Our Story

Ever since my first Neapolitan pizza in New York City, I’ve been hooked on artisan pizza... the charred crust, the delicate chew, the simplicity turned perfection. I used to find myself daydreaming about wood-fired ovens - studying their designs, imagining building one in the backyard someday. I started buying 00 flour, experimenting with hydration ratios, and chasing that perfect balance of crisp and airy.

Then one year at the Crown of Maine Balloon Festival, I saw it: a shiny, copper-domed, wood-fired pizza oven on wheels. A mobile oven. Genius. I remember thinking, now why didn’t I think of that? Every year after that, I’d watch for Sabastian's Wood Fired Pizza - drawn in by that smell, that flame, and the amazing couple behind it, Danny and Alice. They were always smiling, always friendly, and always happy to talk about their setup even with a line halfway across the lot (though, credit where it’s due - that line moved fast).

Fast-forward a few years. coordinating vendors for the Maine Potato Blossom Festival, I got to know Danny and Alice a little better. In 2025, they broke the news that this would be their last season - they were going to sell the business. My first thought was devastation - we would miss them terribly. My second thought came when they said, “You should buy it.”

I laughed it off at first - I mean, sure, it's the dream!  But buying a whole business?  Just like that?  That's crazy talk! But later that night, I mentioned it to my husband, Travis, without any setup or context.

“They’re selling their pizza business,” I said.

Without missing a beat, he said, “We should buy it.”

“Funny you should say that…” I replied.

And that’s pretty much where this story catches fire.

 Suddenly, I found myself writing a business plan, building cash flow projections, lining up licenses and insurance, learning about taxes, and basically cramming a crash course in small business ownership. NMDC was incredibly helpful through it all - guiding us through the loan process, connecting the dots, and making sure we didn’t light ourselves on fire (figuratively speaking, of course). It’s been a whirlwind, but somehow everything just clicked. 

Travis and I go way back... as in, way back. High school crushes turned sweethearts, we were together for a few years after high school. Then life took us in different directions for nearly thirty years. He joined the Navy, and I traveled the world through my job. But somehow, we found our way back to each other, and now we’re building this crazy, wonderful thing together.

When it came time to choose a name, we wanted something that felt like us: rooted in the North, steady but fiery, and just a little bold. That’s how Northern Flame was born. It nods to where we’re from and what drives us - the spark that started years ago, and the fire that keeps us going now.

So yes, it’s a long story. But it’s ours... and if you’ve made it this far, you probably get it. We didn’t plan this. We didn’t even see it coming. But here we are, pizza peel in hand, and loving every minute of it.

- Elizabeth and Travis Brook