Category: Under Construction

Off Track Pizza on Exchange

| Posted in Under Construction

A new restaurant called Off Track Pizza (instagram) is under construction at 15 Exchange Street. The space was most recently occupied by Lupita’s but longtime Portland residents will remember it as the original location of Walter’s.

Off Track is being launched by owners Mark Hibbard and Mitchell Ryan along with business partner Josh Miranda. Ryan and Hibbard are the executive chef and the beverage director at Via Vecchia.

The restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner serving a menu centered around pizza by the pie and slice and focaccia sandwiches made with bread baked daily in-house. The beverage program will include a selection of house-bottled cocktails. There will be prepared foods for customers who need a grab and go option, and Ryan and Hibbard also expect to be open for late night takeout.

Overall Off Track will seat 50-60 people. The second floor dining room (which has a great view of Exchange Street) will have a flexible table set-up that can easily be reconfigured for larger groups, or potentially for private events. There will also be seating for ~10 on the first floor.

Renovations to the restaurant are underway. Hibbard and Ryan hope to open Off Track Pizza this spring.

The Abbey in Brunswick

| Posted in Under Construction, Maine

A new “small-town coffee shop meets experimental cocktail bar” called The Abbey (website, instagram) is under construction in Brunswick. The Abbey will be located at 87 Maine Street in the space formerly occupied by the Little Dog Coffee Shop.

During the day, owners Connor Scott and Lainey Catalino will be serving Bard Coffee, breakfast sandwiches and baked goods including options sourced from their near neighbors Ritual Bakehouse and Patisserie. In the evening The Abbey will transition into a cocktail bar and small plate restaurant. The sample menu on their website includes dishes like Fennel Buried in Cream and Mussels al Forno. Catalino and Scott want the cocktails to emphasize sustainable and local ingredients. Watch for the menu to include house-tuned twists on classic cocktails.

Across the board The Abbey will be trying to meet customers where they are but also provide openings for them to try new food and drink that are a fit for their tastes. Scott and Catalino plan to refresh the menu often.

The owners are excited be a part of the Brunswick restaurant scene and contribute to it’s evolution. Over the last few years Brunswick has seen the opening of Zao Ze Cafe, the transition of Frontier into Nomad, the launch of Dutchman’s and Ritual Bakehouse, Cabelleras opening within Vessel & Vine, the Bizibuns food truck arriving on the Main Street Mall and the reopening of Tao Yuan…just to name a few highlights.

Catalino and Scott began working on the business plan and concept for The Abbey early in 2023 and plan  to open their 65-seat restaurant in December. Follow them on instagram to stay up to date on their developments towards an opening day.

Jerome’s Sports Bar

| Posted in Under Construction

A new sports bar called Jerome’s (instagram) is set to takeover the space being vacated by The Snug on Congress Street. According to their liquor license application, owners Sasha Salzberg, Evan Carroll, and Ian Daly plan to launch a “neighborhood alternative sports pub” that specializes in “New England sports and board sports”.

Jerome’s will serve beer, cider, seltzer and cocktails as well and have a menu of appetizers, salads and sandwiches. Here’s a look at the draft menu supplied with the liquor license application.

Snug owner Margaret Lyons announced on Wednesday that she planned to close the bar and turn it over to “three lovely people” who had plans of their own. The new owners are making some light renovations to the space and hope to have Jerome’s open next year.

To get caught up on all the new restaurants, bars, breweries, bakeries and other hospitality businesses in development visit the Portland Food Map Under Construction List.

The Greeks of East Bayside

| Posted in Under Construction

The owners of The Greeks of Peaks (instagram) food truck have leased the former Baharat/Full Turn space in East Bayside where they plan to open a contemporary Greek taverna-style restaurant. Founder Nancy Klosteridis and business partner Emily Otero have begun renovations and hope to open the restaurant in the spring.

The as-yet-to-be-named establishment will be open for both lunch and dinner. Lunch service will hew close to the food truck menu with fast casual favorites like gyros and lamb burgers.

In the evenings the restaurant will serve a menu of elevated contemporary dishes and drinks that make use of traditional Greek cooking methods and flavors while exhibiting some flexibility to fit the food and beverage program into the context of the Portland restaurant scene. They’ll be tapping into Klosteridis’ family recipes and taste memories as a guide.

