Your neighborhood grocery store

    HOULTON — Dave Cunha, owner of County Yankee grocery store in Houlton, is not someone who seeks attention.
    Therefore, when he decided to build a new grocery store at the corner of Hillview Avenue and Military Street, Cunha kept his plans relatively quiet. Even after the new store neared completion, Cunha avoided the spotlight and said little about his major construction project in the town.
    County Yankee celebrated its grand opening Wednesday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony with members of the Greater Houlton Chamber of Commerce and town officials on hand. Cunha, who also owns Steaks n’ Stuff in Presque Isle and Lincoln, said extensive and costly renovations were needed to his previous facility, so he had a difficult decision to make.
    At just over 12,000 square feet, the new County Yankee is nearly double the size of his previous building.
    “We debated whether to go larger or smaller, but we put in a sprinkler system so we were able to go just over the 12,000 square foot requirement,” Cunha said.
    The lot once served as Dot’s Family Restaurant, but had sat vacant for a number of years until Cunha purchased it. Keeping a community-based grocery store in Houlton was one of the primary reasons Cunha said he decided to build in the same part of town as the previous store.
    With the new building, Cunha was able to expand its line of perishable foods, such as meats and fresh produce. He also expanded the deli department and plans to offer more hot food choices in the near future.
    County Yankee also has a full pharmacy, Shiretown Pharmacy.
    County Yankee employs just over 40 individuals on a full- and part-time basis. The store carries the Surefine brand of products from Associated Growers of New England.
    In December of 1978, Cunha started on the road to his grocery career, taking a job at Bell’s IGA in Patten. After several years, Cunha spent some time at Charlotte, N.C., where he worked for a drug company and coffee service company. In 1985, he returned to Maine to work at the Ellis Family Market in Patten and in 1993, Cunha and Rick Burpee formed a partnership to open County Yankee in Houlton. In 1995, he bought out Burpee’s share and became sole owner.