PORTLAND, Maine — Thirty-somethings Nate Donovan and Joshua Ames put their heads together to create something new in the Portland coffee scene. Opening Novel Book Bar & Cafe on Dec. 20, the owners said they can't wait to share their unique space with the community.
While there may be a handful of great coffee spots in the city, Donovan said none of them are a cafe and a book shop by day, and a bar by night. He said the 4,000-square-foot, two-story building located at 643 Congress St. will give customers the feel of being in a "mansion's library, with a book bar theme."
Open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, Donovan said you can order coffee or alcoholic beverages throughout the day. For brunch-goers, he said customers can enjoy a mimosa or Irish coffee and munch on some select pastries. Donovan added there will be plenty of non-alcoholic beverages for the evening crowd as well, including kombucha and mocktails.
"It’s a perfect date spot for people who don’t want to drink alcohol. It’s also a great spot to come and buy books—you can read or buy any of the books. It’s a nice ambiance when you walk around," Donovan said.
All coffee beans used to make their drinks are roasted on-site. Donovan attributes this feature to studying coffee for the past several years and making friends with a coffee farmer during his trip to Guatemala to learn about all aspects of the trade.
He said his partner Ames was the brains behind the bar and book aspects of the shop. Donovan said that Ames wanted a place for people to have real conversations, sharing in the joy of literature and art.
Again, he noted there are plenty of bars to enjoy in Portland, but none with a literary theme. And what a theme it is.
Donovan said each signature cocktail will be attributed to some literary masterpiece. Such beverages as "The Blue Dahlia," named for screenwriter Raymond Chandler who gave up his sobriety to tackle writer's block and wrote one of the most popular film noirs of the 1940s.
Then there is the "Rasberry Codrual," the drink that earned the main character in "Anne of Green Gables" quite the scolding.
He said caffeinated beverages will include cappuccinos, drip coffee, americano espresso, and tea. As the business gets going, Donovan said they will be adding local loose-leaf teas and bold-flavored infused milks for lattes.
The mysterious case of the shop that almost wasn't
Donovan said he and his partner have put a great deal of thought into their new business, but funding was hard to come by. He said the idea for the business emerged at the start of the pandemic and banks weren't too keen on lending money to coffee shop owners, since so many restaurants were closing their doors due to the backlash of COVID.
"The banks basically said, 'You have no revenue, you’re a start-up, we don’t want to help you, good luck,'" Donovan explained.
Already having leased the property, Donovan said it took the City of Portland eight months to approve a permit and then hit them with an "impact fee."
"Impact fees are charges paid by a proposed development to fund the cost of providing municipal facilities to serve that development. This idea is premised on the concept that when development occurs, it can bring many benefits, but it also affects the existing infrastructure around it by adding more cars, bikes, and pedestrians to the streets, increasing sewer flows into City systems, and infusing additional visitors into the City's parks and open spaces. In order to accommodate this growth in demand, these facilities require additional capital investment," according to the City of Portland's website.
Formerly an office building, Donovan said the city charged them $20,000 for transforming the space into a cafe. He said this was the straw that almost broke the camel's back. So Donovan and Ames turned to the community for help and launched a Kickstarter campaign in September. They successfully raised $25,000, allowing them to push forward after paying out of pocket for everything else to launch their new business.
What's next?
Down the road, Donovan said the plan is to add a speakeasy to the downstairs, inviting local musicians, comedians, poets, writers, and more to share their work. In addition to the speakeasy, Donovan said they hope to add a conference room for podcasters.
"This is a creative space and we know there are content creators," he said. “We definitely think there is a need for our spot and we are very thankful to have raised the money."
Novel Book Bar & Cafe will host a soft opening on Wednesday, Dec. 20, and plans to have a grand opening just after the new year.
