By Emma Bouthillette 

Staff Writer

Port Bakery and Café had some unexpected guests last weekend as “Good Morning America” broadcast live from the little kitchen in Kennebunk. 

Viewers watching the show may have been surprised to see the local shop on their television, but they shouldn’t blame owner Sean Ryan for keeping them out of the loop. The segment was actually a use of showbiz improvisation. 

For crew members of Good Morning America’s weekend edition, the show must go on. After they found themselves stranded in Portland after a canceled flight, they had to find an interesting location to broadcast from. Good Morning America feature reporter and weather forecaster Marysol Castro was directed to Port Bakery and Café in Lower Village by a family member who lives locally. 

Ryan received a phone call Saturday afternoon with Good Morning America’s request to broadcast from the kitchen of Port Bakery and Café. Ryan said the kitchen staff normally bakes pies Sunday morning, but this Sunday they baked a few more for viewers across the country. 

Ryan said he was able to see the behind-the-scenes action as Castro broadcasted the national weather forecast and went live for short segments between her feature contest for the Country’s Best Pie.

“My baker had a lot of fun with the camera crew,” Ryan said. “It was an unique experience, and she was nervous, but she did a good job.”

Ryan said the crew was very professional and treated his staff very well. With video clips of staff at work and pie crust rolled out, Ryan said he was excited for his bakery to be the live feed location, but that his five standard pies for the café could not compete with the pies Castro was featuring in the national contest. 

“Those pies looked pretty and were very fancy. I told my bakers, ‘See that’s what pie making should be,” Ryan said. “We will have to bring up our game for next year’s competition.”