Island Falls One Stop is a family operation

By Deborah Rafford
Special to the Pioneer Times
    Family means everything to Michael and Michelle Charette and their children, Brittany, 18, Vanessa, 13 and MJ Jr., 5. That’s why they recently decided to purchase and run the Island Falls One Stop. With them both being “County Kids”, him from Ft. Kent and Portage, and her from Presque Isle, they thought it only right to start their business right here.
Pioneer Times photo/Deborah Rafford
ALL IN THE FAMILY — The Charette family, from left, back row: Brittany, Michael and Michelle, and front, MJ Jr. and Vanessa, work together to make the Island Falls One Stop a convenient destination for fuel, food and much more.
    “We’ve been working with the public all our lives,” said Mike. “We thought about doing something like this for the last three years because we were always away from the kids.”
    Michael started out going into the Army for three years after graduating from the University of Maine at Orono. His old job as a chemical engineer required a lot of traveling, and Michelle was a personal support specialist. She had also worked the first 13 years of marriage as a waitress and caterer.
    “We serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, with daily specials and homemade desserts,” said Michelle. “When we took this place over, it was basically a gas station.” There is an apartment downstairs, and the Charette’s rent it out.
    The One Stop has everything from Blue Seal Feed, to gas, beer, wine and videos. It is open from 6 a.m.-7 p.m.; seven days a week.
    Michelle refuses to let this endeavor take over their lives. When Michael works, she does not. They make sure to have one full day off together. “We make sure one of us is always at the kid’s games. Family comes first. We couldn’t do that without Joey Bishop, our right hand man,” said Michelle. “We are confident in leaving him in charge.”
Pioneer Times photo/Deborah Rafford
COZY NOOK — The restaurant part of the store has a 'homey' touch to it with the bold color, pellet stove and bright lighting.
    When Tiffany’s Restaurant burned in town, the Charettes knew they knew the business, so they hired Tiffany and her crew. “The support of the town is incredible,” said Michelle, “They keep us going. We have the coffee group in the morning, which I just love, and it’s the locals who we can count on. Our store is so diverse that we are able to keep our food costs low. We buy everything except pool supplies local.”
    Michael is looking to update the pumps. He tells folks not to mind the mess, but he is renovating and wants to have 24 hour self-service, with credit card access. “We are unbranded,” he stated, “So we can get gas at a reasonable price.”
    Michelle doesn’t look at anyone as a competitor. She feels that her family just does their own thing, and that is the way they like it.
    “We would like to put up a new store.” says Michelle, “The floor plan in this store is not what we want, but we have worked with what we have.” The store is clean, bright and homey, all of the workers are very pleasant and good to work with. The dining area is a step down into a cozy area with a pellet stove throwing off warmth throughout the room. Michael has a green thumb, so he is able to use his own produce in his kitchen.
    “This endeavor has brought my husband and I a lot closer,” smiled Michelle. “We have been married 17 years, so it was the right time to start a new adventure.”
    Located just off I-95, Island Falls One Stop is the place to rest, relax and recuperate from a long drive. “Come on in,” says Michelle, “Take a look, and get to know us. We plan to be around for quite awhile.”