The menu will scale from mezze to family-style meals and will include items for vegetarian and vegan customers. The nightly 4-item dessert menu which will include dialed-in traditional desserts like baklava with gluten-free options.

The beverage program will include a full bar with draft beer, a wine list that focuses on producers from Greece and Eastern Europe, and a cocktail menu that features ingredients like mastic and rosemary that bring the flavors of Greece into the cocktail glass. Wines will be available by the glass, carafe or bottle.

The new floor plan opens up room around the bar, creates a lounge area, and pushes back the wall along in the dining room for 10-seat banquette. Overall the design aims to deliver on a  European-style cafe feel with a touch of the white and blue motif Greece is known for melded with wood and warmer tones.

The weather is what set Otero and Klosteridis down the path of looking at restaurant real estate. A powerful thunderstorm last August crushed the food truck on Peaks and this past June’s rainy weather made running an outdoor business especially challenging. The former Baharat spot was on the market at just the right time to make the transition to brick and mortar a possibility.

The funds raised from the community to replace the Peaks Island Greeks of Peaks food truck have been reserved and earmarked for continuing to serve the Peaks Island community. The remaining Greeks of Peaks food truck is expected to make it out to the island sometime in 2024.

Stay tuned to the Greeks of Peaks instagram account Magissa instagram account for additional news on the restaurant: final name selection (they have some really great ideas they’re choosing from), progress on the build out and key staff hires.

To get caught up on all the new restaurants, bars, breweries, bakeries and other hospitality businesses in development visit the Under Construction List.

UPDATED: The restaurant will be named Mágissa (instagram).

Argenta Brewing in Bayside

| Posted in Under Construction, Beer

Argenta Brewing (website, instagram) is under construction in Bayside. Owner Ryan Dunlap has taken over the tasting room and brewery formerly occupied by Banded Brewing on Hanover Street. He’s currently doing some light renovations to the 2,500 sq ft space and hopes to launch Argenta in the spring with a line-up of lager-style beers.

Dunlap initially got his start in Nevada as a home brewer. His initial professional brewing experience was at Atlantic Brewing in Bar Harbor and most recently was a brewer at Fore River Brewing in South Portland.

To get caught up on all the new breweries, distilleries, restaurants, bars and other hospitality businesses in development visit the Under Construction List.

Restaurant Real Estate: November 2023

| Posted in Under Construction, Real Estate

Welcome to the November 2023 edition of the Portland Food Map restaurant real estate listings sponsored by The Boulos Company—a commercial real estate brokerage that has helped Maine’s restauranteurs buy and lease restaurant spaces since 1975.

This resource gathers in one convenient place the spaces available in Portland (and a few in the surrounding area) that could be potential sites for restaurants and food producers and retailers to locate their next business. Finding the right spot is one of the crucial early challenges in launching a new business and hopefully this resource will make that step just a little bit easier.

West End/Parkside

867 Congress St – the 3,200 sq ft former church that had been slated to be the new home of Vena’s is for sale for $775,000.

Arts District

554 Congress St – 1,621 sq ft former Dunkin’ Donuts space with hood for $2,301/month (NNN).

594 Congress St – with the upcoming close of the Congress Street Starbucks, their 2,592 sq ft space in the Upper Hay Building will become available for $35/sq ft (MG).

600 Congress St – for lease signs are in the window of the ground floor space at the corner of High and Congress. The Schwartz Building has been under renovation for a decade. For more info call (207) 773-7100.

29 Forest Ave – As part of the renovations at Portland Stage a new 2,700 sq ft restaurant space with a kitchen is being built out. Portland Stage is seeking a restaurant tenant to lease the space for $19.50/sq ft.

44 Oak St – 4,347 sq ft of space in a beautiful historic building at the corner of Oak and Free Streets is available for $15.50/sq ft (NNN).

Bayside

73 Cove St – a 5,519 sq ft industrial space in East Bayside is listed for $35/sq ft; it’s expected to become available in 2024.

46 Elm St – this 385 sq ft corner space in the parking garage at the corner of Elm Street and Cumberland Ave. It’s available for $500/month (MG).

52 Hanover St – On the first floor of a new building will be 1,500 – 4,500 sq ft retail space available for $30/sq ft (NNN). One spot in the building has earmarked for a coffee shop.

