Category: Closings

Thistle & Grouse (website, facebook, instagram) has permanently closed. Their last day in business was this past weekend. A statement from owners Kimberly Kraus and chef Bobby Will reads in part,

Unfortunately not all things in life are meant to be and this is one of those moments. We set out to Portland from Bar Harbor with a dream of opening a neighborhood gastropub that brought creative comfort food into a warm inviting environment for friends to share libations, laughs and memories.

But a difficult path of remodel met with multiple delays and permitting hurdles, a terrible first winter full of flooded downtowns and snow, combined with a crippling inflation that made it nearly impossible to keep it together, painted a different picture for us.

Will, Kraus and key members of the staff had previously worked together at Kraus’ and Will’s former restaurant Salt and Steel in Bar Harbor.

Thistle & Grouse opened at 10 Cotton Street on December 1, 2023. The restaurant received 3½ stars in a review published by the Maine Sunday Telegram in March. The business is now for sale.

Sisters Gourmet Deli has shared plans to close their Portland sandwich shop. Their last day in business will be this Monday September 30th. The announcement on instagram reads in part,

9ish years ago I was a girl with a dream of creating a Sandwich Empire. We have made so many friends in this little shop. We have catered thousands of events. We have won awards. We have supported people through college (me included). I have been invited to incredible places because of sandwiches, and I am forever grateful for the opportunities brought to light because of this place. I also know it’s time to get out while we’re on top.

Sisters opened on May 1, 2016 at 15 Monument Square. They plan to continue operating the Sisters location in Bath which opened in 2019.

The truth is, we’ve outgrown this beautiful little spot, and Bath has very much stolen our hearts. My husband Nick and I have been operating at full throttle for some time now and it’s time for us to make a smart choice by concentrating all of our efforts in Bath.

Golden Lotus (website, facebook, instagram) has closed. A sign in the window at 511 Congress Street reads “Closed for Good”.  The owners have posted a brief statement on facebook,

Thank you all so much for the last ten years. We truly appreciate all of the love and support you have given us. We look forward to some much needed rest with family and friends. Hopefully, you are able to find another restaurant you like (almost) as much as Golden Lotus!

The owners of Ohno have announced plans to close their West End cafe “just before Thanksgiving.”

As many of you know, this year is Ohno’s 20th anniversary. Today we must announce it will be the last. Years of caring for ill and aging parents while trying to cobble together a staff in the post-pandemic world have left us tapped out. For our own well-being and our family’s, we plan to close just before Thanksgiving.

They’re seeking someone who might want to take the business over: “If any of you love the Ohno as much as we do and think you’d like to take it on, we are open to proposals.”

The When Pigs Fly (website, facebook, instagram) retail shop at 65 Hanover Street in West Bayside has closed. A sign in the door reads,

Good Morning!
Thank you for stopping by When Pigs Fly!
Due to unfortunate circumstances, the Portland When Pigs Fly store has permanently closed.
We thank the Portland Community for supporting us, and encourage all to visit us online at www.sendbread.com

The York-based bakery opened their Portland location last October.

Gross Confection Bar has announced that they’ll be closing their daytime bakery on September 1st. The announcement reads in part,

The decision to close wasn’t easy, but staffing shortages have made it increasingly difficult to keep things running smoothly. We’ve been battling this challenge since COVID, and unfortunately, it hasn’t improved over the past year.

While it saddens us to say goodbye, we’re not disappearing entirely! We’re excited to continue offering a few baked goods during the evening and plan to host bakery pop-ups on weekends from time to time. We’ll keep you posted on those sweet details as soon as we have them.

Gross Confection Bar’s evening dessert and cocktail bar will be unimpacted by this change. The Gross Bakery opened on July 4, 2019 (when the photo above was taken).

Coffee by Design has announced the immediate closure of their India Street cafe.

To our loyal customers, friends, and neighbors: We are sorry to announce the immediate closure of our India Street coffeehouse. This decision was not made lightly. We deeply appreciate your support and hope to welcome you soon at our 1 Diamond Street location.

Their Diamond Street location—also the location of the coffee roastery—remains open.

The Garrison in Yarmouth is closing. Their last day in business will be this Saturday, July 27th. The restaurant first opened almost exactly 5 years ago on July 25, 2019.

Chef/owner Christian Hayes shared a statement, which in part reads,

To say we have been submerged in an education about life for the last five years is a drastic understatement, and to say we are the same humans we were when we started couldn’t be further from the truth. This journey has been both the absolute definition of the best and worst of times, and an education in not just business but mental health, physical health, expectations, pressure, failure, and success.

The last year has been brutal for so, so many reasons, and for the first time the actual struggles which usually hide within our spreadsheets and behind our facade has spilled over to our dedicated staff and it is not okay to continue on when we struggle to meet payroll and pay bills.

Hayes concludes with,

In the end, we are so proud of what we built, along with our incredible team beside us, and we know that our home on the river has made a nest of core memories and experiences that will carry on after the last plate is cleared. Thank you all for making this so much more than just a place to eat. It’s literally been a dream come true.

Hayes shared that he will be consolidating his efforts into his other businesses Dandy’s Handy (website, instagram) corner store and Thoroughfare (website, facebook, instagram) “and the endless potential to focus solely on creating food and restoration for our community around us through such a special spot.”

Here are a few photos from The Garrison back in 2019.

Maxwell’s Farm shared the sad new that this was the final year in business for their Cape Elizabeth strawberry farm.

…Believe when we say, we feel the weight of nine generations in this decision. The lives of Ken, Elsie, Bill, Lois, Joel, and Joy have revolved around their faith, their family, and this farm. Due to growing challenges for small family farms and increasing barriers at most every turn, we’ve found it impossible to balance these three pillars. We have poured love, stress, sweat, sleepless nights, and so much more into this land, this lifestyle, and this community. After years of painstaking consideration and attempts to adapt to the challenges of farming in the current landscape, we have come to the very hard decision to close Maxwell’s Farm…

See the full announcement on facebook and on instagram.