BANGOR, Maine — Just 11 months after taking over Raena’s Pub, Mike Towle and Melissa Smith Towle decided to add another business to their growing empire.
The owners of the newly renamed Penobscot Pour House at 14 Larkin St. are a month into running the restaurant and concessions operations at Bangor Municipal Golf Course.
“Yeah, since 2007, we’ve added two kids, a new house, two businesses, three vehicles, and two degrees,” Mike Towle said with a laugh, followed by a sigh.
The Towles renamed the Bangor Muni food operation Grill on the Green and also operate the drinks-snacks cart at the golf course. While it’s still early in their ownership, the Towles’ offerings seem to be hitting the spot with golfers and nongolfers alike.
The Towles said they weren’t looking to add a business, but a conversation between Rob Jarvis, the assistant PGA pro at Bangor Municipal, and Melissa Smith Towle, a personal trainer who trains Jarvis, about local eateries launched an idea.
“They were talking about outdoor dining in Bangor where you can sit outside and have a bite to eat with a view,” Mike Towle explained. “Rob mentioned the 40-foot deck and the restaurant there, and that the lease, which comes up for public bid every six years, was up.”
Because the Towles have a lifelong dream to own a bed and breakfast, and they had money to invest, they jumped at the chance to run a place that serves more than bar food and snacks.
“We called City Hall, got help on what to do, and threw a proposal together,” said Towle, a 35-year-old Dexter native who worked in Bar Harbor, where he met Mapleton native Melissa. “We have 20 years’ restaurant experience between us, so we came up with a menu we thought was simple but good food.”
The Hampden residents cut down on the fried food, but kept the Friday fish fry and other popular specials while greatly expanding the menu to include grilled chicken, salads and a new favorite: lobster rolls. Everything, including sauces, is made on site.
The Grill on the Green is open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. seven days a week. Penobscot Pour House is open 1 p.m.-1 a.m. Monday-Thursday and noon-1 a.m. Friday-Sunday. There are a total of 16 people on the Towle family payroll — 10 at the Grill.
“We kind of divvy it up where she’s at the golf course more than I am and I’m at the Pour House,” he said.
The Towles, who soon will celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary, manage to run both businesses successfully in addition to raising two children — Jackson, 4, and Mckenley, 6 — and taking college classes.
“I spent the last four years earning an accounting degree from Husson University and now it’s Melissa’s turn to get her doctorate in physical therapy,” Towle said.
They pooled their personal savings with loans from family members to buy Raena’s, and only had to invest their own savings to submit the high bid of $16,500 to run Bangor Muni’s food and drink services.
“We opened the Penobscot, borrowed money, paid all the debt back in six months and still made a profit. Then we drained our savings to open the grill,” he said. “It’s tough, but we’re young. At least, that’s what we keep telling ourselves.”
Impressive couple. How can you not wish them well.
I don’t understand, where are the government programs to help them? How can they do this on their own?
“They pooled their personal savings with loans from family members……”
I wish them well.. but they didn’t exactly do it entirely on their own. Please pay attention.
Methinks JG may have thrown in a dash of sarcasm……… Uhm, pay attention. :-)
On their own? what gives it away, the fact that the City of Bangor taxpayer owns the building? Lol.
are you that jealous?!!
They could not it would be impossible. This is obviously a right wing scam..
They seem to be making way too much money. Time to “occupy” Bangor Muni!
Cause she looks good.
They do have a little to learn starting out. The service is slow, the food is eh, and the prices are a little high. I had a lobster roll there and when I got it I found out in a hurry that they put onions in it . Not so good, other than that its great!
Nothing shouts, “Eat here!” like shower shoes in the dining room.
I thought the exact same thing…. Not to mention – that’s what you wear when a photographer from the paper shows up???
Regardless, I wish them luck – I just hope they haven’t bitten off more than they can chew (pun intended).
she wasn’t working stupid..she just had a photo taken.
Stupid? Ummm….SHE’S not the one wearing the shower shoes.
I hope they do better here then they did at raenas they turned that slime hole into the worst bar in bangor! I tried it twice and both times it smelled and felt like a dive! 6 people with us said the same thing we won’t go back. Raenas was ok but the pour house is awful they destroyed a b ad thing lol…and really the pour house it is fitting to be called POOR house cause it has that feeling…better luck on the green I will give it a shot
they turned Raena’s into a class act..you bumbs!!
Lmao …ok. u have a right to your opinion even one that we are bumbs…class act ha? “pour house”. Classy name too …lol. hey u have at the place and have fun
@bangor1234:disqus -Pour House…..hmm…..a play on words maybe? Look up the old days definition of a “poor house”….caters to common people—references a blue collar establishment.
Mike and Melissa—–keep doing what you are doing. Being entrepreneurs isn’t easy, especially with all of the critics out there. These are the same critics that don’t have a problem coming in and eating the food at happy hour or hitting the $2 draft special and never tipping the bartender.
@bushfan—are people not entitled to enter a lease agreement with an entity that owns the building? give me a break. the article is quite clear in its statement.
Where have you been? TURNED raenas into a dive? It was a dive LONG before they bought it, a whole 11 months ago…
Congratulations Mike and Melissa!
Rena’s pub to the poor house to the golf course. You stay classy Bangor.
