Restaurant Real Estate: July 2023

| Posted in Under Construction, Real Estate

Welcome to the July 2023 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

2 Pine St – Part of the former Treasure Chest space in Longfellow Square is for lease. Enterprise Records has moved into the right-hand portion with the remainder (adjacent to Weekend Vintage) still available. Call (207) 773-7100 for more details.

235 Vaughan St – the 700 sq ft space most recently occupied by Other Side Deli and which had been the longtime home of Vaughan Street Variety is for lease. Call (207) 650-0846 for more information.

Arts District

543 Congress St – the 1,276 sq ft space formerly occupied by Higher Concepts is for lease for $18/sq ft (MG). It’s located along the same stretch of road that’s home to Nosh, Regards, Broken Arrow and Mister Bagel.

549 Congress St – the 1,397 sq ft space formerly occupied by the Portland Downtown offices is available to lease for $2,500/month (NNN).

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

44 Oak St – 4,347 sq ft of space in a beautiful historic building at the corner of Oak and Free Streets is available for $15.50/sq ft (NNN).

Bayside

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 in 2024.

360 Cumberland Ave – an 1,100 sq ft space near Schulte & Herr is available for $22/sq ft (NNN).

46 Elm St – this 385 sq ft corner space in the parking garage at the corner of Elm Street and Cumberland Ave. It’s available for $500/month (MG).

52 Hanover St – On the first floor of a new building will be 1,500 – 4,500 sq ft retail space available for $30/sq ft (NNN).

65 Hanover St – 1,800 sq ft of space is available for $20/sq ft (NNN).

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

34 Portland St – the 3,400 sq ft building that was formerly occupied by Candy’s is for sale for $599,000.

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).

1 Commercial St – the original location of Benkay at the corner of Commercial and India Streets is undergoing renovations. The 900-2,950 sq ft is for lease at $35/sq ft (NNN).

185 Commercial St – a new building under construction will include 2,229 sq ft of ground floor retail space that will be available in 2024; $55/sq ft (NNN).

215 Commercial St – 2,189 sq ft of retail space near the corner of Commercial and Dana Streets is available for $65/sq ft (MG).

327 Commercial St – the former Tiqa restaurant is for lease—7,981 sq ft @ $30/sq ft (NNN)—or for sale for $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).

441 Congress St – the 2,400 sq ft former Guitar Grave retail space is available for $15/sq ft (MG).

201 Federal St – 2 retail spaces will be available in the new 18-story building under construction at the corner of Temple and Federal Streets. The 527 and 2,300 sq ft spaces are listed at $40/sq ft (MG).

416 Fore St – the former Mark’s Place is available; 1,100 sq ft for $5,500 (NNN).

446 Fore St – a 1,600 sq ft space on the corner of Fore and Union Streets is available for $30-40/sq ft (MG).

470 Fore St – the longtime home of Paciarino is now available. The 2,000 sq ft storefront on the corner of Fore and Cross Streets is for lease at $32.50/sq ft (NNN).

40 Free St – the new building constructed by JB Brown has four storefronts ranging in size from 1,473 to 3,024 sq ft for $27.50/sq ft (NNN).

55 Market St – this 3,700 sq ft space on Market Street was formerly occupied by the Big Easy. It’s available for $18/sq ft (NNN).

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

157 Middle St – 1,091 – 5,155 sq ft of retail space is available for $27 – 29.95/sq ft (MG).

1 Monument Square – 1,500 sq ft of first floor space adjacent to Cera is available for $3,125/month (MG).

28 Monument Square – two spaces on the 2nd floor (143 sq ft with a base rent of $1,185 + utilities and CAM charges—call  413-636-9688 for details), and a spot with it’s own 8 foot hood for $850/month + utilities and CAM charges.

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).

144 State St – 2 retail spaces will be available in the development in the former Mercy Hospital building on State Street. The 1100 and 2,566 spaces are available for $26/sq ft (MG).

