Photo / Laurie Schreiber
Carmen Nelson makes corsages and boutonnieres at Lougee & Frederick's.
Updated: May 29, 2025
A slew of businesses opening in downtown Bangor
Photo / Courtesy Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce
Rhoda Burke recently bought Lougee & Frederick’s from Bill Sheehan. The two cut the ribbon at Burke’s larger location.
Flowers, charms, hot tubs and Hawaiian shaved ice are all on tap at a wave of businesses opening in downtown Bangor this year.
Floral design
Lougee & Frederick's, established over 80 years ago, cut the ribbon on its new location at 21 Washington St. in Penobscot Plaza.
The retail shop is a mile from the business’s former home at 345 State St.
Rhoda Burke recently bought Lougee & Frederick’s from Bill Sheehan and is expanding to include a wider selection of cards, green plants and artisanal products.
A larger floral cooler allows the shop to introduce do-it-yourself flower arrangements and hands-on floral design classes. The firm claims to be the only florist in Maine with two American Institute of Floral Designers florists on staff.
Burke’s interest in floriculture started in high school, in the late 1980s. Sheehan was one of her teachers.
In 2016, Burke opened a flower store called Burke’s Hollow at her home. Looking for more space, she bought Westside Florist in Southwest Harbor.
She recently closed the Southwest Harbor location in order to reopen in Blue Hill. Then she bought Lougee & Frederick’s from Sheehan and moved it from a 958-square-foot space at 345 State St. to the 10,000-square-foot space at 21 Washington St.
“I wanted a bigger location,” she said. “We could not have landed a better spot.”
Burke’s investment in the location has been about $125,000. She already owned much of the furnishings needed.
Move-in-ready
The building, which previously housed a beverage and redemption center, was move-in-ready. There’s plenty of cooler and storage space. A loading dock was key for receiving tractor-trailers full of inventory, which hails from places like Colombia and Ecuador. With more cooler space, Burke said, she can order enough volume to mitigate potential hits from federal trade tariffs.
In one work area, Carmen Nelson, who once owned her own flower shop, is making corsages and boutonnieres for prom season. She sets baby’s breath and small roses on colorful ribbons.
In the large showroom, Burke has partitioned a bridal consult room, a sympathy room and a living room as floral settings.
In May, customers were shopping for proms, graduations and Mother’s Day. The location is easily walkable from the downtown core and there’s plenty of parking.
“The walk-in traffic has been phenomenal,” Burke said.
Foods and spas
At 86 Hammond St., Annie Cutler opened Sunbury’s to offer wine, foods and kitchenware.
Cutler said she finds that the community is eager to support the store, even if it’s just to buy a bottle of wine or some fresh-baked bread.
Photo / Laurie Schreiber
Sunbury's offers specialty foods, wine and kitchenwares.
“We do tons of special orders,” she said.
At 173 Park St., Julianne and Andrew Sawyer opened Sawyer’s Shave Ice to offer traditional Hawaiian-style shave ice made with finely shaved ice and tropical flavors. Additional ingredients can include ice cream at the bottom, a drizzle of sweetened condensed milk on top, a powder made from dried salted plum, called li hing mui, and toasted coconut shavings. The ingredients and the syrup concentrates come from Hawaii.
“We’ve dreamed of creating a space where people can enjoy a little taste of aloha year-round, and we can’t wait to share it with the community that’s supported us from day one,” the Sawyers said.
At 193 Broad St., Jeff and Danielle Simons bought a two-story building and opened Sand Dollar Spa and Pool, moving it from a leased space in Brewer. The Bangor location provides more visibility and is much bigger — 17,900 square feet versus 7,000 square feet — allowing them to show more spa and sauna options.
Charm bar
Jazmine Horne is getting set to open Dream in Gold Jewelry, in a lease at 98 Central St., to offer jewelry she makes and a “charm bar.”
“We will have charms available for people to pick out and create their own bracelet, necklace, keychain,” she said.
Photo / Laurie Schreiber
Jazmine Horne is getting set to open Dream in Gold Jewelry to offer jewelry she makes and a “charm bar.”
Charms include letters, characters, lobsters and special ones like figures from the children’s TV show “Paw Patrol.” Charms honoring Stephen King include a hatchet.
The charm bar is being set up as a place for customers to book parties and events, and for collaborations with other small businesses.
The goal is to open June 6, as part of Bangor’s First Friday Art Walk.
Photo / Laurie Schreiber
Jazmine Horne’s Dream in Gold Jewelry offers a variety of charms.
“I always wanted to have a small business where I could host events and have some type of connection with the community,” she said.
More ribbon-cuttings
Elsewhere, Empeople Credit Union recently opened a branch at 6 State St. and Bodi Bar Fitness & Wellness opened at 1113 Stillwater Ave.
More ribbon-cuttings are coming, said Betsy Lundy, executive director of the Downtown Bangor Partnership.
“One of my favorite things to do is to get people excited about moving down here, opening a business and being part of a community," said Lundy.
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