This story is the first in a series about the impact of high-speed internet connectivity on Maine’s coast. To learn more about Island Institute’s investments in broadband infrastructure on the coast, visit our Broadband & Digital Equity webpage or reach out to cthorpe@islandinstitute.org.
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to live in a place that has no internet or cell phone reception? Imagine running a business in such a place. That is how 44 North Coffee started. Now, with fast and reliable internet, 44 North has been building a community larger and wider than they could ever imagine.
This is one of many stories I’ve been sent out to collect as part of my year-long service term at Island Institute through the American Connection Corps – an Americorps affiliate program focused on equitable access to internet, devices, and digital skills in rural communities. Island Institute has been supporting Maine’s island and coastal communities to expand broadband infrastructure since 2016, but this is the first year we’ve had the chance to circle back with many of those communities to learn about the impact of these investments.
I first visited Stonington-Deer Isle last fall during one of my many community visits to learn more about how these rural communities are using broadband in innovative ways to become more resilient. I step off Deer Isle’s quiet Main Street into the cozy 44 North cafe, where I’m greeted by the rich aroma of freshly roasted coffee followed by a friendly hello from the barista. I instinctively glance around for WiFi info – the cell service isn’t great down here and I need to check in on my emails for work. I am surprised to find out there is none. Here I am – a Connection fellow without connectivity. The purpose of my service is to collect stories of broadband impact, so I decided to find out what exactly was going on at 44 North. Months later I reconnected with one of the owners of 44 North over Zoom to talk about the role of connectivity in her business and you are in for a good story.
Megan Wood owns and runs 44 North Coffee. She founded the business 14 years ago with her business partner Melissa Raftery on the bridged islands of Stonington and Deer Isle, located southwest of Acadia and known for their quintessential Maine scenes and the port with the largest lobster landings. When asked about the origin of their business, Wood said, “One of the biggest draws was wanting to create a business that was open year-round as an integral part of the community.”
44 North Coffee started with just a small roaster, shipping, and wholesale accounts. Over the next decade, the business grew to include two cafes: one year-round location on Deer Isle and one seasonal in Stonington. A website followed shortly thereafter. For the first eight years of their business, they did not offer wifi at their cafe. This decision was somewhat intentional and somewhat a result of a lack of high-speed internet infrastructure and non-existent cell phone service. The absence of the internet in the cafe incited spontaneous conversation and connection, which can be good for community building and bridging the gap between seasonal and year-round folks. That said, running a successful business these days without internet access is almost impossible. All of 44 North’s employees and customers need the internet to be able to work and live on the island, and by being in a place that offers that amenity, a stronger year-round population can be sustained.
In 2022, a grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration brought $28 million to Maine for the “Mountains to Sea” internet expansion project that served the entire Blue Hill peninsula, including Deer Isle and Stonington. Wood shared, “Having the internet has been great. We’re much more accessible to the common customer who is going to come in and have certain expectations. People are more aware of us through social media.”
Like many other businesses, 44 North uses social media not only to market and promote themselves but also to help people feel connected to the space, the business, and what’s going on in the community. They pride themselves on being a year-round business and an essential part of the community, able to show seasonal folks and visitors what is happening on the island during the winter months. As Megan put it:
“One of the biggest parts about having our website and social media online has been the connection with the community because we live in a beautiful place, a place that people idolize, a place that people want to be part of year-round even if they can’t make it work for themselves. They want that sense of connection, and having a strong internet presence has given us that avenue for connection between us and our customer base.”
Reflecting on the pandemic, Wood gave thanks to their website, direct sales, and wholesale orders, which allowed them to survive. Being able to sell to people from afar enabled them to become a profitable year-round business. “A huge part of it was people were stuck in their homes and ordered online and found us, paid for shipping, and we’re grateful for that connection.”
In early 2024, the business encountered another instance of community building in the face of devastating winter storms that destroyed harbors and threatened the livelihoods of locals. 44 North Coffee was able to share these community-altering events online through their social media and give outsiders real insights into what is happening in a place many think of only as paradise or vacationland.
“I think the biggest part is just telling our story and being connected to a community. I think it was pretty early on we realized that connecting with our customer base meant having a website presence, just because of the seasonality of our community. Even though we wanted to root ourselves in a year-round brick and mortar cafe, we also realized the need to have access to our business for all the people that show up here in the summer, not just for sales, but also just for connection.”
44 North Coffee has undeniably become a community leader by creating an inviting space for local efforts and events in partnership and collaboration with other businesses. Creating opportunities for locals and visitors alike to engage and try something new has truly been a hallmark of what connectivity has enabled them to do and allowed them to offer. Their cafe is not just a place for coffee lovers. Wood described the process of “utilizing our public space in different forms,” which speaks to the openness and diversity of use their cafe has to offer, from wreath-making workshops for high school students in the winter to hosting oyster pop-ups in the summer.
“To feel that sense of community whether they’re next door or they live 10 states over,” Wood explains, “everyone now has an opportunity to have more presence and to play a part.”
Having the internet has given 44 North an opportunity to tell their story and create a virtual community that represents the strong sense of community they strive to create on the island and wish to see in small, rural towns everywhere.
