Sales mixed for nearby shops

BANGOR – Though it could be weeks before all the number crunching is done, early reports from businesses handy to the National Folk Festival suggest the economic impact was mixed.

While some businesses reported brisk business, the three-day event was not the moneymaker others hoped it would be.

In some instances, how businesses fared depended greatly on their location and on what they sold.

At the Main Street Irving Mainway, usually busy during the Bangor State Fair and similar events, business was down by a third of what it is on a typical weekend, noted assistant manager Doris Feehan.

She speculated that the reason lay in simple geography: After leaving Bass Park, festival shuttle buses turned onto Main Street and headed in the opposite direction. So did most pedestrians.

In contrast, 3G Food Mart on the other side of Bass Park did brisk trade, as did its sister business, the Pizza Oven.

“We’ve had quite the business,” said pizzeria worker Jacob Pack. Long lines at the festival concessions led many to seek food and drink off site. Pack said the store had steady traffic and that the restaurant’s buffet was packed Saturday.

At Miller’s Restaurant, Friday and Sunday were average, but Saturday brought in much foot traffic.

“Business was good, but it wasn’t what we expected,” said owner John Miller. “I think the No. 1 problem was that people didn’t know they could drive down here. The city did a great job keeping traffic flowing. We’ll have to do a better job about getting the word out next year, now that we know what to expect.”

“Certainly we’re tickled with the event, with the planning and the excellence of the whole thing,” Miller added. “This was great for the city of Bangor. As a businessman, my hat is off to [the organizers]. It just goes to show us that Bangor can do things like this.”

At Sweet’s Market, a store and sandwich shop in the heart of downtown, owner Reed Gagnon wondered where the crowds went after the flood of people at the festival failed to trickle down to his doorstep. Like many business owners, Gagnon stocked up on extra supplies. But with much of the emphasis of the festival away from the downtown area, sales were only slightly up.

“I heard there was a 45-minute wait for a $2 hotdog when I have hotdogs two for a buck,” Gagnon said Sunday afternoon.

The Whig & Courier Pub fared better. Owner Chris Geaghan said his kitchen staff averaged a meal a minute. To put that into perspective, during an average Saturday they serve up 200 meals. Thanks to the folk festival, meals served soared to 560 on Saturday.

Some of the Whig’s customers spilled over into the Grasshopper Shop, where people waiting to be served browsed the boutique, said one of the store’s owners, Laurie Schweikert. She said these new customers offset an anticipated drop in traditional shoppers preparing for the start of school who may have shied away from the downtown during the weekend in light of the crowds drawn to the city because of the festival.