Saddened by village's loss

We are pleased to see Breau’s Too doing a brisk business in their newly renovated space. It’s great to see activity after the building had been vacant for so long. Not having to drive to Bethel for food and gas is very convenient (we hope they also bring back movie rentals!).

As happy as we are about Breau’s, we are equally saddened by the closing of the Feeding Friendzy. We have enjoyed both the delicious treats and the friendly conversation with Wendy.

Although a lot of the local tourist dollars are spent in Greenwood, Bethel or Newry, most of these same visitors pass through Bryant Pond Village on their way to Mt. Abram, Bethel and Sunday River.

Having successful small businesses is a great way to capture some of these tourist dollars as well as provide services to the local community — we would rather spend our dollars here. It would have been great to have both Breau’s Too and the Feeding Friendzy in the heart of Bryant Pond Village. These complimentary businesses may have been a draw for additional businesses. Instead, it appears we traded one vacant building for another.

We do not know the nuances behind the current situation, but hope there are plans to attract and retain small businesses in our Village. We wish Breau’s Too continued success, and believe that additional businesses would be beneficial to them as well. If someone stops to go into one business, they are more likely to check out the others.

As SKI Magazine illustrated, our Village has all the potential to be a must stop for locals and tourists alike, and this would be a true reflection of Bryant Pond as a whole. After all, this is Maine, “The Way Life Should Be.”

The Ketchums

Bryant Pond