Faces Of Nantucket: Maxine Whitelocke

Years on Nantucket: 25

Favorite things about the island: Meeting a lot of people during the summers, and the beautiful beaches.

When you step into The Hub on Main Street, it’s hard to miss the warm, welcoming presence of Maxine Whitelocke. For over two decades, Whitelocke has been a familiar face at the downtown establishment, well known to both locals and tourists alike.

Originally from Jamaica, Whitelocke moved to New York City in 1998, seeking a better life and to take care of her children. She worked as a caregiver in the city until moving in 1999 to Nantucket where her sister was working for a house cleaning business.

“It’s called island life – Jamaica island to Nantucket island,” Whitelocke said.

Upon arriving on the island, she began working at Nantucket Gourmet on India Street in 2000 and then shifted to The Hub in 2001, when it was still just a gift shop.

“Originally it wasn’t a coffee shop,” Whitelocke explains. “It was newspapers, magazines, and gifts.”

She would spend her time stocking shelves, working behind the counter, and counting and reserving newspapers for both individuals and island businesses – her cheerful disposition and love for customers and the island always stood out.

“I’m a people’s person… so I don’t get out a lot of places because I’m more dedicated to work, but it’s a beautiful place to be,” Whitelocke reflects.

Whitelocke helped The Hub transition from a gift store as the establishment added the coffee shop, which was an especially crucial shift for the business as the news began to transition to a digital format – meaning fewer people were relying on the print newspapers The Hub provided. The Hub knew it had to make a change to retain customers, so 10 years ago it began serving coffee as well – and now is known for its coffee, ham and cheese croissants, and chai lattes.

“With being a coffee shop now, a lot more people come in so we get to meet more people, too,” Whitelocke elaborates. “It’s a huge change here, but I’m adjustable.”

Now, as The Hub’s longest employee, Whitelocke acts as a supervisor at The Hub, especially through her role of training workers on J1 visas. She also brews the coffee, sells the drinks, works at the register as a cashier, restocks and checks the goods, or as she says, “the whole shebang.”

The Hub is such an island staple that Whitelocke often sees people using it as a visitor’s center, asking questions about the island as they order their coffee – sometimes waiting in lines that go out the door. She’s even met people like President Joe Biden and former US Secretary of State John Kerry while working at The Hub and is easily recognized the second she steps foot out of The Hub by those wandering past.

“For me, it’s called a one-stop-shop,” Whitelocke says. “You can get everything at The Hub – a pastry, a coffee, you name it, it’s here.”

All photos below by Charity Grace Mofsen