Prudence Kiessling (left), Alyssa Abbotoni, and Roger Kiessling run the counter at Rue 77 on Main Street in Damariscotta on Friday, June 28. In addition to a variety of espresso and coffee drinks, the cafe serves gelato from Gelato Fiasco in Brunswick, breakfast sandwiches utilizing local ingredients, and premade baguette sandwiches. (Johnathan Riley photo)
Rue 77, a European-inspired cafe and the newest addition to business in downtown Damariscotta, opened its doors on Friday, June 28, at 77 Main St.
Roger and Prudence Kiessling, of Bremen, co-owners of the new cafe said the vision for the cafe is to create a community space with an experience-first approach.
“The response (from the community) has been insane, this has exceeded expectation, people have been so excited,” Roger Kiessling said.
Roger and Prudence also own The Kingfisher and The Queen, a vintage and housewares store located at 79 Main St.
Aside from food industry experience each of them have from their youth, Prudence Kiessling said neither of them has run a cafe before. However, the idea to open and run their own cafe has been percolating for years now, according to the couple, so when space next door to The Kingfisher and The Queen became available to lease, it was an opportunity they had to take.
“We wanted to build something that the community needed,” Roger Kiessling said.
On April 1, the couple signed a lease for the space and by Friday, June 28, after extensive renovation the cafe was ready to go. According to Roger Kiessling, opening by the end of June wouldn’t have happened without the help of the community and friends.
“We really got a lot of help in putting this together,” he said.
The revamping of the space, formerly ButterUpCakes Gluten Free Cafe Bakery and Hard Cider Bar, included new flooring, a 19-foot marble bar, installation of an espresso machine, new counter space, a gelato cooler, and new coats of paint.
“The saying goes that Rome wasn’t built in a day, but we joke that Rue was,” Prudence Kiessling said about the quick construction.
Prudence Kiessling said the thematic inspirations for the cafe come from the old-school glamour of the late 1960s and early 1970s Italy, the Amalfi Coast, Wes Anderson films, and a bit of “understated chic French elegance.”
In addition to a menu of espresso and coffee drinks, the cafe also offers gelato from Gelato Fiasco in Brunswick, Stumptown Coffee Roasters coffee based out of Portland, Ore., and pastries and bread from Solo Pane e Pasticceria in Bath.
Roger Kiessling said he bought Prudence Kiessling an assortment of pastries from Solo Pane e Pasticceria for her birthday in March. When she tried them, Prudence Kiessling said she knew she wanted to work with them.
“I’m very particular about my baked goods and I knew we wanted good, crusty bread and pastries,” she said.
Each morning a delivery of fresh baked goods comes from Solo Pane e Pasticceria in Bath. Fresh materials in hand, the couple, along with their dedicated staff, put together buttermilk biscuit breakfast sandwiches like The Amalfi, which comes with chorizo sausage from Broad Arrow Farm in Bristol, egg, cheddar, arugula, and pepper jelly.
For those looking for a lunchtime fare, each morning a variety of premade, grab-and-go sandwiches on baguettes hits the display case. One of those sandwiches is The Capri, made fresh mozzarella, pesto, tomatoes, arugula, and a balsamic glaze. The Paddington, named after a sandwich the couple ate at Paddington Station in London, is made with butter, provolone, and ham.
Prudence Kiessling said the theme of the cafe is a natural extension of her and Roger Kiessling’s interests and their vintage store next door. One of those interests, according to Prudence Kiessling, is international travel, which influenced the business’s blue, passport-stamp inspired logo design created by Might & Main in Portland.
Roger and Prudence Kiessling said the cafe, like travel, is about the experience, and their goal is making the experience of Rue 77 the best it can be. For the couple, curating that is something they know is more than pulling a good cup of espresso.
Over the opening weekend, Prudence Kiessling said she saw teenagers eating gelato out front of the store, with their phones down, laughing and engaging with each other. At the same time, there was a couple sitting at the marble bar inside working on the New York Times crossword puzzle, which she felt was representative of the community space she and Roger had envisioned.
“I saw thought and thought to myself, ‘This is why we did this,’” she said.
Prudence and Roger Kiessling said the cafe will be open year-round from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday, with some possible extended hours coming on Friday and Saturday to serve gelato.
For more information, follow the cafe’s Instagram page at rue77maine or go to rue77maine.com.
Rue 77, a European-inspired cafe on its opening day on Friday, June 28 in Damariscotta. The cafe is owned by Roger and Prudence Kiessling, who also own The Kingfisher and The Queen in the same building. (Johnathan Riley photo)
