Downtown Searsport’s newest business, Scullery Made, is a deli by day and a cocktail bar by night.
The restaurant is currently open in soft-launch mode ahead of its grand opening on May 14, owner Mary Kate Labenski said.
The deli pays tribute to Labenski’s father who is from New York and Jewish and also tends Scullery Made’s bar.
Giant sandwiches — including Cubans, corned beef, brisket and pastrami — are a major focus.
“I love sandwiches,” Labenski said. “I love big hunky meaty sandwiches.”
The menu also includes bagels, breakfast sandwiches, soup, salad and a kids menu.
Labenski makes brisket in-house and plans to start making pastrami and other meats from scratch soon.
Later in the day, the bar offers local beers, wine and cocktails, as well as a menu of small bites like hummus and veggies, shrimp cocktail and lamb empanadas.
Labenski has been working in restaurants and hospitality since she was 12. She moved to the area from Massachusetts seven years ago and has worked in several restaurants since then, including Front Street Pub in Belfast, Homeport Inn and Tavern in Searsport and 40 Paper in Camden.
She spent two years looking for a location to launch her own business, considering food trucks and brick-and-mortar spots from Northport to Bucksport.
Labenski was drawn to her current location’s beautiful space — it has ornate ceilings, exposed brick and big windows — that most recently was home to the Coastal Cafe, which closed in 2023
Searsport’s sense of community was also a big draw, she said.
Searsport has seen an influx of new businesses in recent years though many are still recovering from a grueling rebuild of Route 1.
Local business owners are making a big effort to bring people together and get them to visit Searsport’s downtown, Labenski said. Her parents also live down the street.
“The town has been very welcoming and supportive,” she said. “I think that made a big difference in choosing [to open here] as opposed to somewhere that was a little more populated or busier.”
The deli is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the bar runs from 4 to 10 p.m. Scullery Made, located at 23 East Main St., is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays, but Labenski hopes to eventually be open every day.