Bangor sandwich shop latest small business looking for employees

BANGOR, Maine (WABI) - Help wanted!

A well-known sandwich shop in Bangor is the latest small business looking to hire employees.

We stopped by the Legacy Sandwich at 163 State Street Monday afternoon after a busy day.

“The quality is utmost importance. Because if you don’t have quality, you don’t have a business for long at least that’s what I firmly believe,” says Diane Bernosky, owner of Legacy Sandwich at 163 State Street in Bangor.

It may be that dedication to quality that’s earned Bernosky and her shop the Legacy Sandwich awards for 12 years in a row now for best deli and best sandwich. At the same time they’re facing a challenge many small businesses are: they’re short staffed.

“It has been a very large struggle. If I didn’t love it I probably wouldn’t have made it through the pandemic. But I did,” says Bernosky.

Making customers happy one sandwich at a time has always been a labor of love. She’s even taken to social media to try and get the word out about the open part time positions.

”I have had a couple of applicants who either didn’t show up or didn’t work more than a couple of days. And yeah, it’s a struggle,” says Bernosky.

She feels working here at this 12-time award winning sandwich shop on State Street would be perfect for the right person or people.

”I think it would be perfect for someone who is retired and is looking for a few hours a week to supplement their social security because I’m an extremely small business. I can’t afford to pay what a lot of the other places pay. There are other little quirks like sandwiches and desserts and working for me,” says Bernosky.

Their loyal customers have been patient like she’s asked even the ones that come all the way from California.

”Sacramento, California, and I was born and raised in Maine in New Hampshire,” says Brenda Kontos who stops by with her family when they visit in the summer.

Closing is something they couldn’t stand to see and would be devastating for Diane.

”It’s not something I can do myself. I don’t have a choice. So if I can’t find reliable staff, I will have to close the doors,” says Bernosky.

”Anybody that can come here and work with her is just going to thrive with her hopefully and just make the place a legacy like the name,” says Cheryl Kennedy, who has been helping Bernosky.”A long legacy. I want to be working here when I’m 80,” says Bernosky.

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