Aroma Joe’s has purchased the former Gifford’s Ice Cream shop in Farmington. Gifford’s made the decision to close after it was flooded twice in 2023. The property is seen on Dec. 17. Pam Harnden/Livermore Falls Advertiser
FARMINGTON — Aroma Joe’s has purchased the former Gifford’s Ice Cream location at 293 Main Street, Kate Foster, code assistant said Monday morning, Dec. 16.
According to the Aroma Joe’s website, “Founded in 2000, Aroma Joe’s is a local destination for handcrafted coffee and espresso drinks, unique flavor infusions, signature AJ’s RUSH® Energy Drinks and all-day food offerings served with positivity, in a friendly and upbeat environment.”
The first Aroma Joe’s opened in East Rochester, New Hampshire, in 2000 by four cousins from Maine – Marty and Tim McKenna and Mike and Brian Sillon. They had a passion for coffee and serving positive energy to every customer and each community. Now headquartered in Scarborough, there are now over 110 shops in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania and Florida the Aroma Joe’s site notes.
The franchise owners have spoken with Foster and Steve Kaiser, Foster noted. “They are hoping to get on the January Planning Board agenda,” she stated. The cut off date to do so is Dec. 30 and the meeting will be at 6 p.m. Jan. 13, she said.
“They plan to have a drive-through,” Foster stated. “They are planning to build up the floors, reinforce the floors. They spoke of using stainless steel materials for cabinets, raise everything electrical.”
Gifford’s Ice Cream announced in August that it planned to permanently close its Farmington location. The location was flooded with mud and water when the Sandy River rose and covered lower Main Street and other areas in Franklin County in May and December 2023.
Foster said proposed plans from Aroma Joe’s were shown to her and Kaiser but not left with them. “They are doing a whole gut of the building, bringing up the floors, and remodeling,” Foster noted. “They are not going to tear it down completely.”
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