Category: Under Construction

According to a report from the Munjoy Hill News, Otto Pizza’s liquor license application for the former North Star space on Congress Street was approved by the Portland City Council last night.

The new pizza house will have 75 seats indoors and 20 seats outside, weather permitting. The menu at the new Otto’s will duplicate the other location, 576 Congress Street. In addition to beer and wine, Otto’s will offer a salad and desert. The new Otto’s will be family-friendly said Allen.

Also on the agenda last night was a liquor license application by Megan Schroeter and Mitchel Gerow for The East End Grill. They are planning to open the new restaurant in the former Norm’s space on Middle Street. See page 35 of the agenda for a sample menu.

For additional reporting, read this article in the Portland Daily Sun.

According to a report in the Press Herald, Trader Joe’s plans to open their new Portland store on Friday, October 29.

Trader Joe’s spokeswoman Alison Mochizuki said the Portland store will be open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. She said more information will be released sometime next week about the grand opening, which will feature a lei-cutting ceremony and other festivities.

According to a report in the Press Herald, Trader Joe’s plans to open their new Portland store on Friday, October 29.

Trader Joe’s spokeswoman Alison Mochizuki said the Portland store will be open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. She said more information will be released sometime next week about the grand opening, which will feature a lei-cutting ceremony and other festivities.

Otto Pizza is in the process of starting up a second location in Harvard Square to serve their excellent pizza to a wider audience in Cambridge, Mass.

Today’s Press Herald includes a report about a donation to the Portland Food Cooperative.

The Portland Food Cooperative announced Monday that S. Donald Sussman, who leads Connecticut-based Paloma Partners, will donate a rent-free, five-year lease and $40,000 in cash to the nonprofit organization.

Under the agreement, the co-op will renovate a 4,700-square-foot warehouse at 60 Hampshire St. in Portland for use as a distribution point for its members/owners and eventually as a retail storefront.

District Grille, the restaurant that’s long been under construction at 45 Danforth Street, has applied for their liquor license. As part of the filing they’ve included a draft menu (see page 57) and indicated that they hope to open in October. One of the partners, Anthony Mastropasqua, may be familiar to some of you as the owner of Tropa Wine Company which had operated in the West End until earlier this year.

According to a report in today’s Press Herald, Trader Joe’s is now hiring for their store in Portland. (see the job posting on the Trader Joe’s website)

Work to transform the store was in full swing Thursday, with contractors installing walls and stripping the vestiges of Wild Oats off the exterior.

Spokeswoman Alison Mochizuki said the company plans to open by the end of the year.

The company declined to say how many people it hires for its stores. Mochizuki said the hiring crew in Portland has handed out about 1,000 applications, with four recruiters operating out of a small trailer and working under a pop-up tent in the parking lot.

According to a report in today’s Press Herald, Trader Joe’s is now hiring for their store in Portland. (see the job posting on the Trader Joe’s website)

Work to transform the store was in full swing Thursday, with contractors installing walls and stripping the vestiges of Wild Oats off the exterior.

Spokeswoman Alison Mochizuki said the company plans to open by the end of the year.

The company declined to say how many people it hires for its stores. Mochizuki said the hiring crew in Portland has handed out about 1,000 applications, with four recruiters operating out of a small trailer and working under a pop-up tent in the parking lot.

According to the Munjoy Hill News, Figa is planning to open their doors on October 22nd.

The news that the foodie world has been waiting for came this afternoon from Lee Farrington: Figa restaurant will be opening on October 22nd. Farrington has been entangled in a water rights dispute that has repeatedly delayed the opening of this much anticipated restaurant.

According to the restaurant’s Facebook wall, a date has finally been set (september 13-15) for installing the new water line at Figa. Access to a water supply has been the essential missing ingredient holding up the opening of the restaurant.