# Dry Maine village divided over plans to open quaint mom and pop pub, as one resident sniffs: ‘What’s next, a Family Dollar?’

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/dry-maine-village-divided-over-plans-to-open-quaint-mom-and-pop-pub-as-one-resident-sniffs-whats-next-a-family-dollar/
- Published: 2026-10-31T14:51:43+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-31T15:11:41+00:00
- Original publisher: Daily Mail (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16245517/jamie-macnair-northern-bay-market-penobscot-pub-maine-liquor-laws.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
- Topics: World

## Key points

- Penobscot will vote on allowing its first pub.
- Owner Jamie MacNair says it could help keep her market open.
- Opponents worry about changes to the village’s character.

## Summary

Penobscot, a Maine village of 1,163 people, is divided over shop owner Jamie MacNair’s plan to open a small pub beside Northern Bay Market. The proposal matters to her effort to keep one of the town’s few businesses open, while opponents fear it could alter Penobscot’s character and attract unwanted development.

The town is partially dry: since a 2019 law change, alcohol may be sold only in containers. Residents will vote on whether to allow pub sales on 20 November. MacNair says it would open Thursday to Saturday and close at 7pm, offering a place to meet and helping her cover rising business costs; the nearest bar is about a 20-minute drive away.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.