By Kathy McCarty
Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE — Nearly three years to the day of opening its doors, The Crow’s Nest Restaurant and Event Center, LLC, located at 150 Maysville St., officially closed them on Saturday, Oct. 26. Owner Jim Stacey cited rising fuel costs and other expenses among the reasons for closing the business.
“Within the first eight months of opening, the price of gas and heating oil rose more than $1 a gallon. It increased our expenses from the start, as well as those of private citizens. People couldn’t afford to go out and cover personal expenses too. When they (the public) started to recover, they continued to eat home rather than dine out,” said Stacey.
Heat and utilities for the more than 12,000 square feet of space that comprised the restaurant and event center proved a daunting challenge to keep up with. Electrical fees have also proved to be a burden.
“The biggest (electrical cost) was what they call a ‘demand charge.’ Ours was $1,000 to $1,200 a month for electricity, regardless of our usage. That figure was derived based on peak use, but that didn’t reflect our true usage on a regular basis,” he said.
Vacant for nearly two years prior to Stacey’s acquiring the facility, the building originally served as home to Slopes Northern Maine Restaurant and Brewing Company. The building, which was stripped of its contents, including fixtures, was completely refurbished by Stacey, who had hoped to make it the best event center north of Bangor.
“This was the largest center of its kind, not just in Presque Isle but for Aroostook County. I feel very sad it’s closing. There isn’t an alternative for its size and the type of facility to accommodate all the organizations, businesses and events that we’ve hosted,” said the owner.
Stacey said prior to opening he’d tried to attract outside interest but it was to no avail.
“I tried a lot of franchises before opening but couldn’t get anyone’s interest,” he said. “The place is a financial risk” due to its size.
Stacey said the rising cost of fuel, utilities, food and labor eventually took its toll.
“We made it to last spring, but spring was very poor from a revenue standpoint. My position was, if there was any way possible not to close until all the summer weddings took place — bridal parties make commitments to a location, beyond the event center. Families make hotel reservations, flights, etc. It could have created a black spot in a marriage, if things didn’t go as planned. I didn’t want that to happen to any of the couples,” he said.
The last wedding booked for the season took place this past weekend.
“Staff worked as hard as ever. I speak with great pride of my staff. They were like family,” said Stacey.
Stacey said he had high hopes for the business, including more upgrades, but financing just wasn’t there.
“Unfortunately many cost reductions and improvements have gone unchanged due to financing. I couldn’t come up with the funds for capital improvements,” he said. “I wanted to offer more training, improve the kitchen layout and upgrade the furnace, among other things.”
An Efficiency Maine rebate for improved LED lightbulbs did result in an $800 a month savings on electricity, noted Stacey.
Stacey said his goal from the beginning was to be a part of the community and give back whenever possible. He did that by donating space for fundraisers, contributing toward a scholarship and more.
“I always felt from the very beginning I had an opportunity to be a part of the community and make a difference. I regularly supported and encouraged organizations — helped groups in great financial need. I donated space for various activities, such as fundraisers for United Way, Toys for Tots, the Central Aroostook Humane Society and Red Cross. We hosted numerous fundraiser for groups and people,” said Stacey.
He said those groups, in turn, expressed their pleasure with the facility through positive feedback.
“We heard it over and over. They were grateful and we were happy to be able to help,” said Stacey. “We got a lot of good support with our events and group activities.”
Stacey said the event center was the biggest reason The Crow’s Nest was able to last this long.
“We learned as we went. The second year saw a steady increase. We had several bookings already for 2014, including 15 weddings, trade shows and the AMHC Sno-Run, among others. All those we’d hosted in the past were coming again next year,” said Stacey. “Thanks go to the dozens of people, businesses and organizations who used our facility. It was our pleasure working with you.”
Stacey said he and event manager Cheryl Murchison have been busy notifying all those who were booked through the end of this year and into 2014 of the closure.
“2014 was showing great promise for the event center side of the business,” Stacey said.
He took pride in being a hands-on owner.
“I only missed being here about 30 days since opening. I wanted to meet people and be a part of daily operations, not just a boss. I never took any salary,” said Stacey.
Stacey said it’s hard to reach people who’ve taken a stay-at-home attitude since the economic downturn began a few years ago.
“As things have improved, we haven’t been able to break that way of thinking,” said Stacey. “I’ve also battled rumors almost from the beginning. People called regularly asking if we were closing. It’s been a vicious and hard cycle — one that couldn’t be broken.”
The rumor came to fruition on Saturday, when Stacey notified about a dozen of his employees the business was closing.
“My monthly expenses started at around $120,000 a month in the beginning. I got it down to half of that but that was still a vast amount. It’s been difficult and this is one of the most difficult decisions I’ve ever made,” said Stacey.
“I notified my staff on Saturday. Cheryl has received great compliments on managing the event center. Joseph Jarvis, our executive chef, received rave reviews and often went above and beyond for patrons with allergies or special diets. Joe was always willing to change the menu to accommodate them,” he said.
Stacey was at a loss for words in expressing his gratitude for his staff.
“I hope some community organization will embrace them. The staff was top quality. They worked their hour Saturday helping clean the kitchen. Several came in on Sunday to help clean and organize, without pay,” he said. “We were like family.”
His focus from the start was not to compete with other eateries but to provide quality service to customers.
“I never tried to compete with other restaurants. We’re all different. There should be room enough to make it. I extend my best wishes to the others out there,” said Stacey.
He said he learned his “attitude of caring” from his father.
“My father used to say, ‘If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing the best you can do,’” said Stacey.
Despite giving it his all, Stacey now finds himself in the same position as his staff.
“I’m now looking for work,” said Stacey. “I’m not sure what the next chapter in my life will be, whatever it is, all I can do is give it my best.”
