SANFORD — Pending approval by the Sanford City Council on Tuesday, a proposed new restaurant, called Pilot’s Cove Cafe, could open at Sanford Seacoast Regional Airport in early April.

That means diners could be tucking into eggs Benedict or over easy with all the fixings for breakfast, and for lunch fried chicken, a burger or a salad, delivered tableside by a server dressed as a flight attendant, in keeping with the planned airport theme.

The council’s property subcommittee, which met earlier this week, is recommending approval of a proposal by Pilot’s Cove Cafe, LLC, a company formed by New Hampshire entrepreneurs Daniel Bowden and Ronald Farrington.

“Our vision is to create a relaxed atmosphere with a menu offering classic diner favorites and daily specials,” their proposal states. “We will source our food locally, farm to table when expense appropriate, in order to support local farmers, support the local economy, and ensure unmistakable freshness for our patrons to enjoy.”

The restaurant section of the city-owned, two-unit building has been empty since Dec. 31. Fixed base operator Southern Maine Aviation, which occupies the second half, is in full operation.

Sanford Seacoast Regional Airport Manager Allison Rogers told the subcommittee that the restaurant facility was shown to at least six interested entities and to four of them multiple times.

Pilot’s Cove Cafe, LLC provided the sole proposal, which scored an average of 82 out of 100 points by the city’s Airport Advisory Committee.

“Everything is exactly as we asked for,” Rogers said.

She said the owners plan a breakfast and lunch spot, with evening meals Thursday through Saturday year-round. A copy of their planned menu includes breakfast meals, lunch and dinner items, and a selection of beer and wine.

The city had asked prospective applicants to provide at least 45 hours of service; the owners of the start-up restaurant plan to provide hours beyond that within the first two months of opening, the proposal shows. Ultimately, their proposal calls for operating 65 hours over seven days. The restaurant will also provide in-plane catering and will accept debit and credit cards.

Bowden, of Hampton, New Hampshire, owns a jewelry business, owned a property management company until 2016, and was formerly a location analyst for a telecommunications company, according to his resume.

Farrington is a U.S. Air Force veteran, flight instructor and has 15 years experience as a pilot.

The proposal lists Kelly Beauchesne of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, as general manager, and Richard Martin of Kittery as executive chef.

Beauchesne’s resume lists prior management of southern York County area restaurants; Martin has been an executive chef at a number of seacoast restaurants and his resume shows stints as a chef in Antarctica, Italy, and on the U.S. east coast.

The lease for the restaurant and separate storage works out to about $1,257 per month.

The proposal notes that there are approximately 100 aircraft based at Sanford Seacoast Regional Airport and there are about 40,000 takeoffs and landings there each year, averaging over 100 flights per day. The airport houses two flight schools, offers scenic air tours of the Maine coast, and is home to one of LifeFlight of Maine’s three bases.

The owners say they plan a restaurant that appeals to locals as well as those who fly in to the airport.

The airport is expected to be busier than ever this spring, as more than 100 construction workers will converge on about 420 airport acres to build  NextEra’s Sanford solar project.

“This is encouraging,” said Mayor Tom Cote as the property subcommittee examined the proposal. “It sounds like they’re doing it the right way.”

The full City Council will vote on the proposal on Tuesday.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 780-9016 or twells@journaltribune.com.

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