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The battle of the BBQs: How many stands can one Maine town handle?

By Jennifer Fortier

Posted on Thursday, October 2nd, 2008, 12:00 am

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If your summer travels or weekend getaways led you to scenic Bar Harbor and gorgeous Acadia National Park, you may have unknowingly passed through the Great Barbeque Battle of 2008. Occurring throughout what is known as the “Bottleneck of Downeast Maine” – or “the Never-ending Construction Zone of the New Millennium” – three separate BBQ-ers have set up shop this summer, sparking local debate and creating die-hard fans of each stand. Choosing from the Authentic Jamaican BBQ at Newland Plant Nursery, Crazy Dave’s Smoked Meats across from Wal-Mart or Moe’s BBQ down at the Harbor Park can be hard, but the greater question is: Why are they there in the first place?

I know Ellsworth is a city center and a metropolis to the people in the area -yes, 7,000 people can be a metropolis – but one has to wonder, is the lunch market really this big? Although these stands are a departure from the typical fast food chains on High Street and provide much more macho portions and selections, are there really enough people around during lunch hour to warrant such a battle? The proprietors say yes, but it’s very dependent on the weather, and all the rain this summer definitely slowed things down. While not all of these ventures came out of a business partnership – Crazy Dave’s lunch stand is just one part of his personal catering businesses – you have to wonder if nearby businesses are hoping lunch cart patrons will stop in after a hearty meal and spend some of their already strained dollars at their own establishment. I suppose an added bonus would be not having to send workers off site for lunch hour, but like the saying goes, if you ate the same thing every day even chocolate cake would start to taste less delicious.

Cooperative business ventures like these are popping up all over Maine and across the country. Owners are banding together to sell multiple categories of products to the same groups of people – a one-stop shop if you will – and I’m not just talking about the BBQ stand by Wal-Mart. But you have to consider whether these pairings are even plausible. Pulled pork and roses? Discount shoes and ribs? A car dealership on High Street also opened a hot dog stand this summer. Seriously people, do you honestly think after a chili dog with onions, people will be more apt to buy a pre-owned sedan?

While the honest blue-collar worker may be more likely to bring his wife home some flowers if they are sold ten feet from his lunch stool, you have to wonder if this trend is just a reflection of our already strained economy. If financial trends continue, partnerships like these could end up being very beneficial to both parties, at least on a local level. Fuel prices may also affect their success, at least for more rural areas not gifted with the eerie glow of a Wal-mart sign. When it comes down to it, I find myself simultaneously applauding their efforts and puzzling over whether these entrepreneurs are going to find a foothold in Downeast Maine. But like that chocolate cake I mentioned earlier, why not bring home the bacon . and eat it too?

Jennifer Fortier is a senior marine biology and microbiology student.