By Troy Hudson

Photo by Troy Hudson

Before summer 2017, the town of Saco didn’t have much in the way of coffee shops. A Starbucks was the only local option for people looking for a cup of coffee and a café atmosphere. When SMCC alumni Erik Squire and Maisarah Miskoon moved to Saco following the birth of their daughter, they missed the neighborhood coffee shops they left behind in Portland. Having both recently graduated from SMCC and optimistic about the future, they decided to take the plunge and open their own.

Located right on Saco’s quiet main drag at 209 Main Street, The Rugged Spruce makes a charming first impression. Its eye-catching sign announces the business’s vision: “A Community Coffee Shop,” and that’s exactly what the shop has been from the start.

Hand-planed pine table tops were created with the help of Squire’s father and uncle, and design touches like suspended barn windows and even the espresso machine itself were acquired locally with help from friends. Maisarah attributes the design elements to luck, citing the old adage, “One man’s trash is another’s treasure,” but the overall aesthetic is well-executed and makes for a very pleasant place for coffee and conversation.

At The Rugged Spruce, fresh brewed coffee is available til noon, and pour over coffee is offered all day. I had a cup of the latter, and found it to be an excellent dark roast made with care. The Rugged Spruce gets all their coffee from local Portland roaster Speckled Axe. In addition to teas and other drinks, the shop also offers egg sandwiches and pastries, including croissants from Standard Baking Company and gluten-free options from Bam Bam Bakery in Portland.

These days, locals frequently stop in for Saturday brunch, and Maisarah says the family-friendly atmosphere draws visitors of all ages. “That’s how my daughter has friends, actually, because she doesn’t go to daycare.” The Rugged Spruce also recently hosted Saco’s first ever “Coffee With Your Councilman” event for residents to meet their local town councilmembers over coffee, and they hope to host more such events in the future.

The Rugged Spruce sign invites people to come in and enjoy a cup of coffee. Photo by Troy Hudson

Erik, an Education major, says that while studying at SMCC, he never planned to open a coffee shop. “I wish I could say that I was inspired by business classes at SMCC, but I never actually took any. But what I do think definitely contributed was the extracurricular work that I did.” Erik is a former Managing Editor of The Beacon and served as president of both Student Senate and Phi Beta Kappa. “That definitely gives you a whole slew of skills,” he says, “Coordinating a project from beginning to end, learning intuition, and just getting stuff done. I would definitely say those were invaluable.”

In their time at SMCC, Erik and Maisarah made friendships they still treasure today. Erik claims his vision for The Rugged Spruce is partly modeled on the College: “The sense of community at SMCC is something we wanted to replicate after leaving, as it’s something we really missed.” Now Erik and Maisarah are using that experience to help create a new, thriving community in Saco, one cup of coffee at a time.