Abigail Hebert

“Elevenses” is a colloquial English expression from the 18th century that means taking a light refreshment at around 11 a.m. But in Brunswick, it means a new fantasy-themed cafe on Maine Street.

Chris and Nicole Juntura, the owners, had a soft opening for Elevenses three months ago, on June 11. Their grand opening will take place next weekend, September 20–21, during the first week of fall.

“We’re trying to keep it really fun and bring a sense of escapism,” she said. “People really need a break from the real world…. I think it’s a good way to have that break from reality, to be able to come in here and be playful.”

The space on Maine Street was formerly home to the Kings and Queens barbershop,

so there was a lot of work to do when renovating it into a restaurant.

“We basically had to redo the whole thing,” Juntura said. “This was a mercantile place for a long time, and it’s actually from the 1700s. So we have some original things, like the brick, but then we had to add on the fireplace, kitchen [and] decor.”

The husband-wife pair live in Wiscasset but say they are familiar with the Brunswick area and love its charm, especially Maine Street.

“The food scene in Portland is super saturated, so we thought this would be a good spot where it is busy, but it’s also on the way to everything,” she said. “It’s good for fall road trips, going up to Bar Harbor, midcoast…. And we just really like it here!”

Juntura said the first three weeks post-opening were extremely busy, and there was frequently a line trailing out onto the sidewalk.

“We were trying to keep things under wraps so we could just test things out, but then it went viral online,” she said. “It was really surprising, but last week [it started] being steady enough where locals can come in and check it out, and we really want to accommodate them, so it’s good there’s no longer a crazy wait time.”

Jack Frohling ’26 is a fan of the fantasy world and first heard about Elevenses through a friend. He has been there twice since their soft opening.

“It’s a great space,” Frohling said. “Well decorated, and they have good music playing.… I hope it succeeds.”

In addition to drinks like the Filthy Little Thieves Dirty Chai and the Banana Bread Matcha, they are also offering food, like the Two Towers Tiramisu, which Juntura says is one of her favorites. Frohling says he enjoyed the Grey Wizard Latte.

“I’ve been recommending it,” Frohling said. “I hope that people make it down there because I think it’s worth the walk.”

Currently, Elevenses is open from Thursday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., but they look forward to expanding their hours and events as business continues. Juntura mentioned her excitement about Halloween, and maybe introducing a nighttime teatime.

“We want it to be a place where people from all walks of life can feel comfortable,” Juntura said. “We’d love to see Bowdoin be involved, and we’d love to be involved with the College. I think this would be something [students] would really like, even if they want to come in here and read or hang out in the day and in the nighttime.”

Overall, Juntura emphasized that Elevenses hopes to continue working with Maine Street to keep bringing joy to the Brunswick community.

“We are trying to be whimsical, humorous, and we’re trying to have everything we do be as high quality as possible,” she said. “We’re trying to add from the scene, not take away from it.”