From the 2007 Jewel of the Midcoast

3 Dogs, One Dream

For a brief time, he was all ours.

The artisan in residence at the little green cape overlooking U.S. Route 1 in Rockport began his career as a local phenomenon. The fruit of his labor was the topic of whispered admiration at dinner parties and weddings, and the centerpiece of events at local inns and hotels. It took little time for the not-so-carefully guarded secret to leak as more and more people (literally) digested his creations.

Steve Watts refers to himself as a pastry chef. Down East Magazine has dubbed him “The Macaroon Man,” the Bangor Daily News has called him “The Gingerbread Man,” and the Food Network has just plain called him. Still, to call Steve’s work mere food is missing the point. Sampling his inspired and unique culinary creations, with his commitment to substance and style, is a coveted experience.

Despite the notoriety, Steve Watts dreamt of more. “It’s always been a dream of mine to take this business to the next level,” said Watts of Sweet Sensations, his Rockport-based bakery and pastry shop. “We realized that, to do something of this quality, we would have to offer more than cakes, cookies and pastries. We’d have to do something that would bring people in all day long, year-round.”

In March 2007, Sweet Sensations will become Sweet Sensations Pastry Shop & 3 Dogs Cafe. Once 3 Dogs opens its doors, Watts will be living his dream.

“It’s a show-stopper,” said Watts of the post-and-beam, stone-terraced cafe located beside his current location. “This has been in the planning for two and a half years. It’s taken that long to get the design, layout and equipment.”

To call the expansion ambitious is classic understatement. Watts chases perfection in every facet of his life. The new 3 Dogs Cafe will epitomize casual elegance both inside and out. The product will not be diminished but, in fact, expanded.

“We’ve taken no shortcuts,” Steve said.
“Every aspect of the building and the business, is designed to make the customer say ‘wow.’”

3 Dogs Cafe will treat customers to a unique sensory experience. The eye-catching exterior design lures patrons into a spacious interior decked out with leather chairs and a six-foot fieldstone, see-through, open-hearth fireplace. The 3 Dogs Cafe will feature a state-of-the-art espresso bar, a sound-system designed to eliminate noise from outdoor compressors, wireless Internet service, and uncompromised decor. And then you get to eat.

The new cafe will offer eight signature sandwiches, soups and salads, dessert wines and a children’s menu. New display cases will house the cakes and pastries that have served Sweet Sensations for the last decade. 3 Dogs will also have a separate section devoted entirely to ice cream products, including a signature ice cream cake.

The facility has been fitted with a full basement, as Steve hopes to someday have a classroom to pass on his skills to others.

Providing his customers with this unique, relaxing and enjoyable experience took a lot of help.

“My partner, Keith Stone, has been involved since the beginning,” said Watts. “He handles the financials, the paperwork, getting things done. I like to think of myself as the creative force. Keith and I spent so much time kicking around ideas and concepts to make this happen. I couldn’t have done this without him.”

Why 3 Dogs? Stone and Watts are rarely far from their three labs; Marcus Agrippa, Gaius Caesar, and Germanicus Caesar (Keith was a history major with an interest in Greek and Roman history).

“They’re as much a part of this business as we are,” said Watts of the labs. “They’re very, very special to us and they’ll serve as our official greeters.”

When 3 Dogs opens it will culminate a furious year for Watts. In July 2006 his work with wedding cakes was featured on the Food Network’s popular Bon Appetit cooking show. Demand for his wedding cakes has grown dramatically at a time when he has been planning 3 Dogs Cafe and maintaining the high standards of Sweet Sensations. It’s been a challenge that Watts has relished, and met head on.

“I’ve worked very hard to get to this point,” said Watts, “and it’s been worth it. This is the business I’ve always dreamt of. I can’t wait to show it to everyone.”  

Click here for our About Us page with dogs pictures of course!

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