Ginger Cote in a booth at Big Babe’s Tavern in South Portland. Photo by Aimsel Ponti

Anticipation had been building since longtime musician Ginger Cote purchased the former home of the Griffin Club in South Portland’s Knightville neighborhood three years ago, and opening night of her restaurant and music venue Big Babe’s Tavern on Jan. 28 was accordingly packed. But none of this would have happened if not for an automotive issue at a very inopportune time.

Cote had purchased an out-of-service, fixer-upper fire truck in Ellsworth with a plan to convert it into a food truck that would also feature live bands. While crossing Casco Bay Bridge, the axle dropped out of the truck, causing a two-hour traffic holdup. Despite the frustration, Cote saw it as a sign that maybe the food truck wasn’t meant to be and she should take her idea in another direction.

She casually mentioned her interest in opening a club in a Facebook post, and Brennan Smith, who now works at Big Babe’s and lives behind the building, sent Cote a message to make sure she was aware that the Griffin Club, which had been open for nearly 50 years, was up for sale. Cote immediately called realtor Eric Flynn, and the two met at the club at 10 p.m. that night. Cote was already familiar with the space, having spent time there in the ’90s when she’d pop in during daytime hours and play songs on the jukebox; over beers with Flynn, she started to seriously consider buying it.

Originally, Cote wanted to renovate rather than build something new, but two structural engineers advised her against it. The building dates back to the early 1900s and hadn’t been well maintained. Cote connected with architect Mark Mueller and started reaching out to banks. Everyone told her it was too risky of an investment until Bangor Savings heard about her idea for Big Babe’s Tavern. The building was torn down and a new one built.

The name came to Cote when she was still entertaining the food truck idea and excitedly rattling off all her ideas one night. A friend of hers interrupted, saying, “Slow your roll, big babe,” and Cote thought, “Big Babe’s Tavern, that’s got a ring to it.”

Women crowded into a booth at Big Babe’s Tavern in South Portland on opening night. Photo by Aimsel Ponti

The end result is a place that already feels broken in. It has the touches of a veteran musician, including a top-notch sound system, raised drummer platform on the stage, a dining area that doubles as a dance floor and even on-site housing for touring acts. There are five hotel rooms on the second floor of the building that are due to open next week. All the rooms have themes, such as Sun Studio, The Barrow Gang and Stephen King, the latter featuring a giant black-and-white cornfield photo, an art print referencing “The Shining” and an old typewriter. Cote plans on putting a red balloon in the closet to freak out guests.

The stage with raised drum platform at Big Babe’s Tavern. Photo by Aimsel Ponti

Big Babe’s Tavern has a capacity of 135, with a combination of tables, booths and bar seating. Among Cote’s 30 employees are married couple chef Dillon Houser and house manager Caitlin Houser, and bar manager Edna Mosher. The tavern is open every day except Monday and features live music every one of those nights. Grateful Dead tribute act A Band Beyond Description, Cuban dance band Primo Cubano and funk and soul act the Kenya Hall Band all have winter residencies. Other local acts that have played at Big Babe’s include Micromasse, King Memphis, Xander Nelson and Tiger Bomb.

Cote, who is originally from Limestone and moved to Portland in 1985, has been a drummer since she was a teenager. She’s played and/or recorded with local acts Darien Brahms, Kate Schrock and The Coming Grass, and started a classic country band called Cowboy Angels that played shows for about a decade up until last year. Cote worked as a session drummer in Nashville for two years around the turn of the millennium and has played shows around the country and in Europe, including with Emmylou Harris and Bonnie Raitt, thanks to her friend, Cidny Bullens. Bullens, who lived in Maine for many years before moving to New Mexico in 2018, is a Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter. He’s been an active musician since the ’70s and worked with Elton John, Rod Stewart and Bob Dylan, among others.

All of these experiences informed Cote’s approach to her new venture and she’s covered every aspect, from delicious food and drinks to the right equipment and the kind of green room that musicians would actually be happy to spend time in.

Rock musician Xander Nelson said he loved playing at Big Babe’s. “Ginger really knows what’s what when it comes to making sure both the bands and the audience has a good experience. The staff are all very friendly and the overall vibe of the place was classy but still rock and roll.”

Tiger Bomb’s Lynda Mandolyn agreed. “This is just the type of place that South Portland needed in the community regarding rock ‘n’ roll meets a good place to eat,” she said. Mandolyn also noted how refreshing it was to play at a club that really cares about bands. “The place was packed, the entertainment’s been great, and Big Babe’s has a bright future.”

Less than a month after opening, Cote is thrilled. “It’s been wonderful and the support has been awesome.” Cote said her favorite part of owning Big Babe’s is “seeing a packed house of all ages and all walks of life dancing.”