New food and dining developments are taking place all across Maine. Here are some recent updates to keep you in the know:
- The Rooting Pig in Bristol has announced that they’ll be closed for the 2025 season for renovations. While their market and kitchen will be closed this summer, they’ll still be selling at the Boothbay and Damariscotta farmers markets. “Our decision to close this Summer to allow for renovations is bittersweet: we are excited about our plans for a new and expanded home for The Rooting Pig and Market, but we love having people visit the farm and taste our unique approach to Real Food, so will miss you all! But have no fear…we will be back and better than ever next Summer.”
- Fogtown Brewing has announced they won’t be reopening their location in Bar Harbor. “After nearly five years, we’ve made the tough decision not to reopen our Bar Harbor Kitchen & Taproom on Cottage Street. Opening just before the pandemic, this space came with challenges but also so many great moments—open mics, trivia nights, farm-to-table dinners, live music, art shows, and more.”
- A new coffee shop called Grounded (instagram) has recently opened in Wiscasset. The Lincoln County News reports that owner Kalei Haggett is serving coffee from Coffee on the Porch and is open daily 7 am – 3 pm.
- Blue Ox Malthouse in Lisbon Falls won Best in Show at the Maltsters Guild 2025 Malt Cup. They competed against 34 malthouses from seven countries that overall submitted 112 malt samples to the competition. They were also the top contenders in the Caramel Malt and Light Munich Malt categories.
- The Laughing Loon (instagram) is under development in Norway at 15 Harrison Road, Norway, Maine 04268. They’re located in the space formerly occupied by Waterhouse Talk of the Town and hope to open this summer.
For a statewide guide to eating and drinking see the Maine Food Map—a growing list of coffee shops, bars, restaurants, bakeries, cafes, plus other food and dining businesses in all of Maine’s 16 counties.