Running a late nite bar where you have to watch every drink served & penny spent is a pain in the rear. Especially when you have kids. I think they’ll regret making this purchase, & be looking to dump it quickly. & correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that bartender in the background of the picture scratching her scalp right above the drink she’s mixing???? Nothing like dandruff in your Beefeaters & tonic, with a lime.
It is refreshing to see people that have some drive no matter what the obstacles there are out there. There are lessons to be learned here for the rest of the young people out there. Make some goals and work to achieve them somehow. I know that Mike and Melissa rest very little on any given day. And look at what they have achieved, and contributed to society. Of course there will be people like Bangor1234 who have to hide behind some freaky name to make comments, but most of us that are paying attention can tell the difference between achievers and complainers. Hats off to the Towles for all their hard work and by the way the food at Grill on the Green is Awesome, and reasonably priced.
Please put the mustard and relish on the $3 hotdog. Charging $3 and then giving the customer those stupid hard to open packets sucks. Pay attention to details and good luck!!
What we have here folks is yet another set of “job creators” who are obviously and unfortunately being stifled by burdensome regulation and confiscatory levels of taxation.
Bravo, starting a successful business in Maine deserves praise.
p.s. she looks great for having two kids.
I still don’t think anyone can be as good of owners as Tina was, sad to see her go……but of course all the best to them for trying.
Get a hot dog steamer and have dogs ready to go for golfers who want a quick bite at the turn. And have some mustard, relish, and ketchup squirters too. Those little packets are a time wasting pain.
I agree Greg- looks like Rob Jarvis was the one behind ousting the previous owner…..I used to go to muni every so often last year and from what I’ve heard from a lot of the regulars….Rob Jarvis thinks he knows all…well that obviously isn’t true…
WHAT NEW FEATURES DO THEY BRING BANGOR MUNI???? Please specifiy because the previous owner had THE BEST fried clam nights on Wed night…fried fish isn’t a new concept there. So fancy tablecloths is what’s new about the place? It’s a municipal Golf Course for Pete’s sake, not pennoby. My ending conclusion is that Bangor Muni made the wrong choice to bring in new owners of the restaurant, especially since the previous employees were the one who MADE that restaurant so popular, specifically to non-golfers, so I wouldn’t give yourself all the credit melissa & mike…
Bring back the previous owners….
Looks like Rob has more interest in the restaurant than the golf course….and it shows.
I’ve been to their bar….one word of advice….when the bartenders spend more time talking among themseleves and their good friends at the bar, rather than serving ALL the customers, the bar loses revenue. Same problem as when it was Raena’s. Just sayin ….. (and yes, I do tip well so it isn’t that)
cut down on fried food???? are we at gold’s gym or bangor muni?! We are men…we need that comfort food to feul us. The philly cheesesteaks were SO GOOD last year…I did not hear one bad thing about Fairway’s Grill during the past 8 years, why the change in ownership now?!?
The city of Bangor must be desperately money hungry……
I am a golfer, and like comfort food. But really….Fairway’s food was not very good. Change in ownership happens a when a contract expires and something goes up for public bid…..it’s called CAPITALISM.
Change happens when change needs to happen. I’m not saying the new ownership is going to fall flat, I wish them all the best, as I am sure you are a supporting family member of the new management. But I am a regular at muni, me and all 5 of my work buddies used to come in for twilight league and think that the restaurant was so successful because of the management…ten years ago I don’t remember one non-golfer stepping into the restaurant, it really has transformed over the past years thanks to that family. What I am trying to demonstrate is that in a CAPITALIST country, one should reap the benefits of the success that one has created from nothing, and continue to do so until that success plateaus and change is needed. This isn’t capitalism, it is GREED. $$$$ And this isn’t Wall Street, it’s BANGOR MAINE, let’s get real.
Why aren’t the old owners still there? Well from reading the story it appears that you don’t turn your back on the pro, the one that can’t break 80. Let this be a lesson to the members.
The nit wits that operate the place have always thought it was theirs and could give 2 pebbles what the members thought. They are in for a rude awakening.
Amazing all the negative comments on this article. I know this couple personally and they are a wonderful, ambitious couple. Are people so miserable with their own lives that they can’t be happy for other people? To the nay sayers “What have you accomplished this year?”
ease up Francis…
Exactly Pete, These two put in more hours in one week than all of these people. Why take away from them, just because they’re jealous? And the whole “Pour House” comments about it being a dive? The place looks 20x better than it did 11 months ago. And trust me We’d know. We frequent there every week and we are professionals. Great staff and all. People are just ignorant and jealous. It’s all not stereotypical bar people that go there. There are plenty of classy people that go there including, doctors, nurses, lawyers, engineers, etc. People are just too miserable in their own lives to appreciate how hard people are willing to work. And they are too jealous to find satisfaction of their own. They search for something to whine about. Where does your money come from?
Bars come and bars go in Bangor.
I AM GOING TO HATE ON A BUSINESS BECAUSE THIS ONE TIME THE GUY WORE SHORTS AND SANDALS IN A PICTURE
Haters will be haters no matter what…it’s in their self loathing nature. Those who cannot celebrate your success and see the positive changes you’ve made aren’t worth the energy it takes to be concerned about their insignificant comments.
Hats off to you both! :)
Amen Whole-in-Won!!!!
You can’t please everyone. Yes there is room for improvement. That’s business! How many of the people that posted negative comments have a business? If it was me- I’d say get bend and keep on trucking Mike. No one like Leona either and she died a Billionaire. Love Jeffers