178 Kennebec St – 2,644 sq ft of space are available in a newly constructed Bayside building for $25/sq ft (NNN).

34 Portland St – the 3,400 sq ft building that was formerly occupied by Candy’s is for sale for $525,000. It’s also available to lease for $13.50/sq ft (NNN).

Munjoy Hill

89 Congress St – the former Blue Spoon space is for lease; 1200 sq ft available for $25/sq ft (MG). Contact davit70@gmail.com for more information.

Old Port

1 Canal Plaza – 4,284 – 14,412 sq ft of ground floor retail space will be available as part of upcoming renovations; $30/sq ft (NNN).

1 Commercial St – the original location of Benkay at the corner of Commercial and India Streets is undergoing renovations. The 900-2,950 sq ft is for lease at $35/sq ft (NNN).

100 Commercial St – 1,535 sq ft of retail space at the corner of Commercial and Portland Pier is for lease for $28.75/sq ft (MG)

185 Commercial St – a new building under construction will include 2,334 sq ft of ground floor retail space that will be available in 2024; $55/sq ft (NNN).

215 Commercial St – 2,487 sq ft of retail space near the corner of Commercial and Dana Streets is available for $65/sq ft (MG).

327 Commercial St – the former Tiqa restaurant is for lease—7,981 sq ft @ $30/sq ft (NNN)—or for sale for $3,500,000.

383 Commercial St – 1,193 – 4,805 square feet of space in a newly constructed building on Commercial Street is available for $28/sq ft (NNN).

441 Congress St – the 2,400 sq ft former Guitar Grave retail space is available for $15/sq ft (MG).

201 Federal St – 2 retail spaces will be available in the new 18-story building under construction at the corner of Temple and Federal Streets. The 527 and 2,300 sq ft spaces are listed at $40/sq ft (MG).

420 Fore St – the space formerly occupied by the Old Port Slice Bar is for lease; 2,600 sq ft @ $55/sq ft (MG).

446 Fore St – a 1,600 sq ft space on the corner of Fore and Union Streets is available for $30-40/sq ft (MG).

40 Free St – a 1,511 sq ft space in the new building constructed by JB Brown is available for $27.50/sq ft (NNN).

46 Market St – the 2,100 sq ft space formerly occupied by Petite Jacqueline is for lease for $45/sq ft (NNN).

55 Market St – this 3,700 sq ft space on Market Street was formerly occupied by the Big Easy. It’s available for $18/sq ft (NNN).

121 Middle St – a 2,482 sq ft retail spot is available for $45/sq ft (MG).

157 Middle St – 1,091 – 5,155 sq ft of retail space is available for $27 – 29.95/sq ft (MG).

1 Monument Square – 1,500 sq ft of first floor space adjacent to Cera is available for $3,125/month (MG).

25 Pearl St – 1,689 sq ft former Subway space available for $30/sq ft (MG).

66 Pearl St – 5,796 sq ft of space—the former Bull Moose retail shop—is available for $15.75/sq ft (MG).

3 Spring St – the space currently occupied by the Stars & Stripes tasting room is for lease; 2,554 sq ft for $17.50/sq ft (NNN).

3 Spring St – the space currently occupied by Stage Cannabis is for lease; 2,000 sq ft for $15.50/sq ft (NNN).

144 State St – 2 retail spaces will be available in the development in the former Mercy Hospital building on State Street. The 1,100 and 2,566 sq ft spaces are available for $26/sq ft (MG).

15 Temple St – the 2,086 sq ft space formerly occupied by Bubble Maineia is available for $26/sq ft (MG).

23 Temple St – a 947 sq ft retail space in the Temple Street garage is available for $26/sq ft (MG).

110 Thames St – a 2,700 sq ft space and a 3,200 sq ft space are available in the newly constructed building in the Portland Foreside development, $35/sq ft (NNN).

53 Wharf St –a 1,600 sq ft space on the corner of Wharf and Union Streets is available for $30-40/sq ft (MG).

India Street Area

144 Fore St – the former VA building is near the Portland Foreside development and adjacent to several new office buildings off Thames Street. It has 1,560 – 10,620 sq ft of space available for $24-29/sq ft (NNN).

Outer Forest Ave

301 Forest Ave – the former Higher Concept space is for lease, 4,000 sq ft at $15/sq ft (NNN).

503 – 509 Forest Ave – the exterior of this building is slated to be restored to its historic design. It has 4,500 – 9,500 sq ft of space available for $10/sq ft (NNN).

