Restaurant Real Estate: February 2025

| Posted in Under Construction, Real Estate

Welcome to the February 2025 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.

West End/Valley/Libby Town

87 Brackett St – the 1,077 sq ft former OhNo Cafe is for lease for $2,700/month +utilities (MG). The space also includes a 825 sq ft basement area. It is available as of February 1, 2025.

919 Congress St – the 9,540 sq ft former Salvage BBQ building is available for $20/sq ft (MG).

270 Saint John St – a 2,714 sq ft space in Union Station Plaza is available for $17/sq ft (NNN).

211 Valley St – a 1,260 sq ft former garage and the .13 acres it is on are for sale on Valley Street for $1,300,000.

235 Vaughan St – the former Vaughan Street Variety storefront in the West End has been completely renovated. The 620 sq ft space is available for $2500/month (MG). Call (207) 650-0846 for more information.

Arts District

486 Congress St – this 2,400 sq ft former cannabis retail space is available for $22/sq ft (NNN).

511 Congress St – the 2,875 sq ft former Golden Lotus space is available for $16.50/sq ft.

554 Congress St – 1,621 sq ft former Dunkin’ Donuts space for $17.04/sq ft (NNN).

555 Congress St – the 1,908 sq ft former Five Fifty-Five dining room and mezzanine are available to lease for $20/sq ft (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. For more info contact Joe Atwood at (207) 899-7373.

77 Free St – the space previously occupied by the Free Street restaurant and bar is available. The 8,500 – 17,000 sq ft space is for lease for $5/sq ft (NNN). Call (207) 761-6500 for additional details.

133 Spring St – the 2,002 sq ft former Bao Bao restaurant space is available for $25/sq ft (MG). It includes a fully equipped kitchen, bar and dining room.

Bayside/Inner Washington

115 Cumberland Ave – this 600 sq ft space on the corner of Cleeve Street is available for $1,750/month (MG).

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

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

114 Preble St – The 4,424 sq ft former Coals building is for sale for $1,475,000.

186 Washington Ave – the 7,620 sq ft Am Vets building is for sale for $1,600,000. See the listing for photos of the bar and seating area.

Old Port

0 Canal Plaza – the 1,350 sq ft former Nosh Taco building in Canal Plaza is for lease for $60/sq ft (NNN).

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 $2,595,000.

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).

327 Commercial St – the 6,981 – 7,981 sq ft space currently occupied by Tiqa is available for lease or to buy. The lease rate is $30/sq ft (NNN). The sale price is $3,500,000.

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 $60/sq ft (MG).

85 Exchange St – The space that had previously been the home of Dobra Tea is back on the market. The 1,350 sq ft space is available for $45/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 seeking a business to open a market in that space.

433 Fore St – a 930 sq ft space on the first floor of the Hyatt is for lease for $60/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).

127 Marginal Way – the 3,040 sq ft former All Speed bicycle shop space across the parking lot from Trader Joes is available for $35/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 (Gross).

115 Middle St – the 2,065 sq ft space formerly occupied by Beach Boys Cannabis is for lease for $39.75/sq ft (MG). Back in the 1970s it had been the home of Model Food Importers which retailed wine, cheese and other imported foods.

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).

191 Middle St – 1,500 sq ft of retail space formerly occupied by Crystal Joys is for lease for $60/sq ft (MG).

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

15 Monument Square – the 1,000 sq ft former Sisters Gourmet Deli space is available to lease for $30/sq ft (NNN).

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 – the 5,796 sq ft space that was the former home of Bull Moose 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).

54 York St – a 1,605 sq ft space is available for $30/sq ft (MG). It’s located in the same building as the new Weldon Hotel at the corner of York and Maple Streets.

Old Port Bar – an undisclosed 1,160/sq ft bar/restaurant in the Old Port is for sale for $175,000.

Outer Forest Ave

546 Deering St – the 2,198 sq ft former Dunkin Donut building in Woodfords Corner is for lease for $35/sq ft (NNN).

332 Forest Ave – a 1,962 sq ft space in a building at the corner of Bedford Street and Forest Ave is available for $16/sq ft (NNN).

