HOULTON, Maine — For years, Travis and Kim Coker have wanted to establish a business in the expansive downtown structure they own at 43 Main Street.
Known to locals as The Rice Building, the historic, stately structure is an architectural gem, with floor to ceiling windows that overlook Market Square, hardwood floors and tin ceilings.
Travis Coker said on Thursday that they had gotten a number of offers from individuals who wanted to establish office spaces on the first floor of the building, but the couple turned them all down.
That was until January 2019, when they met James and Emily Harvey of Houlton, who they believe are the perfect pair to join them in a plan to help bring both the building and Market Square back to life.
The Harveys have applied for a victualer’s license to operate Bastion’s Tavern at the location. During an interview inside the building on Thursday, both couples acknowledged that they still have a lot of work to do before opening day, but they are committed to the project and excited about the future.
“We have gotten so much love from the community already,” said James Harvey. “So many people have come up to us and said that they can’t wait for us to open. [Some] have asked us when we are going to start hiring, [and some] have recommended people who can help us. It has been wonderful.”
Kim Coker said that Bastion’s Tavern, which will be a sports bar with a casual atmosphere, is named in honor of those who are pillars of the community — teachers, firefighters, nurses, EMT’s, law enforcement and more. They want the bar to be a gathering place for the community, so there will be seating for between 120 and 130 people and there will also be a small semi-private area for events.
“We also plan to have a lot of TV’s lining the walls,” said James Harvey. “We are going to have fight nights where people can come watch big MMA events or boxing matches, things like that. We also plan to have trivia nights.”
The Rice Building, 43 Main Street, Houlton.
(Courtesy of Kim Coker)
The Cokers bought The Rice Building in 2017 and live on the second floor. Kim Coker said that when they met the Harveys in January, the couple already had a business plan and ideas drafted, which they had been working on for 18 months.
“They knew what they wanted to do and they were just scouting locations,” she said. “We took them to the building and did a walk through with them. It was just a perfect fit.”
Travis Coker said he was so committed to making sure that he found the right occupant for the building that he turned down numerous requests from potential tenants.
“We just didn’t want to see someone turn this into more office space,” he said. “There is already too much office space in Market Square.”
The Harvey’s son, Logan Harvey, will be the general manager of the restaurant, but will also rely on the expertise of others.
An opening date for the restaurant has not yet been set.
“We didn’t want to tie ourselves down to any date,” said Travis Coker. “That just puts more pressure on us. This is a big, complicated project, and we want to get it right.”
For now, they continue to work hard on renovating the building, finalizing business details with the town, and enjoying the response from the community.
“To say that this project has been well received has been an understatement,” James Harvey said on Thursday. “And we haven’t even opened yet.”
