Each morning, Ed Foley’s alarm sounds at 2 a.m., signaling the start of what will be at least a 10- to 12-hour day in the kitchen.
“It’s always a challenge getting up,” said Foley, the owner of Foley’s Gourmet Bakery in Portland’s Monument Square. “But when the alarm goes off, you just get outta bed. Your alarm goes off at 5, my alarm goes off at 2. You just get up and going.”
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Walk in the back door shortly after 3 a.m., and Foley already has coffee brewed, the ovens on, and that day’s dough lined up and ready to bake. By the time his wife, Molly, arrives at 6 a.m., the kitchen is in high gear and cookies, muffins, and other pastries are already on cooling racks.
For Foley, the early morning solitude provides an opportunity to prepare for the long day ahead.
“Oh, it’s definitely a different world,” Foley said. “No traffic, lots of deer. You see a lot of different things cruising down Congress Street at 2:30 in the morning. Sometimes nothing’s going on, sometimes there’s a lot going on.”
On the flipside, there are no late-night TV shows or football games for the Falmouth native. Bedtime is 7 p.m.
“You definitely pay the price,” he said.
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