Backstrap Bar & Grill

On the Undiscovered Maine team’s trip to Stratton in the fall of 2019, we stopped at the Backstrap Bar & Grill to grab a bite and talk with owner Heidi Donovan. While we waited for our meals, we learned what it was like for Heidi and partner Tony Rossi to open up their first and second restaurants.

Heidi began her career working at restaurants in Portland, where she learned her passion for cooking. She eventually moved up to Western Maine to work at a Sugarloaf Ski Resort restaurant because of the area’s strong connection to her childhood. She and Tony loved restaurants and decided to open their own in 2013: The Coplin Dinner House.

Since the opening, Heidi and Tony have overcome numerous obstacles to reach the successful point they are at now. Heidi told us that when they tried applying for a loan for their new restaurant, the Backstrap Bar and Grill, they were initially denied due to the Stratton region being defined as an “economic dead zone.” In recent years, though, the area has been revitalized with more modern touches. Both of their restaurants have been highly successful with the incoming tourism from Sugarloaf and the foliage in the fall season.

The Backstrap Bar and Grill was officially opened in December 2018 as a more casual option to the Coplin Dinner House. The two restaurants are targeted at different audiences, offering different experiences. The two restaurants are also lovely for times when they have a surplus of ingredients at the Backstrap; they can bring it over to the Coplin Dinner House and vice versa. They plan on starting a farm to raise pigs and chickens in the future.

Between the tourists and the locals, Stratton has a great community. “Everyone’s so nice here,” Heidi said. People across the country come to Stratton and always say it is different — more welcoming and genuine. Everyone knows everyone here. If someone needs help with a task like repainting a building, the whole community will pitch in to help. The community described by Heidi represents everyone in Western Maine’s strong connection. Her and Tony’s story is inspiring for aspiring business owners in a location that may have once been described as an “economic dead zone” — the lesson learned here is to stay persistent.

Looking for more information? Check out their website!

Address: 161 Main St., Stratton, ME 04982

Phone: 207-246-0102