ELLSWORTH, Maine — Wicked Munchies, a takeout eatery that opened just as the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in Maine, has a few changes planned — including moving to Bar Harbor.
The owner, Travis Healy, has closed down the current Ellsworth location and is looking for someone to buy his lease and equipment at the eatery’s prominent High Street site, directly across the road from L.L. Bean.
But whoever takes the lease over will have to come up with a new name, even if they continue to operate it as a takeout-only eatery. Healy says he is looking to broaden the Wicked Munchies brand, but he is not interested in selling franchise agreements.
“For me, Bar Harbor is the end vision,” Healy said, standing in the partially dismantled kitchen of the Ellsworth site. “I want to be there with the big players. I am excited to put food on plates, not just takeout containers.”
Healy said he really wants dine-in customers to be part of the business, which was part of his original plan until the pandemic forced him to adjust. He also said he plans to operate seasonally, rather than year-round, and to branch out with online sales of Wicked Munchies products such as jams, jellies and honey.
Healy has another business, Midnight Hood Cleaning, that cleans exhaust systems for commercial kitchens in eastern Maine. He said that business is busier in winter, when many restaurants are closed for the season, which will help balance out his workload when Wicked Munchies closes each fall.
He has a lead on a site in downtown Bar Harbor, but he declined to say where because he still is trying to iron out an agreement with the owner of that property. He said the new space can seat up to 180 people — a far cry from the 16 he is licensed for, but does not use, in Ellsworth.
The menu will change a little to cater more to a dine-in clientele, and he plans to add lobster, he said. But there will be several existing Wicked Munchies menu items on the Bar Harbor menu.
The model of selling only takeout and having customers order exclusively online worked well for Wicked Munchies in Ellsworth, he said. He said keeping the High Street location as a takeout-only business makes sense, given the success of Wicked Munchies, but he is not ruling out any potential buyer.
He said the business did really well in 2021, in its second year, by aggressively promoting the business online. This year the business did “OK,” but he had already decided months ago that he wanted to relocate.
“I want to feel more challenged,” Healy said. “I hope whoever comes here does something fun.”
