CHATHAM — In the summertime, restaurants and bars aren’t the only place in downtown Chatham where you can enjoy a little wine. Increasingly, you can stop for a libation at an art gallery or a clothing store. Having seen a big jump in the requests for special one-day alcoholic beverage permits issued to retailers and other non-foodservice businesses, selectmen are considering imposing a fee for that privil...

Of late a spotlight has been focused on whether or not it’s worthwhile to encourage young people to remain on the Cape — particularly if they grew up here. “A lot of young people hate it here and it makes me cry,” says Angela Thornton, owner and founder of Artisan Skin Care and Artisan Organics in Orleans and Chatham. Thornton, 38, who grew up in Yarmouth, offers a case in point. A successful entrepreneur, ...

CHATHAM – For more than 60 years, the Chatham Candy Manor has been an anchor on the east end of Main Street, a sweet spot that keeps the iconic chocolate shop bustling year-round. For that entire time, the business has been owned and operated by the same family. Now new owners are taking over, but the shop will remain within the family – the Candy Manor family. Owners Naomi Turner and David Veach announced ...

Colette Cummings, who co-owns Ducks in the Window on Main Street, Chatham with her husband, Rob Foster, used to have a leisurely routine during these late fall mornings. She had plenty of time to exercise and tend to the needs of the couple’s three dogs before opening the store for customers at 10 a.m. Off-season, Cummings employs two part-time workers, down from the nine-to-10 employees of the summer. But ...

Last summer a model scout hosted 12 young aspiring models in her Orleans home for a masterclass or boot camp for models. The girls’ experience in the camp is now an addictive 10-part docuseries on Snapchat. “You’re coming in as my little chickadee babies and you’re going to leave as skilled models that can rule that runway,” scout Erin Scimeca tells the models in the first episode of “Camp Runway” produced by ...

CHATHAM – After more than 30 years in town, the Organic Market will close its store here on Nov. 3 in order to concentrate on its other markets in Dennis Port and at Mashpee Commons. “We're really sad to not be in that location anymore, but really excited about what the future holds for us,” said Rory Eames, president and owner of the company. Prepared foods have become a major part of the Organic Market's ...

CHATHAM — The new executive director of the Chatham Chamber of Commerce, Mary Cavanaugh, started work Monday. And while she’s focused now on unpacking boxes and meeting key people, she’s eager to get to work promoting the town’s businesses and encouraging economic development. A Chatham summer resident since the early 1980s, Cavanaugh and her husband purchased land here in 2002 and built a home, and they’ve ...

From Sharks in the Park to numerous shark-based businesses, Chatham and other communities embraced the arrival of the apex predators in Cape waters. But for years, people have wondered: What will happen when a fatal shark attack occurs? That happened last Saturday, when a 26-year-old Revere man was killed while boogie boarding off Newcomb Hollow Beach in Wellfleet. Shark merchandise, however, wasn't immediatel...

Jessica Georges of Brewster calls herself “a tree hugger,” and with the help of a micro-loan from the Lower Cape Outreach Council (LCOC) in Orleans, she has fulfilled her dream of starting a business that befits a conservationist. Growing up in Buffalo, N.Y., Georges became interested, at an early age, in the sustainability of the earth. Of late, she has been concerned about climate change and the health of th...

CHATHAM – After 31 years at New England Pizza, Philip Malitas is branching out. Malitas and his sister, Sophia Malita, who own the popular West Chatham pizzeria, have an agreement to purchase the Longshore Restaurant at 1077 Main St., just a block to the east and across the road. “We don't work enough hours!” Malitas quipped last week when discussing taking on a second restaurant. New England Pizza will rem...

CHATHAM — The new man in charge at Chatham Bars Inn not only has his own ties to the town, but also wants to strengthen the inn’s connection with Chatham. Gary Thulander started work last week as the inn’s new managing director. He takes the place of John Speers, who served in that capacity since 2014. Thulander comes to CBI from The Woodstock Inn and Resort in Vermont, where he was president and general ...

At a time when only half of all new businesses survive beyond the five-year anniversary, three local businesses are marking significant milestones. Snow & Thomson Insurance at 514 Main St., Harwich Port, is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. “We’re one of the few on Cape Cod that has made it,” says owner and president Alexander Thomson. “It’s kind of fun.” Ralph H. Snow founded the business...

CHATHAM – When Mac and Alex Hay opened their seafood company in Wellfleet in 1995, Mac drove to Chatham every day to buy freshly landed fish from Chatham Fish and Lobster. As it expanded to include several restaurants and seafood markets on the Outer Cape, Mac's Seafood continued to source much of its product from the Chatham company. Now, 23 years later, the Wellfleet Harbor Seafood Company, which owns the Ma...

HARWICH PORT — It's been eight months since Bonatt's Bakery and Restaurant closed its doors, and it has been difficult to find a hearty breakfast in the village ever since. But that will be changing when Capeside Kitchen opens its doors in the location on Thursday. “We've been coming to Bonatt's our entire lives and we're excited to continue the traditions of providing breakfasts and lunches with new additions...

The Cape and Islands’ chapter of the Service Corps of Retired Executives, or SCORE, honored 20 small businesses in its annual awards breakfast last Thursday. Among the honorees were Puritan Clothing, Chatham Cookware, Brax Landing and Talking Threads Custom Embroidery. SCORE, whose volunteers provide free mentoring for entrepreneurs, small business owners and non-profits, presented their “Better Mousetrap” awa...

The Lower Cape economy relies heavily on guest workers from Eastern Europe, the Caribbean and other parts of the world, but with strict limits on the H-2B visa program – and a shortage of housing – local employers always seem to be scrambling for more staff. “I know the Cape, as a whole, is concerned,” Harwich Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Cyndi Williams said. Though she hasn’t heard specific problems...