Category: Under Construction

Rwanda Bean (website, facebook, instagram, twitter) has leased 2,400 sq ft of the former Cellardoor Winery space on Thompson’s Point where they will operate their coffee roasting, packing, shipping and wholesale business as well as an espresso bar and coffee shop. Rwanda plans to offer coffee education and experiences such as tastings and cuppings, and private events at Thompson’s Point.

Rwanda Bean was founded in 2013 by CEO Mike Mwenedata. A core part of its mission is to give back to the community that coffee is sourced from,

Rwanda Bean is committed to the farmers of Rwanda who grow the beans that they roast and sell to customers all over the world. Through its 50% for Farmers program, Rwanda Bean gives a full 50% of its profits back to the farmers, and additionally they have helped to provide healthcare to 800 of the farmers in Rwanda and their families, and provided funds, technical expertise, and project management to assist in the construction of a children’s education center in Rwanda.

Thompson’s Point is a mixed use development that is home to Bissell Brothers, Stroudwater Distillery, the Brick South event space as well as other businesses. The Children’s Museum is in the process of building their new location on the point which is expected to open this spring.

Building owner Tom Landry is considering establishing a ghost kitchen in the former Auora Provisions building.

Landry envisions a collaborative tenancy in the building, where restaurants that can no longer afford their brick and mortar will have a base to offer takeout and delivery, sharing the space, and keeping their business and brand alive.

Man & Oak (website, instagram), a Maine-based whiskey event and education company, has announced plans to open a private bottle club in Portland.

Man & Oak will feature 500 private bottle lockers of various sizes. Members will be able to store their special bottles of whiskey, other spirits and wine which they’ll be able to access and consume onsite. Man & Oak will also include a space for trainings, tastings, education programs and other related events. The new business will not be a bar or a bottle shop, but will sell glassware, etc that an enthusiast might want to enjoy their love of alcoholic beverages.

Man & Oak Bottle Club will operate as a private, members only, bottle club, here in Portland Maine.  Members will be offered bottle lockers of various sizes, with various rental plans, to store their favorite bottles.  They can access there lockers and drink, share, and socialize…Man & Oak Bottle Club will also service as a World Class Whiskey Education Center, offering signature whiskey programs; such as Bourbon Certification Courses, Whiskey Blending Workshops, Master Classes, Tastings, & Brand Education…Man & Oak will be a unique membership experience  to share amongst other enthusiast.   Members can bring a guest, access their own lockers, pour their own dram, mix their own cocktails, all while feeling at home, in an upscale lounge and private atmosphere.

Lockers will come in three sizes:

• Small Lockers/ $45 per month. These lockers will hold 2 bottles
• Large Lockers/ $65 per month. These lockers will hold 2-4 bottles
• Master Lockers/$200 per month. These lockers will hold 10-12 bottles

Man an Oak is in the process of locating a space for his new business, and if all goes as hoped, plans to open the bottle club in time for summer.

they have launched a Kickstarter campaign with a goal of raising $75k towards acquiring and building out the space for the bottle club.

The Lady in the Moon (website, facebook, instagram) is under construction in Monument Square in the space formerly occupied by Others Cafe.

Lady in the Moon is a hybrid retail shop and cafe where you can peruse their unique home decorative items, crystals and CBD products, and then follow-up your retail therapy with a cup of tea, or a glass of wine or beer and food. The Lady in the Moon will also offer tarot readings, tasseography (tea readings) and in-depth horoscope services.

A mystic boutique, wine & tea room in downtown Portland, Maine. A spellbinding menagerie of beautiful objects including crystals, natural curiosities, unique and sophisticated gifts and home decor. We offer Astrology & Tarot readings by appointment.

Owner Jess Howell plans to open retail shop in early December. The indoor cafe will be launched later in 2021. Howell also anticipates having outdoor seating starting in the spring.

Leigh Kellis, the fonder of The Holy Donut, has leased the former Old Port Sandwich Shop space on Market Street. Starting next week she’ll be using the store for a 6-month pop-up shop for her new venture Sweet Sea Cookies (website, facebook, instagram).

The goal of Sweet Sea Cookies is to raise money for Less Plastic Portland which encourages businesses to reduce plastic use.

Cookies come in 3 flavors: oatmeal raisin, sea salt chocolate, and sunflower crunch. The cookies are produced by Baristas + Bites for Sweet Sea.

Dear Dairy (instagram) has leased 1,400 sq ft of space at 160 Presumscot Street where they plan to locate their new ice cream production space and studio.

Co-owners Alec Haviland and Glenn Dalrymple shared that “Dear Dairy started as an art project and we wanted it to keep feeling like one…So we’ve been balancing finding a space that didn’t cost so much that we would have to grow into something we didn’t want to be but that also allowed us the space we needed to spread our creative wings and fly.”

To that end, Dear Dairy is co-leasing the space with clothing designer Celia Haviland and artist Shawn Brewer. The hope is that the creative energy of these various disciplines under one roof will be inspiring for all, and will “permeate into the ice creams and cakes and the fabrics and clothing and prints that all make their way out the same doors.”

Vena’s Fizz House has announced plans to move to a new location. They’ll be wrapping up business at the corner of Silver and Fore Street in January. Owners Steve and Johanna Corman are in the process of locating a new larger location to expand both their retail shop and bar.

We will be closing our brick and mortar venue in January. After seven years in our quaint little corner in the heart of the Old Port we are bitter, sweetly letting go to move Vena’s on to a larger space to enable the next phase of our business to scale & grow in Portland.

We are excited to share our plans and will do so in the next couple of months – so stay tuned! In the meantime, please find all your beverage needs at our brimmed to the rim online shop. If you need a recipe, want to talk bitters or host a virtual mixology class, just give us a shout.

The current Vena’s space at 345 Fore Street is now for lease for $3,750/month.

A new food truck called Sok Sabai (instagram) is under development and is expected to launch this coming spring. Sok Sabai will serve a menu of Cambodian, Laotian and Vietnamese food that will include beef and chicken skewers, egg rolls, noodle bowls and wings.

Owner Tina Nop is the first recipient of a Entrepreneurial Empowerment Scholarship from Fork Food Lab. As reported in the Portland Phoenix,

The scholarship will cover the cost of a six-month membership at Fork, as well as licensing costs, access to free legal, tax, and business planning, and additional marketing and brand support from local digital marketing agency iBec Creative.

The scholarship was made possible through a combination of private donations and a $2,500 sponsorship from Atlantic Federal Credit Union.

Of Cambodian heritage, Nop is also incorporating Laotian and Vietnamese food in the food truck menu “to honor the cultures of all the people who have helped her family.” The name of the food truck means “peace and happiness” in the Khmer language.

For more information about Nop, her family and about the Sok Sabai food truck read this in depth article in the Portland Phoenix.

Be sure to follow Sok Sabai on instagram to keep up to date on the development and launch of the food truck.

Update: Also check out this article from the American Journal.