FORT KENT, Maine — Two Madawaska natives have purchased the town’s former border station and plan to transform it into a family-friendly pub and brewery.
Eli Cayer and Jason Dionne received financial support from a third silent partner in Grand Isle, and together they will operate North Star Brewing and the North Star Community Brewpub under their company, 63 Bridge St., LLC.
The news comes at a time of renewed momentum in town, and ensures that the historic landmark, built in 1959, will still be part of the landscape.
“We’re seeing real investment, new ideas, and people choosing to build businesses here,” Economic Development Director Kristen Henry said. “When two people who grew up in this community come back and reinvest in their hometown, it reinforces what many of us already know: Madawaska is becoming one of the most exciting places to watch for economic growth in northern Maine.”
The surge includes a multimillion-dollar effort to revitalize the midtown plaza, which has seen new health businesses and hosted last year’s first food truck festival. The town’s Bicentennial Park will undergo about $200,000 in renovations, with money raised from a telethon late last year.
North Star will be Aroostook’s third brewpub. Northern Maine Brewing Company opened in Caribou in 2016, followed in 2017 by First Mile Brewing Co. in Fort Kent.
Cayer learned about the former land port of entry sale after his mother sent him an article about his uncle, Dan Cayer, who is designing an Acadian Star out of parts of the former bridge that once stood next to the building, he said.
“I saw that and thought, ‘That’s an amazing piece of history,’ and Dan is a phenomenal sculptor,” Eli Cayer said.
When he heard the building was for sale, he and Dionne jumped on the opportunity.
Cayer lives in Portland and Dionne lives in Canada. They grew up together in Madawaska, and Dionne ran a popular brewery that Cayer owned in Portland — Urban Farm Fermentory, which ran from 2010 to 2024.
Dionne, who is now working at a brewery in Canada, is a “phenomenal brewer,” Cayer said.
“Jason’s the key to this. I’ve got a good sense of vision about the real estate side of things, but Jason’s the man,” he said. “I want to highlight him as much as possible because he makes a great product.”
Madawaska Town Manager David Daigle said that while it’s always exciting to see investment in the community, it’s even more special when it comes from people who grew up in town.
“The owners of North Star Brewing Company chose to return and invest in the place they call home, and that kind of commitment says a lot about the future of our town,” Daigle said.
Cayer and Dionne hope to offer a profit sharing option to the community in which residents can pay to become a member of a certain tier. The owners would return some interest back to those investors.
Cayer said he hopes the lowest tier is accessible to most community members. It’s still a preliminary idea and they are currently working out details with the state, he said. Eventually the profit-sharing option will go beyond northern Aroostook and extend to anyone interested.
“We really want to open it up to everyone who thinks it’s a good idea and believes in the mission, which is to make great beer and create a community space,” Cayer said.
He has researched the business model and, while a few iterations exist nationally, it would be the first of its kind for northern Aroostook County.
All the beer will be made on site, and Cayer plans to expand into spirits, wine, cider and non-alcoholic drinks. They also plan to build a kitchen and offer good quality pub food.
“It’s not going to be a giant menu, but it’s going to be good, core food for a pub,” he said. “And we’ll see where it goes from there.”
Having grown up in Madawaska, Cayer understands the historical significance of the old port of entry and former bridge, he said. Prior to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, he said it wasn’t uncommon for kids to walk or skateboard across the bridge. They didn’t need identification since the border agents knew the kids in the small town.
The chance to re-create that property was a driving motivator in their decision to bid on the building, he said.
“We’re excited to keep it kind of classic on the outside. We want to do as little as possible to the exterior of the building, just to keep it the way it is, because it’s such a historic building,” Cayer said.
The inside will be completely renovated.
He and Dionne will spend a lot of time at the property until they open, which they hope can happen during the town’s Acadian Festival in August. Even if they’re not ready to produce their own beverages, they will have a presence and some events available, Cayer said.
Ultimately, Cayer hopes the brewpub will become a community gathering spot in town.
“We want to get people out as much as we can by providing some good times, a nice space, and some better than decent food and beverages,” he said.