The Center awarded a Tourism Innovation grant to entrepreneur Abby Freethy in Greenville, Maine, in 2018 to help expand her Northwoods Gourmet Girl business from its origins as a producer of all-natural pantry staples into a full lifestyle brand.

Freethy founded Northwoods Gourmet Girl in Greenville in 2005 to produce healthy alternatives to common items such as ketchup, mustard, relish, jam, preserves and desert sauces. She’s ready to grow her business, for herself and for Greenville.

The matching grant from the Center helped Freethy launch a new line of branded, food-oriented home goods ranging from dinnerware, glassware, and pottery to kitchen islands, farm tables, chairs, benches, and bookshelves. All products are based on proprietary designs and most are produced by Maine-based woodworkers and craftspeople.

“I want people to experience the food in the environment in which they would enjoy it, for instance by sitting at the farm table,” said Abby. She’s making this possible by converting the first floor of her home into a destination where people can experience her food products in a home-like setting furnished with Northwood Gourmet Girl-branded home goods.

“Greenville is in a resurgence and is rebranding itself, and I want to be a light in that effort,” said Freethy, who hopes to eventually expand to another location as well. “We want the anchor to be here in Greenville.”

Freethy used the grant from the Center for major improvements to her new retail space, located on the first floor of her home. “We’re rebuilding a beautiful porch,” she said. “It will be the focal point. People can sit out there with a glass of wine and taste some of the food. I want to let them interact with the products, enjoy the rocking chairs. And the entire downstairs has been professionally painted–it looks stunning.”