Category: Under Construction

Rose Foods (website, facebook, instagram) will be the name of Chad Conley’s new bagel shop and cafe in Portland, slated to open this summer. As reported back in February, Conley has leased the former Brea Lu space at 428 Forest Ave.

A press release from Rose Foods describes the concept as a,

counter-service bagel shop, neighborhood cafe, and retail store, featuring food from New York Jewish cuisine. Smoked seafood and other specialty products will be featured for retail sale and on bagel sandwiches, alongside deli classics like sour pickles, pastrami sandwiches, matzo ball soup and a variety of salads.

The space will have a dining room for eating in-house and Conley plans to expand to selling bagels wholesale and to offer catering services starting in the winter. His inspiration for Rose Foods dates back a few years to a bagel shop he visited in Toronto. The business is named after his wife Rachel’s great-grandmother.

Conley is the co-owner of Palace Diner.

Little Bee Ice Cream will be launching a food cart this summer.

Urban Eye has posted an update on Maine Craft Distilling’s plans for their new space on Washington Ave.

He plans to curate a craft whiskey collection from around the world and showcase his small-batch booze the way its meant to be imbibed: as classic cocktails. Because you can’t concoct a sidecar without cognac, or create a killer cocktail without access to absinthe, he had to apply for a lounge license. The distillery will also serve food and feel more like Liquid Riot on Commercial Street.

 

A new food truck called Falafel Mafia (instagram) is under construction. Owners Dylan and Cameron Gardner hope to launch in May serving falafel and gyros.

The owners of the El Corazon food truck have leased 190 State Street where they plan to open Restaurante El Corazon (facebook, instagram).

After four years cooking fresh Mexican food from the back of their family operated food truck Joe and Laura Urtuzuastegui have decided to grow the business and open up a brick and mortar shop…El Corazon will offer old favorites and new staples, small and large plate options, a oversized tequila selection, in a comfortable family atmosphere.

The space had been the original location of Petite Jacqueline and was slated to be the new home of Ocho until the owners put the project on hold.

El Corazon hopes to open the restaurant in May. They join the growing ranks of mobile operations adding or transforming into a traditional brick and mortar restaurant such as Mami and Baharat.

The Press Herald has published an overview of the new crop of restaurants set to launch in Portland in this spring and summer. Specifically featured in the article:

• 66S – an Asian fusion restaurant on Fore Street
• Chaval – a French and Spanish restaurant opening in the former Caiola’s space
• Cheevitdee – a health focused Thai restaurant in the Old Port
• Cong Tu Bot – a Vietnamese noodle restaurant on Washington Ave
• Noble BBQ – a brick and mortar restaurant from moobile vendor Fire & Co.
• North 43 – the South Portland restaurant replacing Joe’s Boathouse
• Old Port Lobster Shack – a seafood restaurant on Fore Street
• Yobo – a Korean restaurant opening in the former Madd Apple Cafe space on Forest Ave

Several other new businesses including Blyth & Burrows, Bujabelle, Chad Conley’s new business on Forest Ave, Island Creek Oysters, Little Giant, Lio and Mami are also mentioned.

There are a number of other food businesses in various stages of development, see the Under Construction page for a full list.

After a couple years in development, Linda Kate Lobster & Seafood Co. (website, facebook, instagram) is set to launch their retail market and cafe at 1035 Ocean Ave in mid-May.

Chef Sam Bergeron (instagram) will be offering lobster and crab rolls and chowder to start. He has worked at The Well and The Honey Paw and is currently on staff with The Purple House and The Bread & Butter Catering Co.

Linda Kates operates a 10,000 sq ft lobster processing facility at this location. In addition to the cafe they will also launch a retail seafood market and a lobster bake/raw bar catering business.

 

A vegan hot dog cart called Sup Dawg (website, facebook, instagram) is under development. You can check-out their menu online.

We are a mobile, vegan-dawg-slingin’, local as heck food stand located in picturesque Portland, Maine. We use as many local & organic ingredients as possible, make toppings and condiments in-house, and yes, it’s always VEGAN!

Owners Katie Knowles and Sean Ahern plan to be open by June 1st and operate the cart Wednesday through Sunday. Knowles and Ahern are both employed at Flatbread. They’re both vegan and see their food cart as a way to add to the number of vegan eating options in Portland.

Urban Eye has posted an update on Blyth & Burrows, the cocktail bar that’s been under construction at 26 Exchange Street.

Molecular mixology (drinks that foam), cocktails on tap and potent libations like Navy strength, will be matched with creative small plates. The drink menu is based on old trade routes that Blyth and Burrows navigated, highlighting spirits and spices that would have been available in their day. “I am a son of Portland. I am a Mainer,” said Miranda. “I will use local spirits as much as possible.”

A new food cart called Eaux (instagram) is under development and on track to launch in late April or Early May.

Chef/owner, and New Orleans native, Evan Richardson will serve Jambalaya and a rotating menu of dishes made with “local ingredients…and New Orleans technique and flavors”.

Richardson plans to primary locate Eaux in East Bayside at Lone Pine Brewing. He will operate Eaux while continuing to serve in his current position as the chef at Portland Mash Tun.