As many of you know, I’ve been writing about the food revolution up here, especially the arrival of the Shift Wood Fired Pizza And Salad And Soup cart in our town, which has become a happy and ingrained part of our diet on Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays, when the cart is available.
I sensed something was up last week, Corey hinted at big things happening but couldn’t say what, and I didn’t press him. My reporter genes are still active, and I sensed something was up.
Today, we went to Shift at the Farmer’s Market, and Sarah took the trouble to break the news – they put their house up for sale on Friday and sold it on Monday. The real estate market is still crazy up here, and ever since the pandemic.
They are moving to Maine sometime in August and shutting down here in a week or so.
I am proud of them and happy for them. The market for their food in Maine near the coast is much larger than the one here, and they are eager to get to find a permanent place to set up their business and explore the world. They will be five and a half hours away, and I doubt we will see much of them again.
I wouldn’t be surprised if they ended up opening a restaurant in Maine.
We loved their food and have come to depend on it and relish it, but I know country life…towns like ours are just not big enough to sustain small enterprises like this.
I think Corey and Sara, who are both young with two small children, are interested in having a larger community for themselves and their children.
It is a blow to me – Maria is more philosophical than I am sometimes; we were both surprised and relished their food more than ever. Last night we had some of their blueberry pizza which we l loved, and today, I picked up five very healthy and delicious breakfast smoothies; this is the kind of food it is tough to find here.
The Shift Cart has enriched our lives.
I told Maria this was a chance for us to be creative. We can make our own pizza, experiment with vegetables and fruits, and fish (all available here) and learn more about cooking for ourselves. Having a Shift Cart around has made us a little lazy about that.
The news is a bummer but also something to applaud and celebrate. Corey and Sarah have done it right, have learned what they needed to know, and tried what they needed to try. They are excited about their new life in Maine, and I am excited for them.
America is still very much a land of opportunity.
We love the small town we live in, but living here has a price – things like Shift don’t last long. I suspect with all of the new people moving into town, things will continue to change.
They head out for a more prosperous and extensive market, I sure don’t blame them—Godspeed to Shift.
It feels like a big success already.
I have enjoyed reading of the innovative food from Shift, seeing the photos, and *meeting* the owners through your words. Yes, I know you will miss them. But as you mentioned….you *may* have dialed back your own home cooking due to the easily available food there……but you and Maria both enjoy cooking healthy meals and now you have more *tools* to dive back into cooking more again? I sense Shift has lit a spark in you……. and you will put it to good use!
Susan M
Me too, I’ll miss them..
Thought that it might have more to do with NYC banning wood fired pizza? Knowing Hochul, it won’t be long until the ban is extended upstate. There is no point in their building a business here to be shut down by the State in a year or two.
New York State has not banned the wood-fired pizza Ted; they have required a device on the ovens to reduce carbon emissions. Shifts’ decision to move to Maine had n nothing to do with politics or the governor. They were looking for a bigger market with available facilities. Is it no longer possible for anything to be what it seems?
https://www.verifythis.com/article/news/verify/food-verify/new-york-city-coal-wood-fired-pizza-oven-cook-stoves-proposed-rule-emissions-fact-check/536-bec834c8-a5df-4f79-a16a-556ced17298c
I just learned that Sarah and Cory are moving to a town about 20 minutes from my home. A loss for you, but a gain for me.
They should love Maine. I grew up there and recommend it highly. Especially since the planet is warming and Maine winters will no longer be so bitter cold. It may even become a three season state: Spring, Summer, Autumn. And that will go for where you and Maria live, also!