503 – 509 Forest Ave – When renovations are completed this year, this building will have 1,268 – 6,313 sq ft of space available for $10-15/sq ft (NNN). See this feature article for more information.

1871 Forest Ave – the former Tortilla Flats is for sale. The 8,771 sq ft building is on 3.43 acres of property and is listed for $1,750,000.

631 Stevens Ave – the 1,000 sq ft cafe space inside the Stevens Square Community Center is for lease.

Elsewhere in Portland

239 Congress St –the 780 sq ft space formerly occupied by Tiny Tims is available for $2,500/month (Absolute Gross). It’s nearby Cocktail Mary, The End of Portland, Quanto Basta and LB Kitchen.

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

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

Westgate Shopping Center – three spaces are for lease 1,440, 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 insights on where those opportunities may be.

South Portland

740 Broadway, South Portland – the 1,200 sq ft former Two Fat Cats space is available for $2,494/month. Contact info@twofatcatsbakery.com for more information.

449 Main St, South Portland – The former Rudy’s Diner and an adjacent home are for sale for $849,000.

60 Ocean St, South Portland – The restaurant space currently occupied by Taco Trio is for lease. The 6,006 sq ft space is available for $16.98/sq ft (NNN). Taco Trio is returning to their original location at 119 Ocean Street in early 2025.

145 Ocean St, South Portland – The ~1,000 sq ft former BenReuben’s space in South Portland is available for $3,000/month (MG). Contact Josh at (207) 408-3879 for more information.

239 Ocean St, South Portland – the 1,621 sq ft former Pizza Joint building in South Portland is for sale for $795,000.

Elevation Burger, South Portland – the business franchise, infrastructure, equipment and lease for 2,600 sq ft space are for sale for $250,000. Call (207) 838-2274 for more information.

Elsewhere in Maine

100 Larrabee Rd, Westbrook – the owners of Phoever are looking for someone to takeover their space when they move to a new location.

The Downs – A 2,019 sq ft restaurant space is for sale in The Downs a 577-acre mixed use development in Scarborough.

881 Route 1, Yarmouth – Shared kitchen space formerly utilized by MaineFlavor before they moved to the West End is available.

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.

60 Mile Rd, Wells – The former Varano’s Restaurant building and a 2 bed room apartment are for sale for $1,895,000. See this instagram article for additional information on the building and the neighborhood.

Billy’s Chowder House – Both the building and business of Billy’s Chowder House in Wells is for sale. The ~200 seat restaurant comes with a 62-car parking lot and sits on Mile Road which connects Route 1 with Wells Beach. See this instagram article for additional information on the building and the neighborhood.

111 Bath Rd, Brunswick – The Fat Boy Drive-In business and property is for sale for $825,000. Fat Boy has been in business since 1955.

42 Maine St, Brunswick –the 1,220 sq ft space formerly occupied by the Great Impasta is now available for $3,500/month (NNN).

94 Maine St, Brunswick – the 550 sq ft basement tasting room space for Crooked Keg Brewing is available.

Bayley’s Seafood, Scarborough – This 3,018 sq ft turnkey seafood restaurant is available to lease for $24/sq ft.

1200 Portland Rd, Arundel – An undisclosed turnkey 9,938 sq ft restaurant is for sale for $2,500,000.

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.

6 Up and Coming Chefs

| Posted in People

Today’s Maine Sunday Telegram includes a feature on six “up-and-coming Greater Portland chefs to watch”.

The chefs featured here (all 30 years old or younger) have already proven themselves not just as great cooks with honed palates, serious technical chops and the creativity required to develop menus, but also as effective communicators and respected team leaders…Though they’re working under more senior chefs or restaurateurs now, they hope to open their own restaurants eventually, and we can celebrate the fact that all of them aim to launch in and around Portland. Here are six local chefs to keep an eye on in the years to come.

New Owners of Hot Suppa

| Posted in Under Construction

The Bangor Daily News has a report on the change in ownership at Hot Suppa. Founders Moses and Alec Sabina have sold the restaurant they founded in 2006 to two members of their staff Amber Nachreiner and husband Cameron Rodrigues.

