St. in Damariscotta, on the store’s opening day Friday, Nov. 15. Barco offers a selection of international ingredients, snacks, and vintage finds put together by owners Penn and Jaime Way. The couple also owns Sea Smoke Shop in the same building. (Johnathan Riley photo)
