Just off campus on 18 South Street, The Gorham Grind is a comfortable, colorful, community-oriented coffeehouse where customers can not only drink coffee and get free wireless access, but also see USM artists’ and musicians’ work. Every Friday from 5-7 p.m. the shop features live music from local musicians and USM music majors often get gigs. This Friday the 22nd features USM’s Christopher Reiling, and Friday, September 29th, Erika Hansen will play. The third weekend of each month features a Live Music Weekend with acts playing Friday through Sunday.
The Grind recently joined Portland’s Acoustic Coffee as an affiliate venue of the Maine Songwriter’s Association (MSA), which owner Carson Lynch hopes will bring even more music to the atmosphere. The MSA is a non-profit member organization designed to support local musicians. This fall, Lynch wants to have an evening dedicated to MSA artists to help further support local music. Each Wednesday the shop features acoustic open mic from 6-8 p.m. Sign-ups are open to everybody and available in the restaurant.
Not only are up-and-coming musicians given a showcase, but every six to eight weeks, the art exhibits on the wall change, featuring a different artist. Currently hanging are the paintings of Kristine Evans. “The exhibit has been a great opportunity, I love the feedback,” said Evans, a Portland resident. “This has been awesome to show off some of my newer work to a different crowd. I think that small businesses are the key element to helping arts in the community. I think patrons like to go to small businesses and see local art on the walls.”
The shop opens at 6:30 a.m. on the weekdays, early enough to serve busy commuters and students, and closes at 8 p.m. each night. They brew locally made coffee from Coffee by Design, with popular flavors like the robust dark roast, Black Thunder. CBD also makes a special dark roast for them called the Gorham Grind Blend. It’s made from 3 dark roast coffees, two African and one Latin American. More than coffee, the Gorham Grind serves a wide variety of teas, Italian sodas, smoothies, shakes and bottled beverages to please virtually any palate.
Lynch, a recent addition to the Gorham Business and Civic Exchange’s Board of Directors, tries to sell local products “as much as possible.” Nearly everything at the Gorham Grind comes from local sources, including vendors in Portland, Standish, and Westbrook.
“Nothing makes me feel better than supporting local business,” said Abra Mueller, a music major at USM. “And if something like Starbucks came in, I’d still go to the Gorham Grind.”