D Ajans Supermarket is under construction at 170 Brighton Ave. D Ajans will occupy the 2,173 sq ft former 7-11 building at the intersection with Saint John Street.
Owner Maaz Ullah is also the founder of the Crown Fried Chicken on Forest Ave.
2020 Agents of Change: Vertical Harvest
Vertical Harvest and co-founder Nona Yehia have been named by CNN as one of their 10 Champions for Change in 2020. A one hour show will featuring Vertical Harvest will air this Saturday September 19th.
Vertical Harvest announced plans earlier this year to build a 70,000 square foot greenhouse in Westbrook which is expected to open in 2022.
Tasting Rooms
The Press Herald reports on the concerns of tasting room operators as cooler the seasons change.
When the state adopted new rules for businesses to reopen this summer, tasting room operations were lumped in with bars, because their licenses are the same, and told they could only operate outdoors. But Bodine and others are worried about the future of tasting rooms if the rules aren’t changed before cold weather hits in another month or two.
Entrepreneurial Empowerment Scholarship
Fork Food Lab is raising funds for am Entrepreneurial Empowerment Scholarship. $1,800 of a $4,200 goal has already been donated.
Fork Food Lab is dedicated to closing the racial-economic gap that inhibits BIPOC from opening food businesses by hosting and supporting small food startups regardless of race or identity. Fork Food Lab is proud to organize a scholarship toward entrepreneurship for the statewide BIPOC community. The purpose of this scholarship is to create an opportunity for a Black, Indigenous, and/or a Person of Color to start a food business. This scholarship aims to dissolve some of the economic barriers to entrepreneurship and provide sustainable, logistical business support in the interest of longevity and success.
Visit www.forkfoodlab.com/lfpp to learn more about the program and/or to make a donation.
Ragged Coast Chocolates
Kate and Steve Shaffer, co-owners of Black Dinah Chocolate, have announced the new name for their Westbrook-based business.
Ragged Coast Chocolates (website) “pays homage to our hardy island roots while also celebrating Maine’s unique beauty and traditions which we work hard to reflect in our handmade chocolates,” shared Kate Shaffer in a release issued this morning.
Ms. Shaffer announced the intent to change the company’s name to their newsletter subscribers and in a public statement on the their social media pages on June 9th. In the statement, Shaffer explained that the timing was in response to and support of the Black Lives Matter movement and the nationwide protests for racial justice. The Shaffers named the company for Black Dinah Mountain on the island of Isle au Haut, Maine. However, the name “Black Dinah” can also refer to a generic term for Black female slaves. There is no recorded history as to why the Isle au Haut landmark bears the name Black Dinah (also spelled Black Dina on some maps).
In a public statement on her social media pages on June 19th, Shaffer wrote, “I have always imagined that if Black Dinah Mountain was named for an actual person or persons, she was strong and powerful and wise. But I’m beginning to understand that it is not my place, nor the place of my brand – perceived or actual – to use her name…for profit or to push my own unrelated agenda.”
Eating Out During A Pandemic
The Blueberry Files has posted an article about her pan-pandemic eating journey.
Writing about food during Covid-19 is difficult. There is so much wrapped up in what was once a casual meal on the town—from the ethics of dining out during a global pandemic to wanting to support the businesses that create Portland’s identity as a foodie small town. But the best way out is through, so here we go.
Tin Pan Bakery & Managing the Front Lines
Today’s Maine Sunday Telegram includes an article about Tin Pan Bakery owner Elise Richter,
Like many other small, independent business people in this pandemic year, Elise Richer is tired.
She has been forced to rethink many aspects of her homey Tin Pan Bakery in the Nasons Corner neighborhood of Portland, from its packaging and pricing, retail sales and recipes to its menu options and online ordering system.
and an article about managing front of house customer relations during a pandemic.
Four years later, owners and managers across Maine find themselves getting involved in their businesses in a more visible way. They still pitch in behind the scenes, but these days, their skills (and authority) are being marshaled to help waitstaff, bartenders, bussers and hosts (collectively called the “front of house”) navigate the choppy waters of pandemic-era customer service.
Briana Holt on 177 Milk Street Podcast
Briana Holt from Tandem was the featured guest on the 177 Milk Street podcast with host Christopher Kimball.
Maine Apples, Cheese and Syrup
Here’s some upcoming state food days:
- Maine Apple Sunday is taking place tomorrow. You can see a list of participating orchards on www.maineapples.org.
- Maine Maple Producers Weekend is taking place October 9-11.
- Open Creamery Day is scheduled to take place October 11th.
Cellar Door on Thompson’s Closing
Cellar Door Winery has announced that they’ll be permanently closing their tasting room on Thompson’s Point at the end of September. The winery and tasting room in Lincolnville will remain open.
Friends, at the end of this month, this chapter of Cellardoor on Thompson’s Point will end. The Point is conceived and designed to gather large numbers of people. Over the past four years, we’ve filled our main tasting bar with friends standing three deep, hosted hundreds of food and wine pairings, and countless bachelorettes and other special events. Happy, unforgettable memories.
Unfortunately, as we knew (and loved) them, gatherings are not feasible currently or in the near future. So, with fondness, we’ll host our final tastings on Thompson’s Point by reservation on Saturday, September 19.