To the Editor:
In last week’s Letters to the Editor, Brad Schaaf voiced his concerns about my new business, Harvest Moon Pizza and its place in Damariscotta. (“Rolling ‘barbarians at the gate,” Page 4) I will correct his misstatements, set the record straight on how we are regulated and explain how we fit into the local economy.
I invite people reading this exchange to draw their own conclusions; the opportunity to explain what I do. A big thank you to those who have supported me in my new business venture.
Brad Schaaf refers to an example of how my presence hurts one downtown business in particular. On May 13 a silent auction was held at Skidompha Library to raise money for the Great Salt Bay School to purchase a sound system. I agreed to donate my services and food ingredients to provide small finger food slices of pizza for the bidders. I parked across from the library parking lot for about an hour to start the fire in the oven and then pulled into the parking lot after the library closed for the day.
In response to a complaint about my presence downtown, Damariscotta police showed up and told me to return to Round Top where my permit allows me to sell product. I explained to the officer that I was not vending and was in fact donating to a fundraiser for the benefit of the children. I was allowed to continue with the fundraiser. If I had been selling, I would not have been allowed to continue.
Brad Schaaf’s explanation of why the Mediterranean Kitchens business was cut in half is therefore inaccurate.
Here is some information about my business. I serve organic, wood-fired pizza featuring local ingredients from a portable bake oven powered by hardwood from local forests. I buy meat and vegetables from Maine family farms like Treble Ridge in Whitefield, and Hatchet Cove in Warren. I purchase Maine grown organic wheat and cheese from Crown of Maine Coop, a unique distributor that directly supports Maine farmers and small food business operations throughout the state.
Most of my bulk ingredients are purchased locally from Rising Tide. I grow some of my own produce in Bremen. I cut and split most of my firewood and buy the rest from Frick and Frack of Bristol. I pay rent to the owner of Round Top Farm, which helps support the upkeep of this iconic historical property. I further recycle money back into the Damariscotta economy by buying services and products in town. I use Damariscotta banks, gas stations, hardware stores, lumberyards, Renys, Radio Shack, Clarks Auto Parts, Supplies Unlimited etc.
The town of Damariscotta issues permits to all mobile vending operations and the fee is in fact $50 a year. All mobile vendors are licensed by the State of Maine Dept. of Human Services and are subject to inspection. The rules essentially require the mobile vendor to replicate the conditions of a restaurant kitchen in order to insure food safety and proper food handling practices.
Next year, all mobile vendors will be required to become state certified food handlers. It is, of course, in the best interest of all food businesses to serve delicious food that is safely and properly prepared.
Damariscotta is indeed fortunate to have a thriving downtown retail and restaurant community. In many American communities, the boring, big box, corporate chain, has replaced the creative and trusted local retailer/restaurateur. Main streets across this nation are lined with chain restaurants serving up bland, cheap (yet hardly inexpensive) unhealthy food with no regard for anything but the bottom line. I came of age with this situation being the norm. This is not the case in Damariscotta and the overwhelmingly positive response I have received for what I do leads me to believe that it will not happen here.
I am excited to be involved in the growing local food scene in Damariscotta and look forward to building the reputation of Damariscotta as a local food destination.
I am currently open on Wednesdays from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. at Round Top Farm. If anyone has any concerns or wants to learn more about what I do, please stop by. There is plenty of parking.
Bennett Collins,
Harvest Moon Pizza
Waldoboro
