Scapes, a café and bakery in Mount Vernon, has recently debuted a new menu, about a year opening. Photo courtesy of Sarah Duda

SCAPES CAFÉ & BAKERY 

Opening Scapes Cafe & Bakery in Mount Vernon was like a homecoming for owner Sarah Duda.  

The bakery, breakfast and lunch spot just celebrated its first year and introduced a new menu this month that includes steak and eggs, huevos rancheros and lunch options including a steak sandwich, lox bagel and other classic options with a twist.  

Duda said her decision to open Scapes Cafe & Bakery last year was easy. Being from Mount Vernon and a chef at The Olde Post Office Cafe — the restaurant that previously occupied Scapes’ location at 366 Pond Road — everything fell into place when she saw the building was for sale in winter of 2022. 

“Honestly, it has far exceeded our hope for where we would be by a lot,” she said. “It was definitely in my favor, being a hometown girl and having a hometown staff. And when I was envisioning this place, the two most important things for me — the first is the food we are sending out, but the close second is the feeling you get when you walk in.” 

She purposely put the kitchen space in the middle of the cafe so people can feel connected to the food Duda and her staff are making and serving. Duda said it allows the customer to get to know the chef, but also it keeps the chefs and bakers on their toes.   

After serving as the baker until late last year, she was able to hire another baker so that she can focus on creating gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan options for the café. 

Eventually, she hopes Scapes can expand its offerings to dinner, which she was instrumental in helping add at The Olde Post Office Cafe before it closed in 2022. 

“There’s definitely the dinner thing, and dinner is where we really shine. So, I’m super excited but not quite sure when we will kick it off, maybe the early spring,” she said. 

Duda is just glad that people are finding her “little café in the middle of nowhere” and returning day after day, which many people do, she says. She advertises only on Facebook and does not have a website for the café. 

“Last winter, we had people sit at the bar who were on their way up to ski at Sugarloaf or Sunday River and said they detoured off of Route 27 because they said they heard about us,” she said. 

Scapes Cafe & Bakery is open Wednesday through Sunday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and closed Monday and Tuesday. The new breakfast and lunch menu launched last week also offers take-home meals. 

— Emily Duggan, Kennebec Journal 

 AROMA JOE’S COFFEE 

Aroma Joe’s Coffee in Waterville will be closed for around a month for renovations.  

The popular coffee spot, located at 84 Kennedy Memorial Drive, closed on Nov. 11 and plans to reopen on Dec. 9, according to a Facebook post. 

Customers are advised to visit the next closest Aroma Joe’s in the meantime, which would be the Winslow location at 9 Bay Street.  

The coffee chain is headquartered in Portland and has various locations, mostly across New Hampshire and Massachusetts. It recently expanded to Pennsylvania and Florida. 

— Emily Duggan, Kennebec Journal 

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