YARMOUTH — The iconic Andy’s Handy Store on Main Street has undergone yet another transformation, with The Nook eatery now offering full-service brunch daily.

The Nook at Handy’s is a partnership between Handy’s Market owner Frank Grondin and Caitlin Henningsen, who also operates the Owl & Elm pub next door. 

The space was closed for several weeks this winter for renovation. Henningsen now describes The Nook as “classic corner store meets eclectic diner.”

Otto pizza remains in the rear of the building, with its own table service in the evening, and the Gorham Savings Bank community room is still on the upper level, according to Grondin.

The Nook is now a part of Yarmouth’s “emerging food culture,” he said.

Several new menu options are now available from 7 a.m.-2 p.m., including a breakfast lasagna of thin-sliced Maine potatoes baked with gruyere cream sauce, onion, spinach, red pepper, and artichoke, topped with two poached eggs.

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For meat lovers, the Early Bird Cubano features slow-roasted pork, honey ham, gruyere, pickles, spicy mustard, pressed French bread with hash browns or greens.

Grondin, who purchased the store in 2016, said The Nook has achieved his vision of having Handy’s becoming a place for neighbors to gather.

The carriage house in the back has become an impromptu co-working space, he said, and the store is still a place for kids to nab a snack after school or for busy people to find grab-and-go items for either lunch or dinner.

The Nook now “evokes the feeling of a community hub (where) the food is approachable yet creative,” Henningsen said.  

The decor includes retro orange wallpaper, gold mirrors and red and yellow vinyl furniture that recalls a typical 1950s diner, Grondin said.

Henningsen “really took the Handy’s vision, perfected it, and made it happen,” he said, adding she’s “the pièce de résistance that we’d been missing. We want people to just feel comfy coming and hanging out.”

Kate Irish Collins can be reached at 780-9097 or kcollins@theforecaster.net. Follow Kate on Twitter: @KIrishCollins.

The Nook at Handy’s has opened at 367 Main St. in Yarmouth.


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