“I wanted to have some fun; I wanted to see people smile.”
Donald Crabtree, Owner of Grand View Coffee Shop
A small town’s restaurant says a lot about the town itself. Most boast a mom and pop joint—the kind that serves up biscuits and gravy for breakfast and broasted chicken for dinner. A lot of these do double-duty as a tavern, with a long bar up front and a few scattered tables in the back. It’s a place for locals to share a cup of coffee or cold beer, swap some gossip, and get a bite to eat. But there’s one coffee shop in Maine that has stepped outside the box—way out—and has been pushing the limits of small town eateries, and the buttons of locals.
Its name says it all: the Grand View Topless Coffee Shop in Vassalboro, Maine (population 4,518). Yep, a topless coffee shop. The waitresses serve up a $3 cup of coffee ($6 for refills) with a smile and . . . shall we say, a twinkle? The regulars love it; the locals hate it. The owner, Donald Crabtree, says he’s simply trying to make a living like everyone else and have some fun along the way.
The restaurant has been around for two years, and it was burned down once. It doesn’t violate zoning codes, but its opening did prompt Vassalboro, and many surrounding communities, to tighten zoning restrictions. It’s been a bumpy road for the little coffee shop, and that road will soon be coming to an end. Mr. Crabtree announced he’ll be closing when his inventory runs out. Like a lot of small businesses, it’s been squeezed by the economy—not everyone can afford $6 refills these days. On top of that, Mr. Crabtree ran afoul of authorities recently when he posted a sign advertising: “Boobies wanted.” It wasn’t the message that was the problem—the sign was too big. Yes, it turns out that size matters.
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