Ogunquit to vote on chain ban Effort would prevent ‘standardized’ eateries

OGUNQUIT – Residents will vote in November on a proposal that would ban fast-food and other chain restaurants in this seaside community.

Selectmen on Tuesday verified a petition that got more than 120 signatures seeking to enact a zoning ordinance similar to one in the neighboring town of York.

The proposal defines a fast-food or formula restaurant as one that that has “standardized features which cause the restaurant to be substantially identical to another restaurant regardless of ownership or location.”

The standardized features include employee uniforms, interior or exterior color schemes, architectural design or presentation format. The definition would ban traditional fast-food chains such as McDonald’s and Burger King, as well as national chain restaurants such as Applebee’s and Olive Garden.

Mary Breen, the owner of Bread and Roses Bakery and one of the petition organizers, said the ordinance is meant to be a proactive step to prevent chain restaurants from opening in town.

“I don’t have any problem with people trying to make a living,” she said. “But Ogunquit has been a very unique community. It’s a quaint little village, and I’d like to keep it that way.”

Eleanor Vadenais, executive director of the Ogunquit Chamber of Commerce, said an online poll showed that business owners were split over such an ordinance.

Some members, Vadenais added, thought that the town’s existing regulations on signs and its ban on drive-through windows are enough to keep fast-food restaurants at bay.