Lucky Finn Cafe, a seaside cafe in Scituate Harbor, drew attention this holiday season with its most elaborate holiday decorations to date. Known for brewing up a strong sense of community in its beautiful waterfront setting, the popular coffee shop and cafe was transformed into a festive destination for customers this winter.
For the first time, owner Mary Ellen Stoddard of Norwell hired a professional team to handle the holiday decor: “I hired somebody to do the decorations inside and outside this year. It’s the first year we have done that,” Stoddard said. The decorations were designed and installed by Beach Plum Floral, a local business Stoddard has worked with since 2018.
Stoddard believes holiday decor plays a major role in shaping the customer experience, especially during New England winters. “I think it really brightens everyone’s mood, especially where we live here in the Northeast,” she explained, adding, “The days get to be very dark and very short. It puts people in a good mood and reminds them of holiday cheer and spirit.”
While Lucky Finn has always decorated for the holidays, this year’s display stood out for customers and holiday shoppers: “I’ve never done anything on this scale before,” Stoddard said. “We usually do it ourselves, but we never had this inside, all of these ornaments hanging from the ceiling.” She also added that customers reacted positively to past decorations, especially outside, noting that “people have commented that they do like it, and they will take pictures and post it in their stories online.”
According to Stoddard, the installation process took place over two days, as the team “did the front of the building for several hours one day, and then came inside that same day in the evening after we closed and started the prep work for installing the ornaments.” Stoddard explained, “They returned the following night to complete the look with all of the ornaments and wreaths and greenery on the inside as well.”
Stoddard’s favorite part of the display is the ceiling installation, noting, “The ornaments on the ceiling are amazing.” While working with Jill Landry, the owner of Beach Plum Floral, the two agreed to move away from traditional holiday colors and focus on a silver-and-gold color palette. “We both agreed we were not doing the traditional green and red. We wanted it to be more like a coastal…a coastal Christmas and focus on more wintery colors,” she explained.
Beyond the decorations, Lucky Finn continues to value community involvement. Each Mother’s Day, the cafe partners with a different charity, and this year the spirit of giving extended into the holiday season: “This year, we partnered with Scituate Community Christmas,” Stoddard said. In addition, Stoddard wanted to add a personal touch by including beautiful handcrafted custom watercolor cup sleeves designed by local artist Amanda Ritchie.
With its festive coastal decor and community-focused mission, Lucky Finn continues to enhance the small-town charm of Scituate Harbor.