Mornings in Paris buys Goose Rocks Beach General Store in Kennebunkport

KENNEBUNKPORT, Maine — When you walk into Goose Rocks Beach General Store this summer, the décor, scents and offerings may bring another local business to mind.

Mornings in Paris.

Paul Humphrey, the owner of that coffee shop and bakery, and his wife, Katelyn, purchased the general store at 3 Dyke Road from Stedman and Betsy Seavey earlier this year.

While the store has been open on weekends since Memorial Day, the Humphreys are getting ready to open the local landmark seven days a week, starting Friday, June 16. The store will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

"It's a store I’ve always had admiration for, particularly the location," said Humphrey, a Kennebunkport resident.

While Humphrey is keeping the store's name, he said in a recent interview that his newest venture can be considered the latest expansion in his Mornings in Paris brand. Humphrey owns and operates Mornings in Paris shops on Western Avenue in Kennebunk and on Main Street in Ogunquit. Last summer, he opened a creperie, which is located behind the Western Avenue shop, down the hill and on the left.

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At the general store, the Humphreys will sell all the coffees, crepes and baked goods for which they have become known at the Mornings in Paris shops.

Near the entrance, a sign lists summer drinks that the store will be selling: Jazzy Peach Lemonade, Blue Lemon Tea, and Orange Grove, as well as Funky Monkey, a mocha latte with crème de banana syrup, Thunder Bear, a coffee with honey, cinnamon, and espresso, and Bramble, which is sparkling water with blackberry and lime syrups. The store also will offer "Kids Koolers" for children.

And, in keeping with the store's tradition, they will offer pizza and hot dogs, as well – putting their own culinary spin on each, of course. The pizza, for example, will be made with thin crust, the kind Humphrey said he prefers.

The walls at Goose Rocks Beach General Store are now painted the same metallic orange you can see at the coffee shops. The black-topped bakery counter also glimmers with the same copper façade.

"There are some subtle and there are some more obvious notes of Mornings in Paris here," Humphrey said.

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On shelves throughout the store, you’ll find products to either bring to the beach or pick up on the way home after a day in the sand and surf. There are bags of potato chips, energy bars, and candy, for example, as well as toiletries, cleaning supplies, and picnic ware. One wall is filled with toys for children – skim boards, paddles, putty, whiffle ball bats and balls, goggles, and more. Books by local authors also are offered.

An ice chest is filled with ice cream made by Martel's in Saco. Humphrey said kids "go wild" over the brand of frozen treats.

Near the coolers in the back, there are assorted red and white wines – well-known labels are included, but some hail from Europe and South America. The bottles fill a case of wooden crates that Humphrey built himself.

Humphrey said he has created a Goose Rocks Beach General Store gift card that people can purchase and use to pay for items when they visit. He said he intends the cards as useful for parents to give their children, but adults can purchase them too.

Humphrey said this latest endeavor is a family business – one in which he and his wife will work side by side, and their two young children will pitch in when they can. They helped pick out the toys for the store to sell.

"It's a fun sort of family project," Humphrey said.