Ben and Malorie Sprague become new franchise owners of Coffee News

BANGOR, Maine (WABI) - A nearly 40-year-old staple found in more than 300 diners and coffee shops around the globe is entering a new chapter.

Ben Sprague says he and his wife Malorie, who already operated the local Bangor edition, have acquired the worldwide franchise business.

“It’s kind of one of these secret hidden gem businesses, and we’re honored to have acquired the Coffee News franchise business,” said Sprague.

Coffee News is a free one-page, hyper-local publication known for trivia, jokes, horoscopes and community events. And its reach has gone far beyond Bangor.

“If you’re on vacation in Auckland, New Zealand, you might see a Coffee News and it would be pretty similar to how it is in Bangor,”

On why they wanted ownership, Sprague said: “I kind of feel the world needs Coffee News. It’s positive content. It makes people smile. It brings people together,” said Sprague. “We say we deliver smiles weekly to people,” Sprague added.

The ownership change happened about six months ago after what Sprague called a “quiet phase” and “honeymoon quiet phase” with the previous local owners to ensure a smooth transition.

He says the familiar look, largely unchanged for almost 40 years, will stay,

“That brand, the familiarity and the nostalgia. We’re going to keep all of that in place. But we are going to try to make some tweaks to modernize and to make sure Coffee News is relevant to the next generation of readers. That could be just adjusting the content a little bit. So say the trivia questions has a question about Harry Potter or Toy Story or Sabrina Carpenter,” said Sprague.

And if you’re wondering about what’s going to happen to the paper’s iconic character.

“It will stay Little Bill. We’re not trying to change too much and Little Bill is one of the most beloved things about Coffee News,” Sprague said.