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Last winter, after The New York Times named The Place in Camden as one of the 22 best bakeries in the country, the tiny operation initially saw a spike in demand.
“The ethereally flaky croissant dough (made with local flour and butter) appears in many forms and flavors — swirled into cinnamon buns, folded and sugared into kouign-amanns, layered into loaves,” the paper wrote in its profile of the business. “The offerings change weekly, in tune with the seasons and available produce. Which means you’ll have to wait until summer for the savory heirloom tomato Danishes and wild blueberry hand pies.”
The Times published its list on Dec. 24, 2024, and for weeks after that, the bakery saw more customers than it normally would outside the busy summer tourism season.
But after a couple months, things leveled off at The Place, which Chelsea Kravitz and Chris Dawson opened two years ago in a small space next to their home.
And that’s how Kravitz prefers it. She moved to Maine after getting burned out running her own busy cafe in Long Island, New York, and has intentionally set limited hours. The bakery is only open from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays and Sundays, or until it sells out.
“We don’t feel pressure to do anything more than what serves our community and feels sustainable and healthy for us,” Kravitz said in response to emailed questions. “Just because people want more, doesn’t mean you have to do more.”
Even before finding the national spotlight, Kravitz said, the bakery had developed a loyal following of customers who sometimes line up before the business even opens.
Kravitz and Dawson named the business after one of their favorite songs, “This Must be the Place (Naive Melody)” by the Talking Heads. Kravitz designed a logo for the bakery that features the band’s singer, David Byrne, in his famous big gray suit with a croissant for his head.
But their fondness for that song also goes deeper than a name or logo. As business owners, they’ve embraced its theme of being content in the present situation.
While Kravitz was pleasantly surprised by the recognition of The Times, which is widely read for its food coverage and cooking recipes, she viewed the listing more as validation of what the couple had built through years of hard work than a springboard to the next level of success.
Customers do sometimes ask the owners to expand, get a larger location or hire staff, according to Kravitz. But she noted that the bakery offers a pre-order system, for any customers who don’t want to stand in line.
“I tell them the truth,” Kravitz said, referring to those who want The Place to grow. “I want to do what I love and that’s baking, not managing a staff and walking around with a clipboard.”
She added, “Besides, the product wouldn’t be as consistent if it wasn’t the same two people making it every single week.”