Both under 40, Rodrigues grew up in York and Nachreiner hails from southern California. They have decades of experience in restaurants and met while working in one at Lake Tahoe. The couple moved to Falmouth in 2022, and Nachreiner began working the front of house at Hot Suppa! around the same time. Rodrigues was the assistant bar manager at Central Provisions before moving to Hot Suppa! to train in the kitchen under Moses Sabina.

Rodrigues said he and Nachreiner have no plans to monkey with the menu or vibe at Hot Suppa! They know a good thing when they see one.

Maine Food & Dining: Rockland, North Yarmouth, Biddeford, Lisbon, Fort Fairfield, Wiscasset, Lewiston, Brunswick, Buxton

| Posted in Maine

New food and dining developments are taking place all across Maine. Here are some recent updates to keep you in the know:

  • Marcy Taubes and Marjory Sweet, owners of Midcoast bakery Double Grazie (website, instagram) are launching a bakery, cafe and market in Rockland. Cafe Grazie will be located at 148 Main Street in the building that was formerly occupied by the Wiggins’ Meat Market. The ~1,500 sq ft space has been under renovation since the fall (the photo above is from November) and they hope to open Cafe Grazie in late spring. When they do they’ll be offering, breakfast, lunch, a full coffee program (with beans from Tandem), pasta, cake as well as “a lot of ricotta and seasonal fruits and good groceries and other sweet, sweet fantasies, baby.”
    Sweet and Taubes launched their bakery with a series of pop-up in the summer of 2022. Their prior work experience in farming and baking as well as both having lived and worked in Italy informed their creation of Double Grazie. They shared that, “At its core, Double Grazie is an intersection of these experiences: merging locally sourced ingredients with an Italian influence. The vision has always been to open a space, not only to expand our food offerings, but create a space for gathering, community, and creative opportunities.”
  • Owner Chris Franklin has announced the closure of his North Yarmouth business Badger Bagels. “As a new small business owner I started with a single product. Frustrated by the quality and relative cost of many gluten free offerings I set out to make a better GF bagel using honest ingredients. Over the past two years I have personally made and sold over 55,000 bagels with the help of dozens of markets, cafes and individual buyers. While the market remains strong I will be stepping aside to pursue an opportunity to return to my land conservation work full time at the end of February.”
  • Dizzy Bird will reopening on February 27th. Tom and Barb Peacock first opened the 50-seat counter service restaurant in early 2019 to serve, ”honest to goodness” elevated scratch comfort foods. They closed Dizzy Bird at the end of 2024 to  consider how they might restructure the business and space with hopes relaunching. This new edition of Dizzy Bird will be open Thursday and Friday, 3 – 7 pm, and Saturdays, 11 am – 5 pm for take out and delivery with online ordering. Stay tuned for full menu details…it will include shepherds pies, thanksgiving pot pies and chicken pot pies in medium, large and single serving sizes.
  • The Lewiston Sun Journal has published a report on Two Mom’s Diner (facebook) which is under construction in Lisbon. Owners Desaray Hayes and Jess Hoyt hope to open the 37-seat restaurant by the end of February. The menu is expected to include some gluten-free items as well as gluten-free baked goods prepared by Mary Graziano of Grazi to Go.
  • The Bangor Daily News has a published a report on a new bakery in Fort Fairfield. Heather Prouty and Janice Walsh opened the Rolling Pin Bakery (facebook) in December. The bakery is located at 256 Main Street and sells muffins, cookies, pastries, bagels, cinnamon buns, cakes, donuts, and other baked goods. They just launched the bakery in December but the BDN reports they already have plans to move into a larger space and start serving breakfast and lunch.
  • The Lincoln County News has published a report about Hen’s Meat Market (facebook) which opened in late December. The market is located at 306 Bath Road in Wiscasset. The Lincoln County News reports that owners Matt Cressey and Miranda Rumery are selling “beef raised in Albion, poultry from Warren, pork raised at Cressey and Rumery’s farm in Wiscasset, eggs from Waldoboro, duck eggs from Phippsburg, and lamb and goat from Nobleboro, customers have a plethora of items to choose from when they walk through the door.” Hen’s is open Wednesday through Sunday, 11 am – 6 pm.
  • The Lewiston Sun Journal reports that Fish Bones Grill is being sold to chef Floyd Goding and his wife Megan Cyr, and Ryan Costello and his wife Brittany. Current owners Paul and Kate Landry will retire from Fish Bones but will continue to operate their Scarborough restaurant Pine Point Grill.
  • As reported earlier this week, the new Sicilian-inspired restaurant called Pomelia opened earlier this week in Brunswick.
  • Lastly if you didn’t catch the post earlier this week, here’s a look at the Rooted Heart Cafe which opened earlier this month in Buxton.