15 Temple St – the 2,086 sq ft space formerly occupied by Bubble Maineia is available for $26/sq ft (MG).

110 Thames St – two spots (2,700 and 3,200 sq ft) are now available in the newly constructed building in the Portland Foreside development. Both are listed at $35/sq ft (NNN).

53 Wharf St –a 1,600 sq ft space on the corner of Wharf and Union Streets is available for $30-40/sq ft (MG).

India Street

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 $24-29/sq ft (NNN).

Forest Ave

369 Forest Ave – a 5,040 sq ft building on Forest Ave is available for $14.50/sq ft (MG).

503 – 509 Forest Ave – the exterior of this building is slated to be restored to its historic design. It has 4,500 – 9,500 sq ft of space available for $10/sq ft (NNN).

701 Forest Ave – 3,147 – 6,405 with parking available for $18/sq ft (NNN).

1871 Forest Ave – the former Tortilla Flat building is for sale for $3,100,000.

Deering Center

476 Stevens Ave – the Elsmere BBQ building in Deering Center is for sale for $1,450,000; the sale includes all FF&E inventory. It is also available to lease, 3,000 – 4,091 sq ft for $25 – 30/sq ft (NNN).

Elsewhere in Portland

1091 Congress St – the former Denny’s building and parking lot are available to lease; 4,901 sq ft at $25.50/sq ft (NNN).

43 York St – this 1,800 sq ft space is tucked around the corner from Yosaku on York Street. It’s available for $3,000/month (MG).

Northgate Shopping Center – 2,200 to 5,700 sq ft of space is available.

Westgate Shopping Center – three spaces are for lease at $18-40/sq ft (NNN).

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

Bath – the former  home of Salt Pine Social is available. The 3,535 sq ft building is available for $16/sq ft (NNN).

18 Ocean St, South Portland – the 4,351 sq ft former Snow Squall is for lease for $12/sq ft (NNN).

372 Cottage Rd, South Portland – the former Omi’s Coffee Shop is available for lease. Call Jennifer Davies at (207) 650-9944 for more information.

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.

Harmon’s Lunch in Falmouth

| Posted in Profiles

The Bangor Daily News has published an article about Harmon’s Lunch the venerable burger spot in Falmouth.

Each burger at Harmon’s starts with one or two two-ounce locally sourced beef patties, cooked on a flat top and served on a steamed bun with or without cheese. Wormell said he can fit 22 burgers on the restaurant’s flattop at one time, and can work through about 85 burgers in an hour.

George + Leon’s Opening July 8

| Posted in Openings

George + Leon’s (instagram) is holding their Grand Opening on Saturday July 8th. The new Westbrook restaurant is being launched by Logan Abbey the owner of the George’s North Shore food truck. George + Leon’s is named for Abbey’s dog (George) and son (Leon).

In addition to the Super Beef and Jr Beef sandwiches served on the George’s North Shore food truck, the menu at George + Leon’s will include other sandwiches like a mushroom and swiss and a steak and cheese as well as a salad, broccoli bites, tenders, fries, onion rings, and pizza rolls, plus cake, pie and cupcakes for dessert. George + Leon’s will have a full bar and a wine list focused on natural wines.

The new restaurant is located at 9 Cumberland Street in the building that was the former home of the Brea Lu Cafe.

Maine Food & Dining News

| Posted in Under Construction, Maine

Here are some food and dining highlights from around the state:

  • The Lincoln County News reports that Sarah’s Cafe in Wiscassett served their last meal on last Friday . Sarah’s was launched by owner Sarah Heald in 1987.
  • The Danish at Jackrabbit got a shoutout in the July edition of Food & Wine. The recognition came via fellow Biddeford baker Kelsey Mari Morgan who wrote, “It’s tough to forget a beautifully made pastry that celebrates seasonal fruit. I’m a sucker for summer berries, and Jakrabbit’s strawberry Danish, filled with locally grown strawberries, is a special kind of treasure.”
  • The Bangor Daily News shared a report on two Midcoast restaurants featuring French cuisine: Bistro La Cave (website, instagram) which recently opened in Camden and Alsace (instagram) which is expected to open later this summer in Union.
  • Mainebiz reports that Waterville-based Sunrise Bagel will be  opening a second location in Augusta.

