Category: Closings

Richard Lee and Claire Guyer have announced they’ve shut down their business Little Brother Chinese Food. They shared that they’ve decided to move on due to changing priorities in their own lives. The business itself has been a success but their focus is increasingly being drawn to other initiatives, “from an artistic standpoint, it’s exactly the right time to draw this piece to a close.”

Dear Friends, our time with Little Brother Chinese Food is complete and it’s time for the business to close. Thank you so much for joining us on this journey. Your support allowed us to make a living doing something we loved for 4 whole years. It was a joyful, challenging, fulfilling, endeavour and we’re so grateful to have been able to share it with you.

Guyer and Lee launched Little Brother in February 2021. Their future plans are not set yet. Lee has a developing career as an artist and looking forward to seeing his work displayed in a group show in Chelsea later this year.

Cafe Louis (website, facebook, instagram) has announced plans to close their South Portland restaurant. Their last day in business will be February 2nd. In a post on instagram the owners shared,

We are nearing the end of our lease on Ocean St and have decided to take the opportunity to move on and realign our focus to recalibrate our home and personal lives. While this is a bittersweet post, the decision was incredibly difficult. We’ve shared amazing meals, drinks, memories and friendships in this tiny little room and truly believe we achieved far more than we ever set out to, and some…We are truly grateful for everyone who played a role in making this place what it is and have been honored to exist in this amazing Portland food scene.

When reached for comment chef/owner Evan Richardson expanded on the statement to say he’s making the change to spend more time with his two children.

Cafe Louis opened in July 2021. Richardson had previously operated Eaux on Exchange Street which grew from a food cart he launched in 2017. A second Cafe Louis restaurant named Costa Media (website, instagram) launched in Camden in late 2023 and will remain in business.

Via Sophia by the Sea (website, facebook, instagram) has announced that December 22nd will be the last day in business for the restaurant and its downstairs bar the Rabbit Hole (instagram).

We are looking forward to seeing everyone for our final night of service on Sunday, December 22nd. Thank you to everyone in the community and our wonderful guests for supporting us from the beginning.

The Kennebunk-based restaurant opened in late June 2022. It was the second location of the Washington DC restaurant Via Sophia and was launched in collaboration with the Kennebunkport Resort Collection which also operates Rosella, Earth at Hidden Pond and 5 other restaurants.

Nosh Taco (instagram) has closed. The restaurant was located in the oval-shaped building in Canal Plaza.

Nosh Taco opened almost a year ago at the beginning of December 2023. The business was launched by Michael Fraser, Michael Barbuto and Kevin Doyle who are also co-owners of CBG and Nosh. It served a selection of carnitas, veggie, chicken and fish tacos and tortas as well as variety of margaritas, beer, wine and other drinks.

The building had previously been occupied by a vegan fast casual cafe called Copper Branch. It’s now available to lease.

The owners of Elsmere BBQ, Jeremy Rush and Adam Powers, have announced they plan to close their South Portland barbecue restaurant. November 9th will be their last day in business.

Their statement on instagram reads in part,

After 11 amazing years in South Portland, Jeremy and I are leaving the Elsmere ownership group. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve you this entire time. We will carry with us fond memories of creating and testing all the wonderful recipes that became the backbone of Elsmere, of learning the subtleties and nuances of Mama, our big beautiful smoker, and of staying up until 3:00 AM painting the dish room so we could get our food license in time to open the next day on August 17th 2013…We never could have anticipated the warmth and encouragement the community would provide to us. We thank you all for embracing us with open arms and allowing us to be the cornerstone of the neighborhood.

Powers and rush launched Elsmere in 2013. They went on to open a second location on Stevens Ave which opened in 2018 and closed in 2022.

Two more Portland establishments have closed their doors.

The North Point closed this weekend. Owner Dan Talmatch shared on instagram, “The North Point has closed it’s doors for the last time. This decision wasn’t made lightly, but was made in light of rising costs, difficulty staffing, and generally decreasing sales. More info will follow, but for now, I want to offer my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to all that have made The North Point a Portland staple for nearly 12 years. We’re still loving you right back.” The Silver Street bar opened for business in February 2013.

Salvage BBQ has closed. The large sunny Parkside restaurant opened for business in September 2013 in at 919 Congress Street. The menu at the time included options like the Meat Coma and the Meat Fatality—½ rack of ribs, ½ pound of brisket, ½ pound of pork, ½ of a roast chicken, sausage, a bowl of chili and 2 pints of sides. A sign posted in the window late last week (see upper right image) read simply “Salvage BBQ Is Closed, Thanks for 10+ Years.”

Local 188 has closed. The landmark restaurant had been in business for 25 years and contributed to the development of Portland as a nationally acclaimed culinary destination. They will be missed.

Chef/owner Jay Villani share some brief parting words,

Just wow. What a ride. None of this would have been possible without you.

You have given me a backdrop I can proudly hang my apron on. Words can not express how incredibly lucky I feel. The depth of meaning you all have given my life is immeasurable. What a truly special gift.

Thank you…

All of you.

When the restaurant launched in 1999, it brought a new vitality to Longfellow Square joining Cafe Uffa in an intersection that had not yet become the restaurant hub it is today. Warm personal service, an innovative menu of Spanish-inspired dishes, a great atmosphere and space made Local 188 a popular destination at the start of the new century. The name of the restaurant is a reference to its original street address 188 State Street—where Pai Men Miyake is now. It moved to much larger quarters on Congress Street in 2007.

In a fitting coda for a long running establishment, the kitchen at Local 188 had passed on to the next generation with Villani’s son Jackson (aka Sonny) as the chef de cuisine. If you’ve dined at 188 during the last few month you’ve likely had some delightful new dishes he’s brought to the menu.

Local 188 may have closed but the impact the legions of staff have made on the lives of their customers and on the city’s culinary scene and will be remembered for a long time to come.

Slab Sicilian Street Food is closing. The restaurant’s last day in business will be this Saturday October 12th. A statement from the owners reads in part,

For over a decade, we’ve had the privilege to bring Stephen Lanzalotta’s masterpiece to the masses, and the reception has been overwhelmingly positive! We’re so grateful for the national recognition we’ve received and for our fans far and wide – we cannot thank you enough for your support and kind words through the years. ⁣
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We also want to give huge props to our dedicated staff who have enthusiastically embraced the art & science behind creating the most luscious pizza in all the land.⁣

Slab was launched in June 2014 by Stephen Lanzalotta, Jason Loring, Matt Moran, Tobey Moulton and Emily Kingsbury. Lanzalotta had previously been the baker at Micucci’s where Portlanders were introduced to his version of a slab-based pizza. Lanzalotta passed away in 2022. While best known for their rectangular slices of pizza, the menu has also included salads, sandwiches, a great beer selection, desserts and thin-crust pizzas.

While the restaurant is closing the frozen pizza part of the business will continue on. You’ll be able to find the Slab rising crust pizzas at dozens of locations in Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire—a full list is available on slabportland.com.

The Press Herald has explored why so many restaurants are closing.

A surge of restaurant closures in Greater Portland that started in early September accelerated in recent weeks when a popular Bayside pizzeria, a recently opened Old Port gastropub and a longtime Yarmouth landmark all announced they were shutting down. With food and labor costs rising as the industry’s slowest season approaches, more could be coming.

For some further discussion see these three threads on Reddit.