NOMINATED BY ANN MCALHANY, SBDC
Opening a grocery store may seem like a relatively straightforward path to business ownership, but with Tiller & Rye there is much more to it. Owners Sarah and Lindsey came from very different backgrounds, and met while working at a local restaurant. Over the course of their time working together, they combined Lindsey’s knowledge of food systems and Sarah’s business knowledge from her classes at the University of Maine to form the basis for Tiller & Rye. Envisioned as a local hub for locally sourced food and as a support for small farmers, Tiller & Rye became more developed and eventually opened in 2015 with the help of the Small Business Development Center and SBA backed financing from CEI
Since opening its doors, Tiller & Rye has quickly become a staple of its community. Now known as the place to go for organic foods, coffee, deli products, and even books by Maine authors, the store has grown to an incredible degree. While they have stayed at the same location, the business has now fully occupied the building, quadrupling the size of the retail space over the past 8 years. Because of the commitment Sarah and Lindsey have to their customers and community, even with the challenges posed by the Covid pandemic they were able to adapt and continue their plans to grow. Working with the Bangor Region Chamber and the City of Brewer to identify resources and stay up on the best guidance, Tiller & Rye was able to adjust their practices and keep their doors open.
With all of the success that Tiller & Rye has experienced, Sarah and Lindsey feel that it’s important to commit to their mission of a true local business by supporting their community. Despite not being as large as the national and regional retailers, they try to never say no to a request for donations, always working on a way that they can support people locally. This has taken the form of sponsorships for local youth sports teams, a giving tree for local families during the holidays, gift bags and other goodies for charity raffles, and donation boxes for the local food pantry at the front of the store. Sarah and Lindsey also focus on their community by keeping their advertising dollars as local as they can, and implementing waste policies that see any food waste sent to local farms for compost and animal feed.
Adding to the impressive growth and success seen by Tiller & Rye, both Sarah and Lindsey have had two children in the years since opening their doors. Both have been able to find the time and energy to raise their families while continuing to build their business, demonstrating that with the right business partner and the support of a community, small businesses can grow and compete with larger retailers. Because of their incredible success and their commitment to their community and other Maine based businesses, the SBA is pleased to name Tiller & Rye as the 2024 Woman Owned Small Business of the Year.
