Mung Bean celebrates 40 years

Mung Bean is celebrating its 40th year owned and operated by the brother and sister team of Steven Madden and Susan Madden Billings. In the spring of 1974, nineteen-year-old Sue and sixteen-year-old Steve opened their craft shop in the small rural Maine town of Coopers Mills. They were energetic teenagers with the idea of promoting the work of Maine craftspeople.

In 1977, Steve and Sue moved their shop to its present location at 37 Townsend Ave. in downtown Boothbay Harbor. It has been the perfect spot for Mung Bean to grow and thrive into a successful business. In 1994 they had the good fortune and opportunity to purchase the building. This allowed them to utilize the entire first floor for the shop and Steve enjoyed designing and building all the display units!

Just as the name ‘Mung Bean’ is unusual and memorable, the shopping experience at Mung Bean is unique and unforgettable. The shopper can meander leisurely through and explore several rooms and many delightful nooks and crannies. The shop proudly carries only American-made crafts with its focus on the works of Maine and New England craftspeople. Sue and Steve always choose the items for the store with “high quality” and “good design” in mind. The extensive variety of merchandise at Mung Bean is comprised of the works of over 300 American artisans. The many choices, from the functional to the whimsical, include pottery, jewelry, wooden toys and games, T-shirts, metal works, woodenware, ornaments, cards, and Maine preserves.

Mung Bean is open year round and seven days a week May-December