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.

Pomelia Opens in Brunswick

| Posted in Openings

A new Sicilian-inspired restaurant called Pomelia (website, facebook, instagram) opened for business in Brunswick on Tuesday.

Owners Tony and Chelsea Bickford are serving a menu (see below) of appetizers and salads, house made pastas, sandwiches, focaccia-style pizza, and a variety of chicken and shrimp-based dishes. The beverage menu includes cocktails and spritzes, wines from Italy, draft beer and a set of nonalcoholic drinks like the St Agrestis Phony Negroni (above) and an espresso tonic made with spiced orange simple syrup.

Shown above are: the Lacinato Kale Salad, Charred Cauliflower (with fennel, almonds, capers, golden raisins, pickled onions, Calabrian chili aioli), Spicy Ragu de Salsiccia with orecchiette pasta, Marsala Porcini with Busiata pasta, and a Cannoli topped with pistachio and chocolate. Dessert cocktails, digestifs and coffee from Swift River in Raymond are offered with dessert.

Pomelia is located at 18 Station Ave, and will be open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 am – 2 pm, 4 – 9 pm.

Mimi Weissenborn on Top Chef

| Posted in People

Mimi Weissenborn, the executive chef of Sur Lie, Gather in Yarmouth and Catface in Biddeford, will be a contestant in season 22 of the Bravo TV show Top Chef. The season will “highlight the local food scene of Canada, including Toronto, Calgary, Montreal, and Prince Edward Island.”

The winner of season 22 will receive $250,000, a feature in Food & Wine magazine, the chance to serve a dinner at the James Beard House in New York City, and other prizes.

Take a look at our 2023 interview with Weissenborn for more details on her background, career and thoughts on the restaurant industry.

Rooted Heart Cafe & Apothecary

| Posted in Openings

Rooted Heart (website, instagram), a cafe and apothecary, opened earlier this month in Buxton.

They serve breakfast and lunch (menu) Wednesday through Sunday. Shown above are the mushroom and kale quiche with kale salad, and a cranberry and orange muffin. Rooted Heart has teas and lattes made with their own farm-grown herbs as well as bone broth and delicious house herbal broth made with nettle, parsley, cilantro, calendula, turmeric, ginger, anise, oyster & shiitake mushrooms, and Maine seaweed. Their coffee is sourced from Carpe Diem in North Berwick. The food menu includes plant-based and gluten-free dishes as well as gluten-free baked goods.

Rooted Heart is open Wednesday through Friday, 7am – 2pm, and weekends 8am – 3pm. They’re located at 259 Naragansett Trail/Route 202.

Upcoming Food & Dining Events

| Posted in Events

Monday – Electric Flowers Imports will be taking over the wine list at Friends & Family.

Thursday – Community Plate will be holding a potluck dinner at Maine Mechanics Hall.

Friday – Regards is holding a fundraising dinner to support victims of the Los Angeles fires.

Saturday – Portland on Tap is taking place. Good Medicine Collective is hosting a 6-course dinner in collaboration with chef Felicia Dumont. Roasty’s will be holding a pop-up at Orange Bike Brewing, 3-7 pm.

Sunday – Rafael Zimmerman from Magnus on Water⁠ will be the guest chef at a Flanagan Farm Supper Club dinner.

February 8 – Adrian Arvizu from Big Tree Hospitality⁠ will be the guest chef at a Flanagan Farm Supper Club dinner.

February 10 – Friends & Family is hosting an olive oil tasting with Tenuta di Spannocchia.

February 12 – The University of Maine Cooperative Extension in Falmouth is offering ServeSafe certification classes throughout the spring.

February 13 – Devin Finigan from Aragosta⁠ will be the guest chef at a Flanagan Farm Supper Club dinner.

