Lewiston, Maine-J. Dostie Jewelers will celebrate its final holiday season in Lewiston, Maine, as it prepares to relocate to Yarmouth this spring.
The landmark jeweller has been in Lewiston for 76 years and at its current location for more than 60 years.
The move will begin in February 2024 and the new store, about 25 miles away, is expected to open in April.
The company was founded in 1947 by Jules Dostie, who was trained as a watchmaker in the US Army’s watch department.
Jules and his wife Yvette later expanded the business, with his son Daniel joining in 1977 and his grandson Michael in 2003.
The decision to move the long-standing family business out of the community was a difficult one, says Michael Dostie, the store’s third-generation owner, but was made after careful consideration.
In recent years, more of his business has come from outside Lewiston. As of January, 75 per cent of his sales came from customers outside the community.
“I am a steward of my grandfather’s business, and with that comes a responsibility to our customers, which makes it especially painful to consider the impact this move will have on people from the greater Augusta area and those who already travel so far to visit us from Franklin County or Maine’s Western Lakes & Hills. I can only do my best to make it worth the extra trip.
Dostie also noted that changes within the community and its local government were factors in the move.
“The dynamics here in the city centre and the focus of [the] city leadership have changed in such a way that a sustainable future here is no longer certain. We had to look at how we could adapt to best serve our customers on a regional basis.”
The Lewiston community also experienced tragedy in October when a gunman killed 18 people and injured 13 others in a shooting spree that spanned two locations in the city.
The company clarified that this incident was not a factor in its decision, as its relocation plans had been underway for more than a year and its contracts had been finalised a month earlier.
“The terrible tragedy that occurred on 25 October had no bearing on this decision, nor should it be a reflection on the city of Lewiston. Our hearts break for those lost and their loved ones, and this release has been delayed out of respect for those in mourning,” the company said in a statement.
Moving the business will be a challenge, but one the jeweller is looking forward to, it said, adding that the “small, quiet” town of Yarmouth is more centrally located for its customers, with access from the mid-coast to southern Maine.
The new location will be slightly smaller, but the more intimate setting will allow the jeweller to focus on its jewellery design and fabrication work.
“Lewiston will always hold a special place in my heart,” said Dostie. “I grew up here, played a little hockey here, came back as an adult, met my wife and fell completely in love with this town, but sometimes you have to let something go in order to move forward.”
Daniel Dostie, Michael’s father, reflected on the struggles, successes and future of the business before the move.
“I’ve seen recessions in the 80s and 90s, but the 2008 recession pushed us to the brink. Difficult decisions and sacrifices had to be made then, and here we are, 15 years later, and things are changing again. This is the best way for my father’s, my own and now my son’s company to serve our friends and customers for the next 20 years”.
