TERRY GEAGHAN, left, and Mike Therriault inside at 141 Front St., Bath, the future site of Bath Brewing Company, a brewery/restaurant, now under construction. The two plan to open the business in November.
Friendship and family have brought a local group together to create a food and brewing experience in the heart of Bath.
Developer Sean Ireland, along with brewers and restaurateurs Mike Therriault and Terry Geaghan, are combining their efforts to open the Midcoast’s newest community-driven food and drink destination.
MIKE THERRIAULT, left, and Terry Geaghan outside the future site of Bath Brewing Company.
“When Mike and Terry showed me the location on Front Street, I knew we could create a unique eating and drinking destination that would contribute to the overall community experience,” said Ireland. “The more I talked to folks, the more I kept hearing how much the community wanted a family-friendly brewpub; a place with good, simple, approachable food and drink with a welcoming but unique atmosphere. It got me excited.”
It’s been a journey for Therriault and Geaghan. Their desire to open a local brewpub has been met with excitement and enthusiasm, but finding the right location and scale took some time.
“Let’s just say we’ve learned a lot along the way,” said Geaghan. “Mike and I always had a vision, but bringing it to concept and reality took us down several different roads. We needed some help and someone that shared our vision and excitement for this project.
“Sean’s involvement came at a critical time,” Geaghan continued. “He shared our vision for the project and has been able to help us pull it all together.”
The project relies on a blend of family and friendships to bring together a unique and compelling experience. Geaghan’s family has been in the food and beverage business for more than 40 years in Bangor. The family brewing operation, Geaghan Brewing, has become one of the largest brewers in the state. Therriault, a practicing local attorney, spent his high school and college years working at the old Sebasco Lodge in a variety of roles, including managing the bar. Working in Bath on a daily basis, he has long recognized the void for craft beer.
“I’ve always had this strong urge to do something like this in Bath,” said Therriault. “I grew up here, I work here, and I love our little city, and for years I’ve been feeling like there was this opportunity to create something unique and local that would honor the history of Bath and bring the community together.”
Therriault and Geaghan are relying on their friendship and partnership with Ireland to help get the restaurant built and ready, and will then transition to extended family expertise and knowledge to help provide the food, beverage and service that will define the experience.
“As much as Mike and I will work together to create the experience and be the ‘face’ of the brewpub, we’re relying on some of our extended family with restaurant experience and knowledge to run the day-to-day operations,” said Geaghan. “We know this is a large undertaking and in order to create the experience people deserve, we need to surround ourselves with professionals.”
When asked who their target audience will be, Therriault is quick to answer, “Everyone; the brewpub is a place for all; to share a family meal, catch up with an old friend, meet new friends, enjoy a game, listen to music, grab a drink or just stop in and say hello. Our goal is to provide a space that is comfortable and familiar, a place you can call your own.”
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