Local Business Highlight: Flexit Café
If you’ve ever had coffee or breakfast in downtown Ellsworth, you’ve probably been to Flexit Café. Owned by Paul Markosian and his wife, Lorena, this café is centrally located on Main Street and is a hub of connection for the community. It seems like everyone knows who Paul is, and that’s because he has made connecting with others a focal point of Flexit – and for himself.
“You have to be committed to your community because a café is, by definition, an asset to the community,” said Paul. “It’s a place where people spend a lot of time and make connections with others.”
Paul has made that commitment apparent. Flexit regularly donates to the schools and local nonprofits, such as The Grand and Heart of Ellsworth. Paul himself is a member of the Ellsworth School Board, the City of Ellsworth’s Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee, and just recently, starred as Robertson Ay in the Ellsworth High School’s production of Mary Poppins.
“You have to love what you do, and I do,” Paul continued. Flexit opened its doors on March 19th, 2015, and quickly realized they were meeting a need in Ellsworth. Not only did people come to get coffee or breakfast, but they also came to gather and socialize. Another unmet need? Catering. Flexit offers catering for businesses and organizational meetings during breakfast and lunch, augmented with a few special functions in the early evenings when they offer hours d’oeuvres. Catering has provided Flexit with a steadiness in business that a regular café in a tourist economy might not typically have.
When asked what his favorite part of owning and running Flexit was, Paul said: “Looking around the dining room and seeing all these people I know.”
It hasn’t always been a breeze, though. Staffing has been a challenge from the beginning. Paul referenced the tight labor market, which has only gotten tighter since COVID-19. The housing market changed dramatically in that time, quickly pricing people out. Many people chose not to come back to the restaurant industry, choosing a different path for themselves.
“2020 was a difficult year, and then it just got harder the next year. But we toughed it out. Then, I learned in 2021 that I couldn’t renew my lease.”
Flexit Café originally had been in the old Maine Grind building, where Desert Harvest is now located (and whose building is now for sale). The same day that they told Paul he would not be able to renew his lease, he took a walk down the street and saw a big for rent sign in the window of 142 Main Street. He immediately texted the building’s owner, scheduled a walk-through, and was in contract to lease the space the next day.
Six years since they first opened (almost to the day), Flexit Café reopened its doors – this time in the new location on Main Street.
When asked if there were any changes coming down the pipeline for Flexit, Paul pointed to the windows, where a carpenter was installing beautiful wooden counter tops.
“We are looking forward to the change – the countertops are going to make it have a real café feel. I also want to replace the overhead lights to create a warmer lighting experience,” he waved a hand at the lights abstractedly, and then continued, “I have had a long-time dream of having an evening coffee house with music, especially targeted toward young people who are under 21… now that we’re coming into the tenth year of being in business, maybe we can make that a goal for the next decade.”
Paul Markosian is a mixture of practicality and vision and is a successful businessman who always has time to chat while you’re in line to get a coffee. Join Heart of Ellsworth in celebrating Flexit and all the work Paul and his team have done over the past nine years to build and strengthen community connections. They are open 6:30 am – 3 pm Monday through Saturday, and their menu and catering information can be found at flexitcafe.com.
Paul Maroksian, owner of Flexit Café
Photo taken by No Umbrella Media, LLC