Category: Under Construction

A new bubble tea cafe and ice cream shop called Lecha (instagram) has leased space at 502 Stevens Ave near Pat’s Meat Market, Norimoto Baking, Rwanda Bean and The Honey Exchange.

Owner Som Mantasut plans to serve a variety of bubble teas, and both soft and hard serve ice creams, and will also have a retail space selling locally made products. Mantasut aims to create a “vibrant daily spot where Asian bubble tea traditions meet American decadent custard.”

Renovations are underway and Mantasut hopes to open Lecha on the first weekend of June. The shop will feature a mural from Pam Chevez, and Leacha will be working with local artists for exhibitions and cultural events in the adjacent Pocket Park.

The name Lecha is a play on words that combine Leche (milk in Spanish) and Cha (tea in Thai) into a single word.

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

A new neighborhood bar called Night Mares (instagram) is under development on Romasco Lane. Night Mares will co-occupy the same space as the Prairie Baking Company’s cafe now under construction by Night Mares co-owner Elizabeth Rzoska.

We intend to operate a small, neighborhood-oriented bar that respects and reflects Portland. We’re all Portland residents who’ve worked here in various capacities and live just a short walk from our business’ proposed location. We’re excited to contribute to the dynamic, delightful food and beverage scene in this City, hopefully carving out our own niche.

Owners Louis Masi, Elizabeth Rzoska, Devan Marr, and Christian Roadman hope to open the new establishment by July. The draft menu included with Night Mares’ liquor license application include cocktails like Fog Cutter and The Last word, beer, wine, cider as well as food options like soup with focaccia, salad, cheese boards, gougeres, a vegan board and a beet bruschetta.

Rzoska is the owner of Prairie Baking Company. Masi will be curating the cocktail menu, both Masi and Devan Marr currently work at Jing Yan. Roadman has previously worked in the restaurant industry in Chicago and is now a urban planner.

The name of the bar is meant to “acknowledge the serious, refined aspects of a bar slightly mysterious and intriguing with a lighthearted, welcoming touch.” The team hopes to “earn a beloved reputation over time minimizing noise and hype while maximizing warmhearted quality.”

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

Tobey Moulton, Simone Burdet and chef Rocco Marzilli are taking over Louie’s Grille in Cumberland where they plan to open a new restaurant. The team aims to provide Cumberland with a “casual, family-friendly spot on Main Street to gather, grab a drink, watch the game, and dine-in or take out great food.” The menu will focus on pizza and pub fare.

Tobey Moulton moved to Maine in 2003 and has worked at Maine inns and hotels before helping found Nosh, Taco Escobarr and Slab. He and life partner Simone Burdet met when they worked together at The Portland Regency—she also has extensive experience working in the restaurant/hospitality industry. Moulton and Marzilli met when working together at Nosh before Marzilli went on to be the chef at The Monhegan House and then helped establish Owl & Elm.

Louie’s Grille closed on April 14th when the longtime owner, Jim Guidi, decided to retire from the business. The new owners hope to open their not-yet-named restaurant this summer.

Update: The restaurant has been named Rise Pizza and Pub. You can follow along with them on instagram at instagram.com/rise_pizza_and_pub/.

A new ice cream shop called Coastal Creamery (instagram) is under construction at 136 Commercial Street in the former Captain Sam’s Ice Cream space.

Owners Kevin and Hayley Ward will source most of their ice cream from a Maine creamery but will also be making some “nut-free allergen safe homemade flavors” of their own and hope to engage in collaborations with other ice cream shops as well. They plan to feature special house-made ice cream cookies and cookie cakes on the menu.

The Wards aim to fully open Coastal Creamery sometime in May.

A new restaurant called The Henry (instagram) is under construction in the former Bull Feeney’s building at 375 Fore Street and is expected to open by early July.

The Henry is billed as a “traditional American public house and tavern” and is named for Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Randa Grace Vashon will be the general manager, and she is currently the director of operations at The Miranda Group.

The upstairs rooms will be designed around three themes: a tea room with tea service-inspired drinks, a gaming parlor and a library lounge. Overall the restaurant will seat 200+ people. Additional details around staff and menu are TBD.

The Henry is being launched by Josh Miranda and his company The Miranda Group which founded and operates Blyth & Burrows (2017), Via Vecchia (2020) and Papi (2023).

Update: The name of the restaurant has changed to Henry’s Public House.

A new pizzeria called Peng’s Pizza Pies (website, instagram) is under construction in Biddeford. Peng’s will be located at 128 Main Street in the storefront adjacent to Sweetcream Dairy. Primarily a takeout business, Peng’s will also have approximately 18 seats for indoor dining.

Owner Chris Daniels is building out Peng’s around his vision of a neighborhood pizzeria. He’ll be serving crispy thin-crust pies made with naturally leavened dough which stylistically he describes as New York meets New Haven. The daily menu will include six signature pizzas with the occasional special along with salad and a dessert. Peng’s will serve beer and wine license.

Daniels has been a professional baker since 2008—in the Maine he’s worked at Tandem Bakery, making pizza at Belleville and at Rover Bagel in Biddeford. The restaurant is named for Daniels’ father Bill who passed away in 2020 who’s nickname was Peng.

Construction has already begun and Daniels hope to open Peng’s sometime this summer.

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

Chocolats Passion (website, facebook, instagram) has leased a larger space for their West End chocolate shop. The new Chocolats Passion will be located at 144 State Street in the former Mercy Hospital building. The building is being completely renovated and has three retail spaces on the first floor, 171 apartments in the upper floors and a patio at the corner of Spring and Winter Streets (above).

Owner Catherine Wiersema, lead chocolatier Sarah Levine and their team are looking to have the 1100 sq ft space ready for a late October move. The 2x increase in space for Chocolats Passion will enable them to grow their team and significantly increase production of their excellent award-winning chocolates.

Hours for the shop will likely remain the same, Wednesday through Sunday, 1 – 6 pm. Catherine Wiersema opened Chocolats Passion at 189 Brackett Street in 2018.

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

New Hampshire-based brewery Modestman Brewing is opening a Maine location in South Portland. Modestman (instagram) has leased the Fore River Brewing tasting room on Huntress Ave. They’ll be making some renovations and hope to be open in early summer.

Owner Ash Sheehan lives on Peaks and is originally from Wells. He’s excited to open an outpost of his brewery in his home state. Sheehan plans to do some brewing onsite. The tasting room will serve food and, in addition to Modestman beer, will also offer wine and spirits.

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