Category: Under Construction

A number of new businesses are planning to open in late September and early October.

Between finalizing renovations and passing final inspections it’s always an imprecise game to say exactly when a new food venture will launch. That said:

• Bolster Snow, the restaurant in the West End inn The Francis, is now taking reservations.
• Bite Into Maine is close to opening their new brick and mortar lobster shack.
• Scratch Toast Bar is hiring some final staff and then will be opening.
• Maine Juice Co. expects to open in early October
• Higher Ground has announced a grand opening for October 14th.
• Little Woodfords plans to open in mid-October.
• Looking further out both Elda and Belleville are hoping to launch in October.

If all going according to plans, the openings will put quite a dent in the Under Construction list. However, there’s no need to worry that the market is running out of steam, as there are a number of new projects in the works…stay tuned for details.

Night Moves Bread +Pie (website, facebook, instagram) has launched a $35,000 Go Fund Me campaign.

Owner Kerry Hanney currently produces her breads and pies overnight in the kitchen at Maples. She plans to use the funds to set-up her own bakery and to buy a grain mill, bread oven and other equipment needed to ramp up production. With her own bakery Hanney will begin selling direct to the public and will use the space to teach workshops in collaboration with the Maine Grain Alliance.

Night Moves is a bakery in Portland, Maine, founded on naturally leavened bread and the abundant possibilities of stone-ground sustainable regional grain. Each product captures Maine’s unique terroir and the many hands in our community of craft. Demand has grown exponentially over the last year, and now it is time for more efficient equipment in a bakery you can visit for your daily bread. More efficient equipment means More Bread!

Night Moves bread is sold at A&C Grocery and The Farm Stand, and is used by Drifter’s Wife, Duckfat, Little Giant, Portland Hunt + Alpine, among others.

Visit the Night Moves Go Fund Me page to make a contribution to her campaign.

Ben Graffius and Tom Marlow from White Cap Cold Brew Coffee Company (website, facebook, instagram) have leased 135 Washington Ave, the former Sahara Club, where they plan to open the White Cap Coffee Brewery and Tasting Room.

The concept of the coffee brewery on Washington Ave takes its inspiration from brewery tasting room rather than the traditional coffee shop. Graffius and Marlow along with coffee roasting partner John Walsh from Arabica plan to serve a range of White Cap cold brew coffees, french press coffee, local beers and a menu of smaller bites created by chef Stephanie Shershow that will compliment the beverage program. Espresso-based drinks, part of the standard program at other coffee shops won’t be on the menu.

The business got their start last year and were one of the original start-ups at Fork Food Lab. They produce cold brew coffee in volume and supply it to kegs and growlers to their customers. As their business grows, White Cap is working to develop methods to produce larger batches of cold brew. They’ve applied for an MTI grant to support their R&D work.

The hope to have the new White Cap Coffee Brewery open early next year.

Update: White Cap has decided not to move into 135 Washington Ave, and is looking at other locations.

Mainebiz reports that Rosemont is expanding to Cape Elizabeth where they plan to open in a store at 537 Shore Rd.

Rosemont Market will open a sixth store and the Portland-based grocer plans to double its local food processing and sales and consolidate most processing and production operations under one much-larger roof.

Rosemont General Manager Dan Roche said the new store will open in November at [537] Shore Road in Cape Elizabeth. Rosemont bought the three-story building for $400,000 last spring.

Update: The Press Herald has also published an article about the new Rosemont.

Mainely Wraps has leased the former Moveable Feast/Vieux Port Creole space at 431 Congress Street. This will be a return to Portland for Mainely Wraps which operated a shop on Fore Street from 2013 until November 2016.

Elsmere BBQ is reported to be in the processing of purchasing Siano’s in Deering Center where they will open a Portland location. From Nextdoor via  the Love Deering Center page on Facebook:

Elsmere is closing on the former Siano’s bldg in early October with construction and renovating to be done and a projected opening time frame in January. Went to their location in SoPo for dinner last night and got the inside scoop. Am now very excited for this addition to our neighborhood!

Pastry chef Brant Dadaleares has launched a Kickstarter campaign to help fund the launch of his dessert-only restaurant Gross Confection Bar (instagram) The $35,000 raised by the campaign will be used to pay for the build-out of the restaurant and for refrigeration equipment.

Gross Confection Bar will be a dessert-focused restaurant and bar to be located in the heart of the Old Port district in Portland, Maine. Gross will provide a unique and consistent restaurant experience featuring an ever changing selection of high-quality artfully-plated desserts, cocktails, dessert wines, digestifs, and exceptional service. Gross will also provide a consistent selection of enrobed ganaches, fruit pates, bon-bon, entremets, late night savory snacks and desserts to go. Gross will create a new niche for a “just for dessert” destination experience in Portland.

I’ve been seeking out and happily consuming Dadaleares’ desserts for many years at Fore Street, Eventide/Honey/Paw, Central Provisions/Tipo and at his dessert pop-ups. Portland Food Map is a contributor to the Gross Confection Bar Kickstarter campaign.

Bob’s Clam Hut (website) in Kittery is opening a second location at 109 Cumberland Ave in Portland.

According to their press release:

Bob’s Clam Hut is actively involved in securing space for a second restaurant location at 109 Cumberland Avenue in Portland, ME. The Portland property will be an extension of the award-winning Kittery-based seafood restaurant that opened its iconic roadside stand over 60 years ago. Sticking to its roots, Bob’s Portland location will continue its emphasis on classic New England seafood, but with a few tweaks to offerings that better align with the Portland dining community and leverage distinct features of the new space.

Bob’s has been in business since 1956.

109 Cumberland was formerly the home of 3 Buoys Seafood Shanty & Grille, which closed earlier this year.

Restaurateur Jason Loring has announced that he and business partner Michael Fraser are “taking over  Gepetto’s and the side bar at Sugarloaf and will be opening 2 new restaurants.”

Alex Wight, manager of the much loved Flanagan’s Table series in Buxton, has purchased the General Store on Great Diamond Island where she plans to open a restaurant called Crown Jewel.

Crown Jewel will be open seasonally starting Memorial Day 2018 through Columbus Day. Rocky Hunter has joined the team as the chef for the restaurant. Hunter was formerly the Vegetarian Chef de Cusine at David’s Opus Ten.

Wight plans to share more detailed information later this month but has hinted that there will “undoubtedly be elements of Flanagan’s Table incorporated into Crown Jewel” so we can hope the guest chef series will be starting back up on the island.