BenReuben’s Closing…2.0 To Come

| Posted in Under Construction, Closings

Graeme Miller announced this morning that he’ll be closing down BenReuben’s Knishery in September.

When we opened the Knishery in 2021, our goal was to nourish and build a community and to share our family recipes and inspiration with those who were willing to enjoy. We are so proud of what BenReuben’s Knishery has been able to accomplish with your help; what an epic community we’ve built together and what beautiful memories we’ve created and shared with each other and our families.

This journey has also confirmed for us that what our community (and we!) really want and need is a full Jewish delicatessen. So we will come back even stronger once again, when it’s the right time and place.

Miller shared that the business has been a great success. He’s now taking the lessons of running the knishery and redirecting his time and energy to launching a full Jewish delicatessen and market. The BenReuben’s catering business will remain in operation during this gap time.

Anyone interested in updates on the delicatessen or on opportunities to provide perspective on what the community needs are of the new enterprise should stay tuned to the BenReuben’s instagram account, or email hello@benreubensknishery.com.

Miller and his wife Caitlin leased the knishery’s current South Portland location at 145 Ocean Street in March 2021 and launched BenReuben’s in May of that year.

Two Fat Cats in the West End

| Posted in Under Construction

Two Fat Cats (website, facebook, instagram) is opening a new location in the West End at 175 Spring Street adjacent to Chocolat Passion.

Owner Stacy Begin shared that the new location will be a bakery, cafe and market which will serve soups, salads and sandwiches, and their house-made baked goods as well as sell market staples, prepared meals. The menu for the cafe is still under development but the draft menu includes items like breakfast sandwiches, overnight oats with buckwheat honey and berries, seasonal salads, soups, a Cape Cod Chicken Salad sandwich, and a Banana Fluffer Nutter sandwich.

The Lancaster Street location in West Bayside will remain the primary production bakery for Two Fat Cats as well as a retail shop and a place where customers can pre-order a custom cake or desserts for events.

Construction has already begun on the 2,477 sq ft space. Begin hopes to open the new Two Fat Cats sometime in October. Initial thoughts on hours of operation are that they’ll be open Tuesday through Saturday, 7:30 am – 4 pm, and Sundays 9 am – 2 pm.

Two Fat Cats was founded on India Street. An outpost in South Portland opened in 2018 and the Portland location moved to West Bayside in 2020. Begin announced the closure of their South Portland location last month.

To learn more about other new food and dining businesses under development visit our Under Construction page.

Upcoming Food & Dining Events

| Posted in Events

Monday – It’s the re/opening day of Tiqa on Commercial St (reservations on OpenTable).

Tuesday – It’s the opening day for Lucky Cheetah (reservations available on OpenTable) in the Old Port. It’s the opening day for the new Taj (reservations available on Resy) restaurant in South Portland. Acclaimed author Dana Cowin along with Allagash brewer Jason Perkins and Maine Grain Alliance executive director Tristan Noyes will be participating in a panel discussion at Allagash Brewing to “discuss the ways that locally sourced food / food systems can bring joy, connection and positive transformation.” The Best of 2024 Awards celebration is taking place at Portland House of Music—tickets are available online.

Friday/Saturday – The Saint Peter’s Italian Bazaar is taking place.

Saturday – Space Gallery along with Goodfire Brewing, The Jewel Box and the Ten Mothers food truck will be holding Feastland, a farm dinner, at Broadturn Farm in Scarborough.

Sunday – Dinner en Blanc—a food event and auction—is taking place in East Boothbay as a benefit for Veggies to Table.

Sunday/Monday – 2Gether is holding their next Secret Table dinner at an as-yet-undisclosed farm in the Portland area.

August 15 – Billy Hager and Hannah Buoye from Waxwing Bakery will be the featured chefs at the August taco night at Dandelion Spring Farm in Bowdoinham.

August 18 – Tender Table is holding its annual food music and art market in Congress Square Park.

August 30 – September 1 – The Maine Apple Camp is taking place.

September 8 – The Maine Cheese Festival is taking place in Pittsfield.

September 19 – Mrs. Gee Free Living and Sur Lie are collaborating on a gluten-free dinner.

