Shannon Schmelzer had always wanted to be her own boss, running her own business, she said in an interview before launching Shannon's Unshelled in spring 2014, as a seasonal lobster roll and hot dog stand by the Footbridge Parking Lot in Boothbay Harbor. Little did Schmelzer know, the day would come when she would be chosen as a vendor from Lincoln County to provide refreshments at a governor's inaugural celebration!

Incoming governor Janet Mills chose to feature Maine musicians for entertainment and food and beverages from each of the 16 counties during her festive inaugural celebration at the Augusta Civic Center Jan. 4.

Out of the blue, Schmelzer got a call to ask if she would like to be one of the vendors.  Schmelzer did not hesitate. "It was a privilege to contribute to such a prestigious event."

The vendors were divided between the main auditorium and The State of Maine Showcase Lounge in the North Wing at the Civic Center.  Schmelzer's hors d'oeuvres were offered at the smoked seafood bar in the main auditorium.  According to Schmelzer, constructing enough lobster bites to serve potentially 4,000 people would have been daunting without the help of the food and beverage manager and gourmet chefs at the Civic Center. 

When she saw the list of scheduled vendors broken down by county, she realized she was the only one from Lincoln County. "As a small town girl who started a business from the grassroots up less than five years ago, it is more than I could have asked for.  I have the people of Boothbay Harbor to thank for their endless support in helping me achieve such a great success and growing Shannon's Unshelled into the business it is today," she said.