PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Presque Isle diners will soon smell barbecue in the air when the owners of the local Governor’s Restaurant open a second eatery.
Tony and Sherry Sullivan and their son, Matthew Sullivan, plan to open Ferris BBQ later this fall on Parsons Street.
The three are business partners in the project, which has transformed the former Winnie’s into a larger building. Though Presque Isle has seen mobile barbecue operations, Ferris will be its first full-time barbecue restaurant. And, since it’s located right next to local trails, the Sullivans hope it will draw snowmobile and ATV riders.
The idea of bringing a full-time barbecue restaurant to the area appealed to Tony Sullivan because it’s something new.
“I think barbecue is a concept people love all over the U.S., but we don’t have a nice sit-down place to enjoy it here,” he said. “We want to be able to offer something different for people, and I think it’s a great addition to the area.”
The nearest barbecue restaurant is Timberwolves in Mars Hill.
The name Ferris actually honors generations of family history, Sherry Sullivan said Wednesday, amid the buzz of saws and construction activity at the site.
“My husband’s grandfather was Thomas Ferris, but most people just called him ‘Ferris,’” she said. “Tony is Anthony Ferris Sullivan. Our son, Brady, is Brady Ferris, and we have a grandson, Parker Ferris.”
The family weighed carefully the idea of starting a new project in a post-COVID-19 era rife with worker shortages, and discussed how to balance their current restaurant with the one yet to open.
Because they have family members willing to help out when needed, as well as a staff that includes people who’ve been with them for many years, they felt the time was right to start the new project.
Rob Thibeault, who most recently managed Hub Coffee and has run the mobile operation JR Barbecue, has joined the Sullivans as the new restaurant’s general manager. He is working at the Governor’s location until Ferris gets off the ground, and the family and staff have been overwhelmingly supportive, he said.
The Sullivans have owned the Presque Isle Governor’s location for 25 years, and their four children — Matt, Lauren, Erin and Brady — grew up steeped in the business.
While the others have established separate careers, Matt followed in the restaurant realm. He wants the barbecue to fill a void in the city’s food picture.
“It’s always about the community,” Matt Sullivan said. “We needed something else in town, and knew we’d eventually have competition, so we decided to be our own competition.”
The restaurant will offer barbecued and smoked food along with burgers, sandwiches and salads, including locally grown potatoes. Maine-brewed beers and a range of bourbon will complement the barbecue fare, Tony Sullivan said.
Food will be smoked on site, with a large vented smoker in the back of the building and a smaller one outside.
Local contractors and suppliers are doing all the on-site work, and have literally rebuilt the structure from the ground up. They have completed three additions that accommodate two new bathrooms, an enlarged kitchen and a 1,200-foot bar and dining space. A Presque Isle landscaper will complete the finishing touches.
Though it’s uncertain how many staff they will need, they will begin hiring when the project is nearer to completion.
The family aims to open in mid-November, and as with their other restaurant, a Sullivan will be present most of the time.
“I think it’s important to have the owners in the house, and we’ve always done that,” Sherry Sullivan said. “That’s always important, and also to let our team know that we’re always there. We wouldn’t be where we are without a great team.”
The Presque Isle Governor’s Restaurant is one of six locations of the chain, which Leith and Donna Wadleigh founded in 1959. Other locations are in Old Town, Bangor, Waterville, Ellsworth and Lewiston.
