Geddy’s in Bar Harbor

When Arthur Davis bought Geddy’s in 1986, he was just 26 years old, taking a leap of faith on a beloved local institution. Back then it was a place for live music and late-night dancing. Over the years, Arthur put his own mark on it, and in 1995 Heather came into the picture. “I came back to Bar Harbor that Memorial Day Weekend to visit my sister, and I ran into Arthur at Geddy’s. He’d shaved his mustache, and somehow it was magic,” she recalls. That chance meeting turned into a marriage and a lifelong partnership in the business.

Heather brought her marketing background to the mix. What started with a handful of T-shirts grew into a full retail shop by 1996. Soon after, Geddy’s added a full-service kitchen featuring a wood-fired pizza oven and live lobster tanks. “We were working seven days a week, from eight in the morning until one in the morning. There was definitely blood, sweat, and tears, but the customers kept us going,” Heather says.

Today, Geddy’s is a landmark in Bar Harbor. It's known as much for its atmosphere as its food. Families return generation after generation for lobster rolls, wood-fired pizza, ahi tuna tacos, and the Captain Geddy’s lobster bake. Arthur even went to pizza school in San Francisco to refine their Neapolitan-style crust. The bar program also has its own signature, with drinks like the Caribbean-inspired Painkiller becoming local favorites.

The décor adds another layer of history. Vintage signs line the walls, many donated by locals who wanted to see Bar Harbor’s past preserved. “People sometimes call it a tourist trap, but everything here has a story,” Heather explains. “These signs came from old businesses, friends, and neighbors. It’s really a living museum of the town.”

After nearly four decades, the Davises see Geddy’s as part of the fabric of the community. Generations of staff return year after year, and guests who honeymooned here now bring their children and grandchildren. “We basically grew up here,” Heather says. “I was 26 when I started, Arthur was 26 when he bought it, and now so many people tell us their stories. The walls really do breathe history.”

FAMOUS FOR:
Geddy’s has become part of the town’s story. It's a place where people feel at home, whether it’s their first visit or their fortieth summer.

ADDRESS:
19 Main St, Bar Harbor, ME

WEBSITE:
geddys.com

photos by Peter Logue