Aroma Joe's opens coffee shops in Androscoggin and Kennebec counties

Photo / Courtesy Aroma Joe's Aroma Joe's has continued its expansion drive with a new location in Greene, shown here.

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Aroma Joe’s has opened its first locations in the rural towns of Greene and Manchester.

The Greene shop is at 440 U.S. Route 202 is a 1,500-square-foot drive-thru and coffeehouse location that will employ 15 to 18 people. Greene is in Androscoggin County.

It is under the leadership of first-time franchisees Jody Fournier and Rick Gowell.

Gowell, who is based in Litchfield, owns other businesses in the Greene area, including grocery stores and gas stations. The Greene location of Aroma Joe’s is in one of his properties, the Shop n’ Save Plaza.

“We were looking for a company that was just as passionate about servicing communities as we are," said Gowell. "Aroma Joe’s has exceptional coffee, with top-notch customer service and an upbeat and friendly environment."

Manchester location

The second new Aroma Joe's will be at 1011 Western Ave. in Manchester, Kennebec County.

This 1,063-square-foot drive-thru store will also employ 15 to 18 people and is under the leadership of first-time franchisees, a local father-and-son team and Winthrop residents, Tom and Keegan Choate.

"My dad inquired about opening an Aroma Joe’s location when the brand first started to franchise, but it wasn’t the right time,” said Keegan Choate. “As I neared college graduation, my dad and I started talking about Aroma Joe’s again. One thing led to another, and now here we are, open and operating.”

Both locations will offer Aroma Joe's typical fare, including coffee, espresso, energy drinks, soft drinks and food options.

Aroma Joe’s launched in 2000 in New Hampshire and then moved to Maine, where it is based in Scarborough.

The company is a franchising business with 130 locations in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, New York, Connecticut and Florida.