Becky Shepherd, owner of Wild Oats Bakery and Cafe, stands with employee Laurentz Locke earlier this month. Shepherd is moving the business from the Tontine Mall to Brunswick Landing at the end of next year. Hannah LaClaire / The Times Record
BRUNSWICK — When Becky Shepherd announced her plans to move longtime downtown staple Wild Oats Bakery and Cafe to Brunswick Landing she was inundated with feedback: some supportive, others “uninformed and misguided.”
“People came at us from both sides,” she said. “Some were harsh, others came out of the woodwork supporting us.” She responded to texts and emails, offering to meet with people to explain the decision instead of listening to what she called “knee-jerk Facebook reactions.”
“There was this view that we are ruining the downtown and we owe a debt to the downtown, that we are leaving this hole,” she said.
Dave and Becky Shepherd opened Wild Oats at the Tontine Mall in 1991 as “Wild O.A.T.S.” (Original And Tasty Stuff), “with the intention of providing a central meeting place, where all would be welcome,” according to the website.
The business has grown substantially over the years, weathering downturns, such as the closure of the Naval Air Station and the recession of 2008, while prospering through the upswings like a recent focus on “buying local” and the revival of downtowns, to become a local landmark of sorts.
The lease will be up at the end of 2020, and it was time to move on to a bigger and better location.
“Our heart and soul is in the downtown,” Shepherd said, adding, “I said I’d never move out of downtown, but I want to own (my own space).”
Wild Oats has outgrown its current spot, with the downstairs kitchen resembling a labyrinthine “rabbit warren,” pots and pans hanging from every available surface, cooks and bakers working in close quarters, every possible corner occupied by a shelf or equipment. There is no heating or cooling downstairs. Wild Oats has roughly 50 employees and handles about 1,000 transactions per day, Shepherd said, but she and her husband needed more room to grow the business further.
“I looked, but there are no places (downtown) that meet our size needs,” she said.
Daniel Catlin, owner of the Tontine Mall and CEO of Commercial Properties, Inc., said there were “a lot of emotions” within the community about the move, and that he had heard a lot of feedback from residents.
“We are truly disappointed that Wild Oats Bakery is leaving their long-time home at The Tontine in downtown Brunswick, and I will miss them on Maine Street, but I’m happy for their growth and expansion, and wish them all the best at the Landing,” Catlin said in a statement.
He does not anticipate a vacancy, as there has been “considerable interest” in the property since the news broke.
“We want to put the people of Brunswick at ease that there will be one or two tenants that will deliver the same reliable bakery, breakfast, and lunch options in this space and we are excited about the opportunity to provide the space a substantial facelift during this time,” he said, adding that “Wild Oats has been one of the most successful eating establishments in the downtown, and this proven location would provide instant success for a new or existing business.”
The spot would be a great fit for not only another bakery, but also something that could bring more nightlife downtown, like a brewpub, dessert, wine or martini bar, suggested Mandy Reynolds, vice president of development at Commercial Properties, Inc.
“We’re really excited about the opportunities,” she said.
Shepherd is leaving downtown, but said the move to the Landing allows her to stay in Brunswick.
“People said I was crazy for moving downtown and that downtowns were dying, and now they’re saying we are deserting them. People say we’ve been made by the Tontine Mall, but I think we’ve made the Tontine,” she said.
Shepherd hopes Wild Oats can have the same impact at Brunswick Landing, which she called a “glorified industrial park,” with a lot of potential.
“My hope is to build and create community.”
When staff first posted the news they were moving on Facebook, the post racked up over 800 reactions and 170 shares, with almost 400 comments.
“I think your timing is perfect, as more and more businesses move on the ‘base,’ people are going to need/want a good place to get something to eat,” one person said.
“I think Wild Oats being on the base will draw people who might not have ventured on to it to go and check it out,” another said, calling it a “real boon for the other businesses there.”
Others did not share that view.
“Really disappointed by this news,” one person wrote. “Wild Oats has been a staple of downtown Brunswick since ’91 and will leave a hole behind when they move. I think a lot of people that come to walk our downtown, students at Bowdoin, and those of us who live and or work downtown will be a demographic that dwindles. Sad to see this move.”
“Pretty disappointed in this choice by Wild Oats,” another person wrote, accusing them of “throwing in the towel on walkability and the central, downtown location.”
Losing the bakery’s identity as a downtown hotspot, as well as the centralized location and walkability are two of the biggest concerns, Shepherd admitted, but Brunswick Landing is moving toward being more bike- and walker-friendly.
She has plans to add showers so employees can take full advantage of the trail system; and may even offer bikes as part of employment.
“A lot is being done and there is a lot we would like to do,” she said.
The new location will be her “dream building:” A 19,000-square-foot spot with “loads more” parking, additional outdoor seating and more retail and production space, including a spot for made-to-order smoothies, smoothie bowls, savory bowls and more grab-and-go offerings. They will be able to offer more of a selection, hire more employees (perhaps as many as 30) and “delve deeper into what we have.” They may extend their hours later into the evening to catch people stopping by after work, she said.
This will not be the bakery’s first stint at Brunswick Landing. Wild Oats previously opened a satellite location at the landing, which closed in 2015 after only a year and a half. The business was “brisk and profitable” Shepherd said in a 2016 interview, but divided their attention between the landing and the Tontine Mall location, which was experiencing “unexpected growth” at the time.
Shepherd’s goal has always been to “make a living, not to make a killing,” she said, and working with her dad’s longtime tenets of “humanity, humility and humor” have helped keep them successful.
“This job allows me to do everything I love,” Shepherd said. “It’s not about getting up early or about whether the bread rises, it’s about people.
“I hope the community continues to support us and see the value in what we’re doing, and embrace that we’re making the move for all the right reasons.”
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