Polveres leave Congdon’s
BY MARY LANCASTER
The lunch counter at Congdon’s Pharmacy is empty now, with the last soup and sandwiches served over Christmas Stroll weekend. Though Tiina and Don Polvere, Jr.’s threeyear lease on the counter does not expire until Dec. 31, except for plans to offer hot cocoa during the Chamber of Commerce Christmas Eve drawing they will now devote their energies to their Penalty Box Cafe and Nantucket Cake Company.

Congdon’s owner John Bertolami will be interviewing potential candidates to take over the counter business next year, but as of the end of last week he had no propects in line.

“We wanted to stay there forever,” said Tiina, who explained that in spite of that desire they had several reasons for their decision. Among them was increasing rent for the counter that put pressure on them to raise the prices of their food, something they did not choose to do. Further, their seasonal help left and without anyone showing interest in working there they found it difficult to handle the entire responsibility alone.

They were also under the impression a few months ago that Bertolami was trying to sell the building and they wanted the security of knowing they had a stable operation. Bertolami said earlier this year that he did not intend to sell 47 Main St., though he is interested in turning the store and upstairs apartment into condos.

“And we outgrew the kitchen,” Don Polvere said of the drugstore’s small cooking area in the basement. The couple decided to take advantage of the large kitchen they have at The Penalty Box, a cafe and takeout within Nantucket Ice that they opened about two years ago. There, along with making lunch and snack fare, they also run the Nantucket Cake Company, which they want to promote.

Don Polvere said they are working on a marketing plan with a woman in New York who has a related bakery line and is associated with companies carrying baked goods. They hope to be able to offer the Nantucket Cake Company products via a catalog and other mail order formats, particularly highlighting The Nantucket Nugget, a dense chocolate cookie filled with chocolate chips, walnuts and pecans that Tiina has been making since she was 12.

In addition, now that they have a more flexible schedule the couple plans for the first time to present a cake decorating class this winter at the Community School.

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