September 20-22 – The Common Ground Fair will be taking place.

October 13 – The 16th Annual Open Creamery Day is taking place.

October 23 – Mrs. Gee Free Living and Sur Lie are collaborating on a gluten-free dinner.

October 24-26 – Harvest on the Harbor is taking place.

Planning a wedding, holding a business event, or hosting visitors from away? Our printed guides are a great resource to help your guests explore the Maine restaurant scene.
25-packs of the Portland and Midcoast pocket guides are now available on our online store.

Restaurant Real Estate: August 2024

| Posted in Under Construction, Real Estate

Welcome to the August 2024 edition of the Portland Food Map restaurant real estate listings sponsored by The Boulos Company—a commercial real estate brokerage that has helped Maine’s restauranteurs buy and lease restaurant spaces since 1975.

This resource gathers in one convenient place the spaces available in Portland (and a few in the surrounding area) that could be potential sites for restaurants and food producers and retailers to locate their next business. Finding the right spot is one of the crucial early challenges in launching a new business and hopefully this resource will make that step just a little bit easier.

 

Arts District

547 Congress St – the 1,582 sq ft space formerly occupied by Broken Arrow is for lease for $3,800/month (NNN).

553 Congress St – the commercial kitchen in the former Five Fifty Five space (now leased by the Core Cannabis Museum) is available to a co-tenant for $2,000/month (MG).

554 Congress St – 1,621 sq ft former Dunkin’ Donuts space for $2,301/month (NNN).

594 Congress St – the 2,592 sq ft space in the Upper H. H. Hay Building formerly occupied by Starbucks is available for $28/sq ft (MG).

602 Congress St – The ~1,500 sq ft ground floor space at the corner of High and Congress is available to lease. The Schwartz Building has been under renovation for a decade. For more info contact Joe Atwood at (207) 899-7373.

Bayside/Inner Washington

219 Anderson St – Blue Lobster’s former tasting room in the Rockingham Electric building is available; 2,700 sq ft for $16/sq ft (NNN).

73 Cove St – a 5,519 sq ft industrial space in East Bayside is listed for $35/sq ft; it’s expected to become available later this year.

52 Hanover St – On the first floor of the Armature is 1,500 – 3,000 sq ft of retail space available for $30/sq ft (NNN). One spot in the building has earmarked for a coffee shop.

178 Kennebec St – 2,644 sq ft of space are available in a newly constructed Bayside building for $25/sq ft (NNN).

55 Washington Ave – this 7,815 sq ft space is in the Nissen Bakery building right in between Cong Tu Bot and Hardshore Distillery. It’s available for $13,708/month (NNN).

Old Port

1 Canal Plaza – 4,284 – 14,412 sq ft of ground floor retail space will be available as part of upcoming renovations; $30/sq ft (NNN).

15 Chestnut St – the building that was home to Grace restaurant is for sale. It includes the property, business assets and all FF&E. The restaurant seats 175 and features a large circular bar on the first floor of the former church. The building has 14,358 sq ft of space. It’s for sale for $2,985,000.

185 Commercial St – a new building on Commercial Street has a 2,334 sq ft ground floor retail space that is available for $55/sq ft (NNN).

266 Commercial St – a 6,689 sq ft retail space is available in this new construction building for $20-22/sq ft (NNN).

383 Commercial St – 1,193 – 4,805 square feet of space in a newly constructed building on Commercial Street is available for $28/sq ft (NNN).

8 Exchange St – 1,800-3,600 sq ft of space formerly occupied by The Bar & Bites on lower Exchange Street is available for $34.99/sq ft (MG).

201 Federal St – a 2,300 sq ft space in the new 18-story Casco building is available for $40/sq ft (MG). The building owners are looking for someone who wants to open a market in that space.

420 Fore St – the space formerly occupied by the Old Port Slice Bar is for lease. The 2,600 sq ft space is available for $40/sq ft (MG).

477 Fore St – the 1,361 sq ft space formerly occupied by B + B Bakery is available for $30/sq ft (MG).

40 Free St – a 1,511 sq ft space in the new building constructed by JB Brown is available for $27.50/sq ft (NNN).

100 Middle St – a 350 sq ft cafe space on first floor of an Old Port office building is available for $850/month (MG).

111 Middle St – the 1,622 sq ft former Cabana building is for lease for $3,500/month (NNN). See this post on instagram for more information about the property and its history.

