They’re calling it a “reboot.” An appropriate moniker for L.L. Bean, the Freeport, Maine-based outdoor retailer that launched its business with its now-ubiquitous hunting boots.
After seven years, the company has at long last completed a $50 million renovation and reimagination of its flagship and the surrounding campus. The revamped store features a grand staircase in the center, a two-tiered trout pond — double the size of the prior one — a new stream tank with twice the number of fish, a new custom shop, an enlarged café and an expanded “discovery park” in the center that adds green space to the experience.
“Reimagining an icon is an extraordinary undertaking, and the result reflects the passion, creativity and dedication of the team behind it,” said Greg Elder, president and chief executive officer of L.L. Bean.
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He said the company started talking about a renovation in 2017 when it was celebrating the 100th anniversary of the store and reflecting on the L.L. Bean origin story. The company was founded by Leon Leonwood Bean in 1912 selling the Maine hunting shoe by mail order from his brother’s basement. The first store opened above the post office in Freeport.
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