A 30-year old entrepreneur is hoping to hurdle parking problems to build his family business in a historic church in Gorham Village.
Michel Salvaggio Jr. of Falmouth returned to Maine last June from Denver, Colo., to head up Four Brothers, LLC., a family partnership. “I wanted to be there for my family,” said Salvaggio, the eldest of five children. “My focus is on family. We’ve always been a close-knit family.”
The other Salvaggio brothers involved in Four Brothers are Angelo, 26; Anthony, 23; and Marco, 22. They all live in Falmouth except for Anthony, who moved to Gorham last fall.
The group has a contract to buy the School Street United Methodist Church. They are seeking Planning Board approval to convert the church into a combination gourmet deli, restaurant and lounge, banquet hall and wellness center.
The church has been looking to sell the building for several years, but a lack of parking has hampered the sale.
Salvaggio had a pre-application conference with Gorham planners this month, and he hopes to be on the February Planning Board agenda. He said he would be ready to unveil parking plans at that time. “I know parking is a concern,” he said, adding he believed the problem could be worked out. Salvaggio also said he would present results of a survey of students who represent a substantial walk-in trade potential.
Looking through a window in the church, Salvaggio envisioned the church’s backyard as a space for potential parking if a fence was removed and some trees trimmed. “Our plan is to build a 15 to 20-spot parking lot at our own expense,” Salvaggio said.
When he first learned the church was for sale, Salvaggio admitted he had some doubts about the building. But when he saw it, he was impressed. He called it a great building and praised its proximity to the University of Southern Maine. “Location is key,” he said.
The university has 1,250 students living in dorms on the Gorham campus, according to a university spokesman. The university also has plans to build another dorm in Gorham.
Salvaggio owned a deli in Denver that catered to university students there. The deli an award for three straight years for having the best sandwiches in town. ‘We got all the students,” he said.
Salvaggio and his brothers are modeling plans for their new deli, which they’ve named Recipes from the Root, after Salvaggio’s Tree House CafA?© in Denver. The food served in the deli and lounge will feature family recipes brought from Sicily by Salvaggio’s great grandmother. “My family knows how to cook,” he said.
Salvaggio grew up in the restaurant business. His dad, Michel Salvaggio, owned Michel’s Restaurant in Westbrook for more than 20 years. “My dad has a recipe book this thick,” he said gesturing with his hands. “We make everything – sauces, soups.”
The junior Salvaggio learned the restaurant business from his dad and is anxious to move the Gorham proposal forward. “The success I’ve had can be attributed to my father,” Salvaggio said. “I’m seasoned, ready to go.”
Salvaggio said no major changes would be made inside the church. The chandeliers would be replaced and wooden pews removed. The building’s existing windows and the tin ceiling would be preserved. “It looks like Italy,” said Salvaggio, eying the church interior.
The church’s present sanctuary would be converted into a banquet hall that would seat 200 people. The balcony would be a V.I.P. area for functions in the hall with an entry from School Street. “I see what this looks like with people in here,” he said, envisioning the future.
The lounge, named Our Thing, would be located between the deli and the present sanctuary would be plush, a “higher end” lounge serving fine dishes. Salvaggio said it would not be a sports bar with pool tables and dartboards. “(It will be) a comfortable place to enjoy a fine meal at an affordable price,” he said.
A wellness center, The Lazy Palm would be housed in the basement. It would include hairstyling, manicuring and grooming for men and women. A glassed-in yoga studio would also be included. “Palm is a place for girls to pamper themselves,” he said.
Space in the basement under the oldest part of the church would be utilized as storage and offices. Salvaggio hopes to work with the university and allowed that he could make some space there available to it. “They looked at the church before we did,” he said.
Salvaggio said $800,000 would be the most his group could spend on the project. “Any more than that, we couldn’t open the doors,” he said.
The brothers aren’t afraid to work to make sure the project is financially viable. The family will use years of experience to shop for restaurant equipment. They’ll design their kitchen and do other work themselves, too. “We’re hands on,” he said.
Salvaggio said he is confident that the project would be a success, especially since his proposal for the church is so unique. “There’s nothing like it in Maine,” he said.
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