121 Middle St – a 2,482 sq ft retail spot is available for $45/sq ft (MG).

157 Middle St – 2,039 – 5,155 sq ft of retail space is available for $27.95/sq ft (MG).

184 Middle St – this newly renovated space becomes available in August. It was formerly occupied by Blanche & Mimi. It includes 1,169 sq of first floor retail and 808 sq ft of basement storage space all for $48.43/sq ft (MG).

5 Milk St – this 2,199 sq ft former hair salon is available for $28/sq ft (NNN).

1 Monument Square – 1,500 sq ft of first floor space adjacent to Cera is available for $25/sq ft (MG).

28 Monument Square – a number of spots on the first and second floors of the Public Market House are available.

25 Pearl St – 1,689 sq ft former Subway space available for $30/sq ft (MG).

66 Pearl St – 5,796 sq ft of space—the former Bull Moose retail shop—is available for $15.75/sq ft (MG).

3 Spring St – the space formerly occupied by Stage Cannabis is for lease; 2,000 sq ft for $15.50/sq ft (NNN).

144 State St – a retail space is available in the former Mercy Hospital building on State Street. The 2,477 sq ft space are available for $20/sq ft (MG). Chocolate Passions has already moved into the adjacent storefront.

53 Wharf St –a 1,600 sq ft space on the corner of Wharf and Union Streets is available for $30/sq ft (MG).

India Street Area

144 Fore St – the former VA building is near the Portland Foreside development and adjacent to several new office buildings off Thames Street. It has 1,560 – 10,620 sq ft of space available for $22-29/sq ft (NNN).

Outer Forest Ave

503 – 509 Forest Ave – the exterior of this building is slated to be restored to its historic design. It has 1,268 – 6,313 sq ft of space available for $10-15/sq ft (NNN).

Deering

164 Veranda St – the 1,000 sq ft former location of Other Side Deli is available for $2,500/month (Gross).

550 Washington Ave – 2,000 – 2,400 sq ft of the former Botto’s bakery is available to lease for $18/sq ft (NNN).

Elsewhere in Portland

Old Port Bar – an 1,160/sq ft bar/restaurant in the Old Port is for sale for $195,000.

1339 Washington Ave – the 4,150 sq ft former Parker’s Restaurant building in North Deering is for sale for $1,750,000.

Northgate Shopping Center – 1,500 to 2,000 sq ft of space is available.

Westgate Shopping Center – three spaces are for lease 1,400, 3,800 and 5,000 sq ft. The lease rates are negotiable and the property owner has a strong interest in finding a restaurant tenant for the shopping plaza.

Other Spaces – some vacated restaurant spaces haven’t yet been formerly listed for by the owner. Check the closing announcements for the latest information.

Outside of Portland

372 Cottage Rd, South Portland – the building that formerly was home to Omi’s Coffee Shop is for sale for $675,000. Contact Gail Bruzgo at 372maine@gmail.com for more information.

145 Ocean St, South Portland – the BenReuben’s building in South Portland will become available with the closure of the knishery in September. The ~1,000 sq ft space is for lease for $3,000/month (MG). Contact Josh at (207) 408-3879 for more information.

The Downs – A 2,019 sq ft restaurant space is for sale in The Downs mixed use development.

Trudy Birds, North Yarmouth – The business, land and both building are for sale for $1,450,000.

358 Main St, Yarmouth – the building that had housed a collection of gluten-free baking businesses is for sale for $475,000.

Ferry Village – The building that’s been home to the Knitting Nook is available; 500 -1,200 sq ft at $2,000 (MG).

188 Lincoln St, Lewiston – this 2,371 – 5,554 sq ft former fire station has been renovated for use as a retail/restaurant space. It’s listed at $5-14/sq ft (NNN). See this instagram article for additional information on the building and the neighborhood.

Glossary

MG – Modified Gross which indicates that the operating expenses (taxes, insurance, maintenance, etc.) for the property are included in the lease rate. The tenant would pay its own utilities, which sometimes includes heat.

