Southern Maine Aviation’s new 6,000 sf. flight school is under construction.
Photo: Southern Maine Aviation
By Zendelle Bouchard
The space formerly occupied by Pilot’s Cove Café will soon see new activity under a temporary agreement authorized by the City Council last week.
Southern Maine Aviation, which is currently building a new flight school on the west side of the Sanford-Seacoast Regional Airport, will rent the vacant restaurant space for at least seven months until their building is finished. SMA is currently holding classes for approximately 200 students in temporary office trailers which are inefficient and expensive to heat.
Mayor Becky Brink expressed concern that the agreement would deter a potential new restaurant operator. Airport Manager Allison Navia said, based on past experience, it is “wishful thinking” to expect a new restaurant could move in that quickly.
Meanwhile, to keep the airport in the public’s mind as a place to eat, Navia told the Council that she plans to make the outdoor dining area available to food trucks and is developing a request for proposals (RFP) toward that end. This would generate additional revenue for the airport as well as benefiting SMA’s students and staff, the pilots who fly in and out, and members of the public who enjoy having a bite to eat while watching the planes take off and land. She is working with the Codes and Planning Department and expects to advertise the RFP within a month or so. She would like to have the food trucks in place as soon as April. Any interested food truck operators can reach out to her directly at anavia@sanfordmaine.org with their contact information.
Councilor Pete Tranchemontagne, who sits on the Airport Advisory Committee, said pilots have told him they will fly in to Sanford just to eat. Navia agreed: “the pilots are really excited” about the food truck idea, she said.
At the same time, an RFP for a long-term operator to take over the Pilot’s Cove space once SMA no longer needs it is being developed. Significant work on the space will need to be done, Navia said, as the restaurant fixtures have all been removed. A long-term option could be a full-service restaurant, a permanent food truck court, or a combination of the two. She expects to advertise that RFP in the spring.
Councilor Ayn Hanselmann mentioned the food court at Tideline Public House in Durham, NH as a good example of a permanent food truck setup.
The Sanford-Seacoast Regional Airport is the busiest in Maine, with takeoffs and landings exceeding much larger facilities including the Portland Jetport.
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