Wicked Brew, new coffee shop on Park Street in Bangor, aims to tap John Bapst student market

BDN file photo

Katie Proctor has a genetic predisposition to coffee — when she was a kid growing up in the 1990s, her father, Kevin, ran a coffee shop in West Market Square in downtown Bangor called the Daily Grind. So it only makes sense that she and her family would return to the coffee business, with their new venture, Wicked Brew, a coffee bar and cafe set to open in mid-May at 173 Park St.

“It’s definitely a family affair,” said Proctor, 35. “We’ll all be working there, myself and my dad and my sister and half siblings.”

Wicked Brew is located in one of three storefronts in the building at the intersection of Park and Center streets, formerly the home of vintage shop Ivy & Lace. The family has been renovating the 1400 square foot space, building a brand new coffee bar in the center and painting a mural on one wall.

Wicked Brew will serve coffee from Topsham-based roaster Wicked Joe, offering full espresso-based coffee beverages alongside tea, baked goods, breakfast items and smoothies, as well as house-made chai.

Proctor said she hopes her new cafe will cater to people who live in the many residences nearby, as well as the many John Bapst High School students who attend school just two blocks away from her business. John Bapst upperclassmen in good academic standing may leave campus during study halls at the beginning or end of the day, and Wicked Brew wants to be their go-to spot.

“We liked that we were so close to them… We want to encourage them to come in and have lunch or a snack and be a place where they can hang out after school,” said Proctor. “We’ll have student discounts and eventually we want to do movie nights and programming like that.”

Wicked Brew does not yet have a social media presence or a website, but will launch one when the cafe opens in mid-May.

Emily Burnham

About Emily Burnham

Emily Burnham is a Maine native, UMaine graduate, proud Bangorian and a writer for the Bangor Daily News, where she's worked since 2004. She reports on everything from local bands to local food to all the cool things going on in the Greater Bangor area. In her quest for stories, she's seen countless concerts and plays, been lobster fishing, interviewed celebrities, hung out with water buffalo and played in a ukulele orchestra. She's interested in everything that happens in Maine.