A new eatery is under construction at 15 Monument Square at the former location of Henry VIII. The sign in the window promises “soup, salad and sandwiches” are “coming soon”. According to a job posting on Craigslist they plan on opening in May.
Category: Under Construction
Under Construction: Foley’s Bakery
The Business section in today’s Press Herald also includes an interview with Ed & Molly Foley who are bringing Foley’s Bakery back to life in Monument Square.
Ed and Molly Foley of Gorham started and ran the original Foley’s Bakery at 341 Congress St. from 1997 to 2002. They are returning to the baking business after taking a nine-year break to focus on raising their two sons.
Under Construction in SoPo: Bathras Market, Mr. Delicious, Taco Trio
Three new businesses are under construction in South Portland:
Bathras Market– the Bathras Market was a mainstay in Willard Square for 35 years (1954 – 1989). Now the former owner’s grandson and his wife are working on bringing the market back to life. They will be selling “local and natural foods, cheeses, meats, wine, beer, and specialty food” as well as “seafood, including lobsters, as well as sandwiches and distinctive prepared foods.” They’re targeting early May for the grand opening.
Mr. Delicious– Glenn Perry and Ian Hayward are teaming up to open a “a small but complete grocery store, with selective produce, meat and fish, wines and lots of prepared foods” in Willard Square. The plan on having “lots of grilled and braised meats, and, above all, genuinely memorable sandwiches.” Mr. D will be located in a building at 7 Pillsbury Street. They’re target open date is mid-July.
Taco Trio – a late night taco shop is planning to open in South Portland on Ocean Street. According to The Forecaster, the owners are Manuel Peña and Karen Massmussen.
“This will be like the traditional food you get on the streets of Mexico,” he said. “Soft corn tacos and traditional spices.” For now it will be a lunch take-out with brunch once a week, but they hope to offer dinner service in the future.
Under Construction: Foley’s Bakery & Apsara
Foley’s Bakery is returning to 1 Monument Square to take over the space that was most recently occupied by Mousse. I’ve also heard that a second bakery may be opening in Monument Square this Summer but don’t have any firm details on that yet.
A Cambodian restaurant called Apsara is under construction at 349 Cumberland Ave. For a long time this was slated to be the home of Mitpheap World Cafe.
See the Under Construction List for information on other up and coming businesses in Portland.
Under Construction: Exchange Street Cafe
Mainebiz has published a report on the Exchange Street Cafe, an Italian restaurant which is under construction at 7 Exchange Street.
Richard Petrucci says he and his co-owners are investing a little more than $60,000 to refurbish the Exchange Street location, which is sandwiched between City Beverage and retail shop Toko Indo. They plan to open the restaurant sometime in April for lunch, dinner and late-night meals.
Under Construction: Taco Esco Bar
The owners of Nosh are working on opening a new taco shop called Taco Esco Bar this June. It’s slated for a retail space across Congress Street from Nosh.
Under Construction: Dobra Tea
The folks over at Dobra Tea received a shipping container’s worth of supplies over the weekend and are working towards opening the shop later this week. They’ve have published a number of photos of the unpacking and set-up of the tea room on Flickr.
For more info on the business visit their website, www.dobrateame.com.
Under Construction: River House
Construction of the River House on York Street is well under way. The restaurant is being built at the former site of Popeye’s Ice House. The most detailed information available comes from a Mainebiz article published back in December,
At the same time, [Tod] Dana and [Alex] Fisher are teaming up with Cheryl Lewis and Noreen Kotts, El Rayo’s culinary team and the former owners of Aurora Provisions, for another venture. The four are converting what used to be Popeye’s Ice House into a new restaurant Dana describes as a “neighborhood bistro.” It’ll have 60 seats, and gets its name for its view of the Fore River. They hope to be open by late next summer.
Under Construction: Barbecue & Plush West End
A pair of updates for the Under Construction List:
- The new restaurant under construction at the Corner of High & Spring Streets in Katahdin’s old location is slated to be called Plush West End. The start of a website for the business can be found at www.plushwestend.com.
- Planning for a new barbecue vendor on the 2nd floor of the Public Market House is now under way.
Miyake’s Move to Fore Street
Mainebiz has published a report on Miyake’s planned move to Fore Street.
The restaurant, owned by chef Masa Miyake and his business partner William Garfield, will leave 129 Spring St. and open at 468 Fore St. in May. The new dining room will be able to seat between 42 diners, up from 31 now, and fit 14 people at its sushi bar, according to General Manager Karl Deuben.