701 Forest Ave – 3,147 – 6,405 sq ft with parking available for $16/sq ft (NNN).

Deering

476 Stevens Ave – the Elsmere BBQ building in Deering Center is for sale for $1,450,000; the sale includes all FF&E inventory.

550 Washington Ave – 2,000 – 2,400 sq ft of the former Botto’s bakery is available to lease for $18/sq ft (NNN).

Elsewhere in Portland

Northgate Shopping Center – 2,000 to 3,500 sq ft of space is available.

Westgate Shopping Center – three spaces are for lease at $18-40/sq ft (NNN).

Other Spaces – some vacated restaurant spaces haven’t yet been formerly listed for by the owner. Check the closing announcements for the latest information.

Outside of Portland

Bath – the former  home of Salt Pine Social is available. The 3,535 sq ft building is available for $16/sq ft (NNN).

Glossary

MG – Modified Gross which indicates that the operating expenses (taxes, insurance, maintenance, etc.) for the property are included in the lease rate. The tenant would pay its own utilities, which sometimes includes heat.

NNN – Triple Net which indicates that operating expenses are not included in the lease rate, and the tenant will pay them separately. They are often referred to as CAM (Common Area Maintenance) charges and taxes, which are expressed as $/sf. The tenant is also responsible for utilities.

Gross – Gross indicates all expenses including utilities are included in the lease rate. The tenant would be responsible for phone and internet access, as well as interior janitorial.

Mesa Grande Taqueria

| Posted in Under Construction

A “California-Mexican inspired fast casual” restaurant called Mesa Grande Taqueria (website, instagram) is under construction at 140 Fore Street near the Roux Institute. This will be the second location of a business that opened in Auburn, New York in 2010. The Portland location is being launched by Yarmouth resident Collin Henderson.

The Mesa Grande menu will include tacos, burritos, quesadillas, bowls, and salads as well as a children’s menu. They will have a full liquor license.

Renovations are just getting underway but when completed the restaurant will seat (see floor plan below) approximately 40 people with seasonal outdoor seating as well. Henderson hopes to open Mesa Grande in the spring. He chose the location on Fore Street because of its proximity to the businesses located in the area and to the Munjoy Hill neighborhood.

Cafe Louis Expands to Camden

| Posted in Under Construction, Maine

South Portland-based Cafe Louis (website, facebook, instagram) has purchased the former Wolf Peach building in Camden where owner Evan Richardson plan to open a second location.

The new restaurant will be nicknamed Costa Media and will be offering a very similar menu to what Richardson and team serve in South Portland. He hopes to have Costa Media (instagram) open by the end of December.

Richardson shared he’s always enjoyed his time visiting the Midcoast and so has been watching for opportunities to open a restaurant there for sometime. He sees parallels between the communities in South Portland and Camden, and hopes diners there will also find the Cafe Louis menu and hospitality a good fit for what they have an appetite for.

Several of the the kitchen and front of house staff from Wolf Peach will be joining the Costa Media staff including the bar manager Austin Boyle. The South Portland Cafe Louis sous chef Orchard White is from Camden will also be lending a hand. As part of the growth of the team, Khristian Martinez will be taking over as chef de cuisine at the South Portland location.

Richardson launched a food truck (in 2017) and then restaurant (in 2018) on Exchange Street called Eaux. Eaux is currently on sabbatical while Richardson locates a new location for it. The South Portland Cafe Louis opened on July 1, 2021.

Rebel Crowdfunding

| Posted in Under Construction

Rebel Munchies and Libations (instagram) owner Peter Murphy has launched a $45k crowdfunding campaign to support the launch of his new restaurant on Congress Street. Eighteen people have already contributed $2,600 towards the campaign.

We’re growing up, opening a new restaurant, and it turns out that growth is really really hard. Like a teenager desperate to get their braces off we come to you, the community, desperate and riddled with acne. Bills and rent have eaten away at our cash while we dwindled away all summer hoping, waiting, and wishing for a building permit. Now that we finally have the permit, we realize that more bills and costs are heading our way like B.O. after gym class.

Murphy leased the former Dos Naciones space in March. He has been operating his mobile food business Rebel Cheesesteaks for the last four years.