The Independent Cafe

Story

Located on the historic Village Green where Main Street and Mount Desert Street come together, The Independent is proud to call Bar Harbor home.

The shop is owned by Timothy Rich, longtime barista and activist. “I wanted to offer a place where people could come, regardless of belief or outlook, to enjoy the best quality food and drinks. But that’s only the beginning of our mission.Our goal isn’t just to serve the best coffee—it’s to foster discussion and help build community.”

The Independent will offer only the best quality food and beverages in a relaxed and fun atmosphere. The staff will work tirelessly to create a relaxed and fun atmosphere and also to educate their customers—helping them to realize why what they are drinking, eating, and consuming really matters in the larger picture.

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Reflections and Promises on our coming Independence:

We recognize that with so many cafes competing for a piece of the pie (by the way, we have great pie!), we must offer more than just a quality product. We must focus on creating a personal interaction with each and every customer. It doesn't matter if they’re from Ellsworth or Chicago—when they leave our shop, the first thing that they should be talking about is what a great experience they had.

Additionally, we promise not to let employees get lost in this effort. We pledge to pay our employees more than the minimum wage so many baristas make. We also are planning a unique profit sharing program for baristas and managers who agree to work an entire season. We understand that if we want customers to feel like they’re part of our extended family, than employees must truly believe that they are too.

Every day we arrive at work with three goals in mind. We want to be able to share some of the world’s greatest coffee with our friends. We want to make sure that every person who walks through our door has one of the best experiences of their day. Lastly we want everyone involved in our organization to feel respected and have fun. Our basic philosophy is this: if our employees are having fun then our customers will have fun. If our customers are happy then they will be more open to talking, listening, and learning. That, if nothing else, is the independent way.