NNN – Triple Net which indicates that operating expenses are not included in the lease rate, and the tenant will pay them separately. They are often referred to as CAM (Common Area Maintenance) charges and taxes, which are expressed as $/sf. The tenant is also responsible for utilities.

Gross – Gross indicates all expenses including utilities are included in the lease rate. The tenant would be responsible for phone and internet access, as well as interior janitorial.

Review of Cantina Calafia

| Posted in Reviews

The Maine Sunday Telegram has published a review of Cantina Calafia.

And despite an early-stage spate of press, Calafia seems to have gone unnoticed by many, certainly by tourists. Reader, now’s your chance. If you visit, ask for a creamy, tequila-based Limonada or a nonalcoholic option like the spicy-sweet Orange Gato Energy, then an order of crispy beef-tongue tacos served on Calafia’s homemade tortillas. Shift gears to the halibut in an outrageously herby Veracruz-style stew of summer squash, tomatoes, olives and capers. And don’t skip dessert; the hibiscus-dusted, strawberry tres leches cake is one of the best gluten-free treats in town.

Cantina Calafia opened on March 13th. It’s located in the former Bonobo Pizza space in the West End.

More Press for Maine

| Posted in Maine

National press keeps rolling in about the Maine food scene. Here are the most recent highlights:

The New Taj Opens Next Week

| Posted in Openings

Owner Sai Guntaka plans to open the new Taj (website, facebook, instagram) restaurant on Tuesday. The new location for his well-loved Indian restaurant is in the Clarks Pond Shopping Center very close to its current spot on Gorham Road in South Portland. It’s been under construction since this past winter.

The restaurant will seat ~70 people with an 11-seat bar, a larger space for the lunch buffet, and a dedicated area for takeout pick-up. A much bigger kitchen will enable the staff to not only handle the dining room but also prepare takeout food quicker than at their current location.

Chef (and Sai Guntaka’s mother) Hema Latha Guntaka will be adding a selection of street-style appetizers like panipuri and frankie to the offerings on the current Taj menu.

The cocktail menu (see draft menu below) will also be a new addition at Taj. Sai Guntaka has long had a vision for a Indian cocktail program at the restaurant and the move to the new location has created the opportunity to bring that to life. Jim Baldi has joined the team as the restaurant’s bar manager, he formerly worked at the Bar of Chocolate in the Old Port.

Woodhull handled the build out of Taj, the mural in the buffet room (bottom right) was created by Mike Rich and the neon Taj sign at the end of the bar was created by David Johansen (aka Neon Dave).

The kitchen will be open Monday through Friday, 11 am – 9 pm, and Saturday/Sunday 11 am – 9:30 pm. The bar will stay open until 11 pm on Friday through Sunday.

Sissle and Daughters Crowdfunding

| Posted in Under Construction

Mary and Will Sissle, the owners of The Cheese Shop, have launched a crowdfunding campaign on NuMarket to help fund the launch of their new business Sissle and Daughters (instagram). Participants in the campaign will get a credit at the new business valued at 120% of their contribution.

News about Sissle and Daughters was released back in May. The new market/cafe will be located in Woodfords Corner at 634 Forest Ave. Here’s what the Sissles shared then about their plans for the new business,

Expect espresso drinks, wine & light fare in the café, and the same great retail offerings you find at The Cheese Shop with the addition of take-and-heat prepared meals made from those same quality ingredients in the market. So stop to see us on your way to work for a cappuccino & a bite, then in the afternoon for a glass of wine, and grab everything you need for a delicious dinner at home while you’re at it.

VOTEMEAL Dining Club

| Posted in Under Construction

Rick and Molly Wood, the former owners of Rick’s Lobby Cafe are launching a new dining club for the Portland area. VOTEMEAL (website, instagram) will provide diners a discount at local participating restaurants and with the aim of delivering more local customers to participating businesses all year round.

In addition, $5 of every membership fee will be donated to a local charity that’s addressing food insecurity. The first recipient of those funds will be Westbrook Families Feeding Families.

The Woods are currently recruiting restaurants to participate in the program. They plan to start sales of memberships later this summer with the goal of launching in early this fall.