CLOSING FOR GOOD — Morning Dew Natural Foods will be closing its doors for good on Friday, Oct. 31, after 18 years in business in Bridgton.

By Gail Geraghty
Staff Writer
After 18 years of business, Bridgton’s only natural foods store, Morning Dew, is closing its doors — an ironic victim of the huge popularity in natural foods.
The final day will be Friday, Oct. 31 for the Sandy Creek Road store, which began in smaller space on Portland Road and has enjoyed a loyal customer base throughout its history.
Victoria Berry has owned the store for nine years, and began working there three months after it first opened. 
“I’m really sad, because I love this business, and I love my customers,” Berry said Tuesday. For several years she’s tried many different strategies to keep the doors open, including seeking other buyers. But with another long winter looming, she said, “I just couldn’t do it anymore.”
Berry said she has tried to keep her pricing in line, and has been pretty successful in that regard. But with the popularity of naturals and organics, there are many more places to shop these days than when Morning Dew opened its doors.
“Unfortunately, it’s the small folks that really helped start the (natural foods) movement and have been there to offer one-on-one service, that seem to be hurt the most,” she said. Additionally, in this case there are many factors working together that make staying in business an unrealistic choice for Berry.
Berry employs six people part-time, and rents the Sandy Creek building.