Staff Writer
LIMESTONE — Family, food, and community came together at AL-BEAR’S last Tuesday when members of the Northern Maine Development Commission and the Greater Limestone Chamber of Commerce gathered with AL-BEAR’S owners, Jamie and Michelle Albert, for the restaurant’s official ribbon-cutting ceremony. Formerly Paul’s Sub Shop, the Alberts purchased the resturant in November from previous owners Carl and Mary Morin.
Aroostook Republican photo/Natalie Bazinet
Left, customers of AL-BEAR’S PLACE can enjoy the same great menu items now with extended hours. The restaurant is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. Celebrating the official opening of the business last Tuesday were from left, in front row: Julie Corey, Northern Maine Development Commission (NMDC) loan officer, AL-BEAR’S owners Jamie and Michelle Albert, Limestone Town Manager Donna Bernier and NMDC Director of Business Finance Duane Walton. In back are: Vice President of the Greater Limestone Chamber of Commerce (GLCC) Joe LaPierre, President of the GLCC Scott Caldwell and Director of the Limestone Recreation Department Jamie Labreck.
Al-BEAR’S PLACE is literally family owned and operated as every member of their seven-person family has rolled up their sleeves to help out and the restaurant remains focused on family and community.
Jamie and Michelle, both born and raised in Limestone, grew up with their parents running businesses in the town.
“We thought that we would carry on some of that tradition of having a family-owned business,” Michelle said. Prior to owning AL-BEAR’S PLACE, Jamie worked as a truck driver and spent a lot of time on the road; the restaurant provided him with a chance to spend more time with his wife and family.
“[Owning the restaurant] is probably more time consuming than I originally thought it would be, but workdays have been 15 to 20 hours for the past seven years, so it’s no harder than I’m used to,” Jamie said.
“Plus at the end of the day, he gets to come home,” Michelle added.
Michelle worked part-time at Paul’s Sub Shop for the entirety of its operation and the Alberts have had minimal difficulty adjusting to the increased workload that came with owning AL-BEAR’S PLACE.
The days are long and the rushes intense, but Michelle and Jamie seem to take it all in stride, finding amusement and enjoyment in their work and having fun with the small things like ‘Theme Days.’
Theme Days are a phenomenon occasionally observed in the restaurant industry that seem to frequently occur at AL-BEAR’S; this has caused a bit of speculation on the owners behalf.
“I think everyone meets on the sidewalk and says ‘okay, today’s going to be BLT day,’ and then we get 50 orders for BLT’s,” said Jamie with only slight exaggeration. “It’s funny how it works, but you really do notice it.”
Theme Days aside, popular items at AL-BEAR’S include the pizzas, chicken fingers and specialty hot subs like the Limestoner, the Eagles Nest and the Beef Bomb. While they didn’t drastically change the menu, they have added a few well-received items like the Haddock Burger Basket, Wing-Ding (chicken wing) Basket and plan on increasing the diversity of beverages available.
As before, AL-BEAR’S offers specials on Wednesdays and Fridays; Jamie and Michelle are currently discussing new specials that they could offer customers.
Understanding your customers is a crucial aspect of owning a business and the name AL-BEAR’S was created through an understanding of the town that two Limestone natives certainly have.
Sighting precedence of Brooker’s, Poitras, and other businesses in town that have come to be known by the name of the owner, “We could have called it anything, and they would have called it Albert anyway, so that’s how we decided on the name,” Jamie explained.
Michelle agreed that Limestone’s had all kinds of businesses over the years that eventually came to be known by a last name, but while the name had been decided, the topic of spelling was still an issue.
“The minute Jamie said that, I though that we could do it, but we’d have to spell it differently so that everyone would pronounce it correctly,” she said.
Pronunciation aside, a lot of work went into making the cozy restaurant with the good food and friendly atmosphere that is now associated with AL-BEAR’S.
“None of this would be possible without the help of the Northern Maine Development Commission (NMDC), the Limestone Development Foundation (LDF) Revolving Loan,” Michelle said. “Especially with today’s economy, this wouldn’t have been possible without them.”
The Alberts also gave much praise to the restaurant’s previous owners, Carl and Mary Morin who, Jamie said, went absolutely above and beyond with preparation for the sale.
With the involvement from NMDC, LDF Revolving Loan and the assistance from the Morin’s, AL-BEAR’S is looking forward to a successful future with the possibility of expansion, and not just to the hours and the menu.
AL-BEAR’S is located at 20 Main Street in Limestone and can be reached at 325-2114.
