Workers transform the former Tim Hortons coffee shop Wednesday into a Starbucks at Lisbon Street and East Avenue in Lewiston. It is scheduled to open soon. In the background, the former Mobil gas station has been demolished recently at 841 Lisbon St. for future development. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

LEWISTON — The nation’s largest coffee chain, Starbucks, is renovating the former Tim Hortons coffee shop at 855 Lisbon St. The 2,827-square-foot site includes a drive-thru and will cost an estimated $400,000 for construction, according to the company’s application with the city.

Workers transform the former Tim Hortons coffee shop Wednesday into a Starbucks at Lisbon Street and East Avenue in Lewiston. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

The application, dated March 20, states the company is awaiting approval from the Office of State Fire Marshal for its plans.

Starbucks acknowledged The Buzz’s request for more information, but did not respond before deadline.

The latest Starbucks to open in the area is inside the Target on Center Street in Auburn, which opened in November 2022. The coffee chain has three locations in Auburn.

Aroma Joe’s breaks ground in Turner

Site preparation started Saturday for a new Aroma Joe’s on Route 4 in Turner. Submitted photo

TURNER — The insatiable demand for coffee shops in Androscoggin County continues at breakneck speed, as The Buzz can confirm a new Aroma Joe’s has broken ground at 60 Auburn Road in Turner.

The Maine-based coffee chain lists five locations in Lewiston and Auburn and has other locations in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Florida.

Barring any construction or permit delays, franchise owners Bob and Wendy Levesque are projecting a late-summer opening. “We are so excited to join the Aroma Joe’s family,” the couple said. “We have been proud Turner residents for over 20 years and look forward to bringing the Aroma Joe’s positivity to our town in late summer 2023.”

Sam’s Italian Foods shutters Lewiston location

A closed sign is posted Thursday morning on the front door of Sam’s Italian Foods on Main Street in downtown Lewiston, signaling the end of an era for the flagship store. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

LEWISTON — Sam Bennett started out selling his salami Italians to millworkers in 1939 near the corner of Minot Avenue and Elm Street in Auburn. They were so popular, he moved his operation soon after to 268 Main St. in Lewiston. But on Thursday, the Lewiston-based chain made the decision to close that location permanently.

A closed sign Thursday morning on the front door of Sam’s Italian Foods on Main Street in downtown Lewiston signals the end of an era for the flagship store. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

“With rising food costs and factors outside our control, we have made the tough decision to close our 268 Main St., Lewiston location,” the company explained in a written statement. “We have offered employment at other nearby Sam’s locations to every employee owner affected.”

The Sam’s location at 583 Prospect Ave. in Rumford has also closed, with the company saying it was due to a nonrenewable lease.

The company said its 11 other locations, including five in the Lewiston and Auburn area, remain locally owned and operated and open for business.

The Buzz offers quick hits about trending area business happenings. Have a Buzzable tip? Contact business writer Christopher Wheelock at 689-2817 or cwheelock@sunjournal.com