A shout-out to Star 97.7, our local radio station which always welcomes us to share news and events! Pictured: Heart of Ellsworth staff (Clarisa Diaz L, Zabet NeuCollins R) with radio hosts, Sonnie Shepherd and Paul Dupuis.
Now in its eighth year, Provender Bar + Kitchen is an established business on Main Street in downtown Ellsworth. Owned by Chef Daron Goldstein and his wife Joy Kempf, the restaurant is a go-to for meals and cocktails drawing residents and new visitors alike.
Heart of Ellsworth staff sat down with Goldstein to learn about the origins of Provender, advice for entrepreneurs, and keeping a local and seasonal menu exciting for customers to consistently enjoy. Chef Goldstein inspired us as he shared his stories around menu-creation and his commitment to creating a diverse and tasty menu, as well as his commitment to his staff and our local community.
The following questions are excerpts from our interview with Chef Goldstein.
Heart of Ellsworth: Tell us about the origin of Provender?
Goldstein: The business presented itself to us at the right time. The old owner of the restaurant asked us if we wanted to buy it. At first, we had a lot going on. We had just bought a house, the kids were just starting school and I told him no. Then two months later he asked me one more time… So, I went home and talked to Joy about this opportunity. It was something we always talked about doing. We’ve both been in the hospitality and restaurant industry our whole lives. We said let’s do it and took a leap of faith.
H: How do you see Provender changing and growing?
G: Cooking is trendy like fashion. My cuisine and my plating has changed from the time that we opened. It’s evolved into stuff that’s more relevant now. Five years ago, I was putting a hundred things on the plate decorated with little dots, stuff like that. I realized I don’t have to do that.
One of the visions was I wanted it to be a place where anybody could come eat. You can have someone eating a nice steak at one end of the dining room and someone else eating a burger or chicken sandwich on the other end. I’m doing a lot of things knowing who our clientele is during on and off seasons. In the summer, we’re a little more out of the box. I’m not stuck on one thing anymore — we’re global cuisine knowledgeable here. I’m willing to cook anything that’s great and anyone can come in here and get something.
H: What is your favorite part of running this business?
G: Seeing people leave happy, that’s the goal. To see the end result of what we’re doing, people leaving happier than when they came in–it doesn’t get better than that.
To read the entire interview with Daron, follow the link below!
📅 When: March 25th from 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
📍 Where: 16 State Street
Heart of Ellsworth is excited to announce recipients of the 2025 Downtown Grant Program at a public awards ceremony on Tuesday March 25, 2025. The ceremony will take place at 16 State Street at 6 PM. The program supports business owners in downtown Ellsworth with generous sponsorship this year from Franklin Savings Bank, as well as Bangor Federal Credit Union, First National Bank, and Machias Savings Bank.
Jurors this year included Ashlie Brown, the Deputy Finance Director for the City of Ellsworth, Jen Baroletti from Viridian Law, and PJ Keenan from the Ellsworth Chamber of Commerce. More information about the jurors can be found on the Heart of Ellsworth's website.
This year's funding cycle supports emerging entrepreneurs and small business owners alike. There will be three awards presented: first place - $5000, second place - $3000, and third place - $500.
Downtown Grants connects entrepreneurs, small businesses, innovators, and start ups to resources and opportunities that will advance their growth. This program is a foundational component of our entrepreneurial ecosystem work. By investing in our Main Street community we are supporting the future of small businesses.
Heart of Ellsworth invites local businesses to be part of our Ellsworth-themed Seaweed Walk during Maine Seaweed Week (April 25 – May 4, 2025), coinciding with Jane’s Walk on Saturday, May 3rd!
This unique event will bring more foot traffic to downtown Ellsworth, highlighting businesses that feature seaweed-inspired products—whether it’s food, beverages, skincare, or other creative offerings. Participating businesses can be a stop on the walk, be featured in our Seaweed Shopping List, receive a social media spotlight, or even host their own event with our promotional support.
Interested? Reach out to our Program Coordinator at zabet@heartofellsworth.org or by March 31st to get involved!
Welcome, Viridian Law
In February 2025, seven attorneys formerly in Eaton Peabody's startup practice left the Bangor-based law firm to start a firm of their own called Viridian Law. Viridian Law is located at 204 Main St. in Ellsworth, and offers legal counsel in an array of practice areas, including:
Corporate and Securities
Emerging Companies and Venture Capital ("ECVC")
Employment and Executive Compensation
Intellectual Property
Liquidity and M&A Transactions
Litigation
Municipal and Administrative
Private Fund Formation
Real Estate
Land Use
Whether you are an established business, a startup, protecting intellectual property, engaged in complex litigation, permitting a project, or managing real estate transactions, their team is dedicated to helping you succeed.
Ellsworth Adult & Community Education + Ellsworth Chamber of Commerce are partnering to offer a four session workshop on improving customer service skills.
The Union River Center for Innovation is launching an Entrepreneurial Exploration series! The first workshop is April 9 and will be led by Eric Treworgy of Coastal Enterprises Inc. and staff from the City of Ellsworth Economic Development Department.
SCORE Maine hosts affordable small business workshops -- both online webinars and live, in-person. You can find everything you need to know to start a business or discover tools to help your small business grow.
The CEI Women’s Business Center is a home for women who want to start or grow their own business in Maine. They offer courses, cohorts, workshops, and events which encourage peer-to-peer learning and community building, as well as 1:1 business advising support.
Mass MoCa's Assets for Artists is a program by artists for artists. They provide professional development workshops, coaching, capacity-building cohorts, community building, artist residencies and more.
Maine Accelerates Growth (MxG): is a network of organizations and individuals committed to building an inclusive ecosystem to support innovators and businesses to scale in Maine and beyond. They offer:
✅ Monthly collaborative sessions connecting entrepreneurs, investors & support organizations
✅ Dynamic platform for sharing resources & opportunities
✅ Proven track record of catalyzing initiatives like Top Gun & Innovate for Maine
✅ Commitment to building an inclusive, statewide innovation network
Join them on Zoom every third Thursday at 11 a.m. to be part of Maine's innovation conversation!
Center for Maine Contemporary Art is pleased to announce the jurors and application guidelines for the upcoming 2025 Biennial exhibition. The CMCA Biennial is the longest running statewide juried exhibition in Maine and highlights current developments in contemporary art by Maine-based and connected artists. The CMCA Biennial has a long history of recognizing established artists’ work and discovering new and rising talents. We invite all artists to apply!
Artist submissions will be accepted via Submittable from February 20 to April 20, 2025.
The Maine Entrepreneur Summit is happening on May 16th at the USM Abromson Center in Portland, Maine. This one-day event is your ticket to dive deep into entrepreneurship and boost your business. Join the Maine Center for Entrepreneurs for workshops, networking opportunities, and the Top Gun Showcase Pitch Competition. See you there!
Thank you for reading this edition of the Ellsworth Business Pulse!
Check out our Business Benefits page for more information on how we can support your business!
