Morning coffee with a view

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
COFFEE ON THE ROOF — The Center Coffee House recently expanded with rooftop seating overlooking East Main Street and the Piscataquis River in downtown Dover-Foxcroft. The coffee house will be celebrating its second anniversary with an Oct. 14 evening concert at the Center Theatre, featuring rockabilly act Pete Witham & The Cozmik Zombies.

Center Theatre café opens rooftop seating section

By Stuart Hedstrom
Staff Writer

DOVER-FOXCROFT — Patrons of the Center Coffee House can now enjoy their beverages and treats with an overhead view of East Main Street and the Piscataquis River from the establishment’s rooftop seating area.

Owner Lori Sharrow said the rooftop at 22 East Main Street, which can seat up to 30, opened in early August. She said patron Tim Magee joked that if she ran out of space inside and with the outdoor sidewalk seats, Sharrow could always build up. She said the idea had potential and after enjoying an outdoor meal on a trip to Boothbay Harbor Sharrow began to look into creating a second-story seating area.

“(Center Theatre Executive Director) Patrick Myers was really good about it, the board was really good about it,” Sharrow said about the response to the roof from the theatre officials.

“The Center Theatre was great, including the board of directors, allowing us to build this on their facility,” Lori Sharrow’s husband Dan said.

Lori Sharrow said a lot of help went into the project. Sharrow said Ashley Robinson of Dover True Value drafted the roof seating area and outdoor stair plans that were presented to the Dover-Foxcroft planning board, which she said also provided assistance in bringing the project to fruition.

Sharrow said the rooftop materials were sourced from Dover True Value. Plymouth Engineering carried out this work, and construction was done by Brian Smith of George Smith & Son Builders of Dover-Foxcroft. Dan Sharrow said a locking staircase gate — the roof is closed when the Center Coffee House is not open — was constructed by Mark Dyer of MD Welding in Sangerville.

“It’s doubled our seating capacity,” Sharrow said. She said free Wi-Fi is available for patrons on the roof.

“We do allow well-behaved animals up there, but we ask owners are respectful up there,” Sharrow said.

“Our second anniversary of opening is Oct. 6 and we are celebrating by putting on a concert here at the Center Theatre,” Dan Sharrow said. He said on Friday, Oct. 14 Portland-based rockabilly act Pete Witham & The Cozmik Zombies will perform at 7 p.m.

“That’s going to be fun, we are doing it by donation with desserts and appetizers,” Lori Sharrow said, with the Center Theatre’s Slightly Off-Center Players serving desserts and Center Coffee House items also available. “We are doing all our cooking now,” she said. “Quiches, sandwiches, muffins, all of that is cooked right here.”

Proceeds from the Oct. 14 concert will go to a former coffee house barista coping with cancer. “We thought it would be a good way to help her out,” Sharrow said.

She said the two-year anniversary of the Center Coffee House will also be celebrated with giveaways and discounts. Sharrow said there is a catch as patrons can win these prizes through general trivia questions, but should their answer be incorrect they will still earn a discount.