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Meet Al's Pals. Eat Al's Pals. If that seems like a poorly-timed Halloween gag, you should learn that Al's "pals" are pickles. Al Arsenault, a Westbrook resident and Whole Foods employee, was quick-pickling in his home kitchen. He realized there might be a market for his goods, at which point he asked his friend Pat Jones to design a logo for him.
The entrepreneurial pickle-maker described the homespun logo as "very Maine." He continued:
It couldn't have come out better. It's got a little bit of metal in it (me being a heavy metal musician for a number of years) while still being appealing to everyone.
The requisite licensing came through mere days ago, just in time for the holiday season. Fans of briny cucumbers can order through the Al's Pals Facebook page, where Arsenault lists the basic information about his multiple varieties, including Bread and Buttah, Sweet-Heat, and Original Dill. He said he gets his produce from Native Maine, and uses local ingredients when he can get them. Additional flavors and relishes are being developed. Arsenault is working on getting his wares into retail locations but for now the only way to order your very own pals is online.