New eatery set to open this spring in Alfond Commons on Main Street
Downtown Waterville will soon be home to another business hoping to elevate the local culinary scene and recapture the Waterville dynamism that once boasted a bustling commercial heart fueled by resilient blue collar grit. Andrew Volk `05 and his wife Briana Volk will be opening a new restaurant to be called Verna’s All Day.
While Waterville’s blue collar roots have remained intact, the economic success it once enjoyed has not. Downtown Waterville has yet to reestablish its mid-century prosperity, although optimism remains that this may soon change.
The buzz surrounding the eatery’s arrival accompanies a bevy of recent development in the area, generating hope about the district’s encouraging prospects.
The new restaurant builds on growing momentum behind Colby’s broader multilateral investment in downtown Waterville. Described on its website as a “classic old school American tavern and market,” Verna’s is set to open this spring on the ground floor of the Bill & Joan Alfond Main Street Commons on Main Street, servicing students and locals alike.
Occupying 4,000 square feet, Verna’s will be nestled between the Chace Community Forum and Camden National Bank.
The announcement of Verna’s is one of a series of recent important developments spearheaded by the College and coalitions of local and regional entrepreneurs in ongoing Waterville revitalization efforts.
Colby’s support of Verna’s is emblematic of its intentions to heavily invest in downtown, not only enhancing amenities for students, but also improving quality of life for local residents.
Throughout his tenure, President David Greene has continually reiterated the critical role the College plays in facilitating downtown investment, which he emphasizes mutually benefits both Colby and the Waterville community.
In early 2019, Vice President of Planning Brian Clark approached the Volks about the idea of opening a restaurant in Waterville to anchor the newly completed downtown dorm development.
“Three years ago, that block of Main Street was a vacant gap that wasn’t contributing to downtown’s vibrancy of Waterville’s tax or job base,” Clark said in a January 2020 press release. “The addition of Verna’s completes the transformation of that block, which now includes hundreds of students living downtown, the Chace Forum, and Camden National Bank, while advancing Waterville’s growing identity as a leading culinary destination in Maine.”
After living in Portland, Oregon, the Volks moved back to Andrew’s native New England, seeking closer living to his family in 2011. The couple opened a thriving cocktail bar in Portland in 2013, and decided to accept Colby’s courting to establish a venture in Waterville. This move marked not only a new chapter in their culinary ambitions, but also a return for alumnus Andrew Volk to a
familiar community.
“I am excited to be returning to Waterville and am excited about the changes the city, and Colby, have charted together,” said Andrew Volk in the College’s 2020 press release. “Briana and I are thrilled to be able to be a part of the Waterville community, which is already incredibly strong and welcoming.”
Named after Briana Volk’s grandmother Verna, Verna’s All Day aspires to be well-integrated into the community through hosting classes, fundraisers, and events during the year for both locals and students.
Verna’s will feature locally-sourced food and craft cocktails sourced from regionally available produce from local farms, supporting Kennebec County and surrounding counties’ independently-owned and operated growers.
Preliminary plans include incorporating a small deli and cafe connected to the restaurant’s north end, featuring prepared foods and convenience goods for frequenters downtown, much to the delight of locals and students.
“I don’t know a ton about it,” Lukas Alexander `22, resident of Alfond Commons, told The Colby Echo. “I’m excited to have a small market downstairs though!”
The full-service restaurant will take up about two-thirds of the interior space, and boasts lunch, dinners and weekend brunches likely to bolster foot traffic for students and Waterville residents.
The Volks hope to employ 20 to 30 people full time while simultaneously serving as a multipurpose space for the community, especially targeting other local businesses and the nearby residents of the downtown apartments.
However, the recent developments have also prompted concern among some residents who see it as another invasive encroachment by the College that will ultimately do little to address the real economic plight that has plagued Waterville and other regional mill towns in a post-industrial economy.
Even as the statewide population stagnates, the Central Maine Growth Council found the city has grown by more than 5% since 2010, bucking a precipitous decline present since the beginning of the century - a significant feat.
With the increasing population, Greene explained that the College will capitalize on the moment and continue to play a role in ensuring more individuals feel they can stay in Waterville through shoring up critical amenities and generating
economic activity.
Greene underscored his commitment to transforming Waterville into a destination, with Colby as an anchor of the community, not the detached island some residents had believed it to be for many years prior to his tenure.
The College’s ambitious mission has been joined by local investors eying to contribute as well.
William Mitchell, an insurance agency owner, operates an events center downtown and acquired several buildings in the area. Previous revitalization efforts were “false starts,” Mitchell said, but Greene’s plan was “taking it to a whole new level.”
Many question whether there is room for them in the new Waterville envisioned by the College and local advocates both aiming to fundamentally transform and reimagine the city.
Now, Waterville’s future sits at a crossroads firmly awaiting time to tell whether the path forward truly includes everyone.
~ Aaron Mills `24