Valentine’s Day – drop us a line if you know of a Valntine’s Day special menu that isn’t yet on the list below.

February 28 – Kashas Kitchen is serving a Polish Dinner in Kittery.

March 1-12 – Maine Restaurant Week is taking place.

March 2 – Sara Jenkins, Dustin Martin, and Lauren Radel from Nina June will be the guest chefs at a Flanagan Farm Supper Club dinner.

March 11 – Barak Olins and Atsuko Fujimoto are the featured guests at a Maine Voices Live event at One Longfellow Square.

March 23 – The Casco Bay Chef’s Association is holding their annual dinner.

May 17 – The Maine Wild Wine Fest is taking place in Freeport.

May 30 – June 1 – The Maine Fungi Fest is taking place.

September 14 – The Maine Cheese Festival is taking place in Pittsfield.

September 19-21 – The Common Ground Country Fair is taking place in Unity.

October 12 – The Maine Open Creamery Day 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.

Maine Food & Dining News: Northport, Yarmouth, Wiscasset, Waterville

| Posted in Maine

New food and dining developments are taking place all across Maine. Here are some recent updates to keep you in the know:

  • Spark Bagel has launched a cafe and retail bagel shop at their bakery in Northport. Spark has been baking at the former Stone Brick Oven Kitchen building at 681 Atlantic Highway in Northport since last year. They’ll be open Saturday, 8 am to noon.
  • The former Muddy Rudder property in Yarmouth is up for auction. The auction will take place February 12th at 11 am with a preview scheduled for January 29th 10 am – noon.
  • A new cafe serving chowder, soup and comfort food called Panacea (instagram) is under construction in Wiscasset. It will be located at 100 Main Street in the space formerly occupied by Yonder. Owner Chauncey Erskine hopes to launch Panacea on February 1st. For additional reporting see this article from The Lincoln County News.
  • The Pen Bay Pilot has published an article about the Cushnoc Cantina in Waterville.
  • Mainebiz reports that Briana Warner is stepping back from her role as the CEO of Atlantic Sea Farms. She’ll be staying on as a strategic advisor.
  • Hospitality Maine, Visit Portland and several other organizations have launched the Winter Wednesdays program. The Winter Wednesday website gathers in one place information from participating businesses about the discount programs they’re offering on Wednesdays.

For a statewide guide to eating and drinking see the Maine Food Map—a growing list of coffee shops, bars, restaurants, bakeries, cafes, and other food and dining businesses in all of Maine’s 16 counties.

Matt Ginn to Lead at the Dry Dock

| Posted in Under Construction, People

Matt Ginn has joined the team relaunching the Dry Dock (instagram) as the restaurant’s general manager.

In a statement released today Ginn shared, “I’ve worked in kitchens my entire career and for the last decade, opened, ran and helped several restaurants in Portland and Greater Portland reach their award-winning potential. The move to a more all-encompassing restaurant role for one establishment, and overseeing menu creation and kitchen staff hires for the re-opening of a restaurant that I grew up coming to, is the personal and professional change that I’ve been looking for.” Ginn continued, “I’ve known the Holden family for a long time and have a deep respect for what they do not only as the best Maine seafood company and B Corp, but as an employer and what they do to give back to our community. With Dry Dock, I’m excited to restore a legendary Portland restaurant and bring new life to it with this terrific team.”

The Dry Dock had been a fixture on the Portland waterfront since it launched in 1983. It’s been closed for a number of years. Luke Holden, Ben Conniff, Bryan Holden—co-owners of Luke’s Lobster— leased 84 Commercial Street in October with plans to relaunch the Dry Dock as a seafood tavern with a full bar program.

The Dry Dock is being thoroughly refurbished including a new kitchen and the construction of two large bars. When it re-opens this summer it will have an expanded deck, and is expected to seat up to 300 people.

Ginn is a Maine native and an experienced chef and leader. He comes to his position after 10 years with the Prentice Hospitality Group (Evo, Chebeague Island Inn, The Good Table, Twelve) where he was the group’s executive chef. Ginn was the Maine Lobster Chef of the Year in 2015. Earlier in his career he worked at L’Espalier in Boston and was the chef de cuisine at Five Fifty-Five.