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With the school year already underway, students are finding themselves once again loaded down with schoolwork, activities and meetings. In the midst of all the hustling and bustling many students would like to get away from their responsibilities on campus and venture out into the community. But, until last week, the immediate surroundings provided no real place for students to relax, hang out and meet up with friends.
Enter the Rivertree Coffeehouse Caf�, located at 50 South Main St. in downtown Old Town.
Owned and operated by the mother-daughter team of Tricia and Heather Guard, the Rivertree Coffeehouse Caf� was never even a twinkle in the Guards’ eyes until they relocated to Old Town last year from Houston, Texas.
Tricia, a traveling associate for a consulting firm, and Heather, a college student, never grew accustomed to the uniformity of Houston’s weather. They wished to move someplace where they might better experience four varying seasons. With relatives living in New Hampshire, the Guards often heard of neighboring Maine’s natural serenity and small community setting. With the university only minutes away and Bangor International Airport a short skip down the interstate, Old Town seemed the perfect location to settle.
Following the tragic events of Sept. 11, Tricia was soon laid-off from her job, finding herself with an ample amount of time on her hands and no means of making ends meet. Meanwhile, Heather, a former Starbucks employee and avid coffee drinker, soon noticed the lack of a caf� or coffee bar and meeting place for the large student population in the area.
Jokingly, Heather mentioned to her mother that the two ought to make a difference and open up their own coffee shop. At first the idea seemed out of the question, but eventually it began to gnaw away at Tricia. She soon realized the complete inexistence of an off-campus student hangout. The mother and daughter purchased an establishment and the Rivertree Coffeehouse Caf� was born.
“We wanted to provide a comfy retreat for folks to go to,” Tricia said. “A meeting place where people can relax and get to know their neighbors.”
Yet the most important ingredient in completing such a vision is, of course, the coffee.
With Heather’s ample knowledge of coffee making, the Guards carefully researched Maine’s coffee resources. They finally settled on the Carrabassett Coffee Roasters in Kingfield. They were not only impressed with the bountiful flavor of the coffees, but also with the robust and oily nature of the beans – roasted and sent to the caf� within 48 hours.
Rivertree offers a number of coffee options, including the popular Backdraft blend and the Gayoland Organic Sumatra. Besides the trademark black coffees, the caf� offers a number of other beverage options, including espresso, latte, cappuccino, chai, hot chocolate, steamer, mocha, tea, cider, soda and freshly squeezed citrus and vegetable juices. Heather’s extensive experience in the coffee business will ensure that every specialty drink is expertly prepared to the best of her ability.
“Heather is the total coffee girl,” Tricia said. “She loves good coffee and everything to do with making good drinks – she is so good. She is teaching me and everyone else around her the ultimate in perfection.”
Such perfection carries over beyond drink preparation and applies also to the caf�’s extensive menu of sandwiches and wraps. All the suppliers are local and provide only the freshest ingredients for any order – custom-made. The menu also includes salads, homemade soups and chili and Kolaches, a Czech breakfast pastry.
The Rivertree Coffeehouse Caf� currently provides catering services and there are a number of additional services and events planned for its future. Among these is a local artist of the month program, in which the caf� will adorn its walls with a specific artist’s work. The caf� also will enter into a partnership with Dave’s Books of Old Town to provide reading material for its patrons. Eventually, the Rivertree Coffeehouse Caf� hopes to establish a coffee tasting service where visitors can enjoy learning about different coffees and their origins, as well as what characteristics make the different coffees so unique and special. A more pressing project involves getting live entertainment for Friday and Saturday nights, whereby aspiring musicians can come and play for tips.
With so many different drink and food options, as well as different events and services on the way, the Rivertree Coffeehouse Caf� is bound to become Old Town’s newest attraction for young and old alike. And according to the Guards, their goal is obvious.
“The food, customer service and atmosphere all create the experience,” Heather said. “We want to be here for everybody. We have so many ideas of what we want to grow into and become, but we are always open to new ideas of what the community wants us to be. It is incredibly important to us that we provide people with the most enjoyable experience we can.”
The Rivertree Coffeehouse Caf� is located at 50 South Main St. in downtown Old Town, across from Rite Aid. It is open Monday-Thursday 6 a.m.-10 p.m., Friday 6 a.m.-11 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m.-11 p.m., and Sunday 9 a.m.-8 p.m. For those interested in performing on Friday or Saturday nights, contact the caf� at 827-2422, or e-mail rivertree@earthlink.net.
Bangor Daily News