Wine List Geekiness at Leeward

| Posted in General News

Leeward gets a mention in this Wall Street Journal article about restaurant wine list geekiness.

Chiaramonte told me the idea to ask for such a list came to him while reading an earlier Wine Berserkers post, about a real wine list that had been labeled geeky by another forum member, Dan Kravitz. Indeed, according to Kravitz, Leeward restaurant in Portland, Maine, has an “aggressively geeky” wine list because—at the time of Kravitz’s post on Wine Berserkers—few wines from familiar grapes like Cabernet, Chardonnay or Pinot Noir were listed. “[They] refuse to put anything well-known or popular on the list,” Kravitz said in an email.

F&W: Best Lobster Rolls

| Posted in Reviews

Food & Wine has included Bite Into Maine in their list of America’s Best Lobster Rolls.

The Portland Head Light historic lighthouse in Fort Williams Park is a backdrop for this tiny food truck, which offers no fewer than six varieties of lobster rolls. Along with curry, wasabi, and chipotle, Bite Into Maine’s signature picnic-style includes a layer of homemade coleslaw and a brushing of drawn butter.

Other Maine establishments on the list are: The Clam Shack in Kennebunkport, Bob’s Clam Hut in Kittery, MC Perkins Cove in Ogunquit, Thurston’s in Bernard,

New Restaurant in OPT Space

| Posted in Under Construction

Wills Dowd and Jared Dinsmore, the owners of Bird & Co, have leased the former Old Port Tavern space where they plan to open a new restaurant. The menu and concept are still to be determined.

Dinsmore and Dowd have begun a complete renovation of the 5,000+ sq ft space. They don’t expect to launch the new restaurant until spring 2024.

Bird & Co. launched March 12, 2019. It’s located at 539 Deering Ave in Woodfords Corner. The Old Port Tavern closed on New Year’s Eve 2022 after 50 years in business.

Miyake Now Open for Lunch

| Posted in Openings

Miyake (website, instagram) reopened for lunch today. The menu (see below) includes their bento box which was the much loved item from the lunch menu the Fore Street restaurant served before the pandemic.

Shown here is today’s chef’s choice bento which was served with miso soup. Bottom to top: sauteed mackerel, shrimp and broccoli tempura, sashimi, tuna and avocado roll, pork and onions, potato salad topped with corn.

Miyake is serving lunch Wednesday through Friday, 11:30 – 2; walk-ins only. The flagship Miyake restaurant reopened for dinner last December after an extensive renovation.

Best Bagels: Rose & Rover

| Posted in Reviews

Bon Appetit has named Rover in Biddeford and Rose Foods in Portland to their list of Very Best Bagels in the US outside of New York and the tristate area.

As a trickle of buzzy new bagel shops turns into a full-on bagel boom, bakers aren’t looking to mimic New York quite the way they might have 10 years ago. The New York bagel is as revered as ever, but new approaches are taking shape from Los Angeles to Philadelphia. Bakers are blending influences and regional styles, getting creative with toppings, and treating bagels like a special event.

As part of their Great Bagel Boom feature Bon Appetit also talked with Chad Conley at Rose about the underlying costs of their Rivington bagel sandwich.

Interview with Tom Ruff

| Posted in Under Construction, Beer

Mainebiz has published an interview with Tom Ruff, the founder of Orange Bike Brewing.

Entrepreneur and cycling enthusiast Tom Ruff shifted gears from medical recruiting to gluten-free brewing, with plans to launch Orange Bike Brewing in Portland later this year. With construction still in progress at 31 Diamond St. in Portland, he gave Mainebiz the lowdown.

For more information on Orange Bike Brewing see this report on the brewery.