Restaurant Real Estate: April 2023

| Posted in Under Construction, Real Estate

Welcome to the April 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 monthly column 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 – the former Treasure Chest space in Longfellow Square is for lease. Call (207) 773-7100 for more details.

64 Pine St – The former Aurora Provisions space is for lease. The 4,629 sq ft is listed at $4,950/month (NNN).

156 State St – 1,250 – 7,550 sq ft of space on the first floor of the Portland Club is available for $13.50 – 24/sq ft (NNN).

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

549 Congress St – the 1,397 sq ft space currently occupied by the Portland Downtown offices is available to lease for $3,200/month (NNN).

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

582 Congress St – the longtime home of Harmon’s Floral Company will be available for lease starting in May. The 1,550 sq ft space is for lease for $5,850/month (NNN).

25 Forest Ave – Portland Stage is looking for a restaurant partner to co-develop a 2,700 sq ft restaurant space in their Forest Ave building; $19.50/sq ft (MG).

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 $20/sq ft (NNN).

Bayside

75 Chestnut St – a 2,100 sq ft ground floor retail space under construction in Bayside is for sale for $649,999.

73 Cove St – a 5,519 industrial space in East Bayside is listed for $35/sq ft; it’s expected to become available in 2024.

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 $13/sq ft (MG).

52 Hanover St – a new building set to open in April 2023. On the first floor 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).

82 Hanover St – the 3,067 sq ft former Yard space in Bayside is available for $30/sq ft (NNN); the sale includes all FF&E inventory.

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 $649,000.

Old Port

1 Canal Plaza – 3,605 – 7,757 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 and is expected to be available in 2023. 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).

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).

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).

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

43 Exchange St – the 1,717 sq ft space occupied by Peruvian Link is for lease for $60/sq ft (MG). It’s located midway down lower Exchange Street.

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).

368 Fore St – the former 5,458 sq ft Old Port Tavern is available for $32/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).

30 Market St – the Old Port location of Pat’s Pizza is available to lease; 5,116 sq ft for $25/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 $24/sq ft (NNN).

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

176 Middle St – the former Starbucks store at the crossroads of the Old Port at the intersection of Middle and Exchange Streets is for lease. The 1,675 sq ft space is for lease for $75 (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 spots are available in the Public Market House. A space 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 400 sq ft space on the first floor available for $2,250/month (NNN).

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 – 3 retail spaces will be available in the development in the former Mercy Hospital building on State Street. The 1,100, 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).

42 Wharf St – this 3,770 sq ft space in the Old Port includes a 2,000 sq ft patio, $45/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 1,537 – 21,911 sq ft of space available for $24-29/sq ft (NNN).

47 India St – 1,000 sq ft of the former Lois’ Market building is for lease, $3,333/month (NNN).

Forest Ave

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

500 Forest Ave – the 900 sq ft space formerly occupied by Starbird is for lease for $1,800/month (MG).

671-675 Forest Ave – a retail building in the center of Woodfords Corner is for sale for $675,000.

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.

502 Stevens Ave – a 516 sq ft space is available in Deering Center; $27/sq ft (NNN) available July 1.

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).

1339 Washington Ave – the 4,068 sq ft former Parker’s Restaurant building in North Deering is for lease ($9-11k/month) or for sale ($2,295,000).

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

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

Sammy’s Scoops – the Woodfords Corner ice cream shop is for sale. Call John Medici at (207) 400-7140 for more information.

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 $23/sq ft (NNN).

Biscuits & Co, Biddeford – Biscuits & Co closed on October 16th and the business and equipment is for sale. Contact Biscuitsandcompany@gmail.com for more information.

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.

Cong Tu Bot Unionized

| Posted in General News, People

The Press Herald has a report on the newly formed union at Cong Tu Bot.

Employees at Portland’s Cong Tu Bot restaurant voted to unionize this week, making it the state’s first independent unionized restaurant in more than 40 years.

Workers and union officials hope others will follow suit.

Cong Tu Bot’s 21 employees voted unanimously to join UNITE HERE, a union that represents 300,000 workers in the hotel, food service, gaming, manufacturing, textile, distribution, laundry, transportation and airport industries.

Fire at Brea Lu Construction Site

| Posted in General News

A fire broke out last night in Westbrook at the construction site for the new Brea Lu Cafe (website, facebook, instagram) . The fire centered in the back right part of the building which will likely need to be replaced or removed, and it destroyed the newly delivered hood and walk-in.

Owner Christian DeLuca has been in the process of building out a new larger cafe at the 511 Main Street site. The cafe was originally located in Portland and moved to Westbrook after a fire damaged the building they were in on Forest Ave.

Bev’s Cafe and Market

| Posted in Under Construction, Maine

Bev’s Cafe & Market (instagram) is under construction at 41 Main Street in Kennebunk in the space formerly occupied by Christian’s.


The 40-seat cafe is being launched by chefs Nate Norris and Annie Callan. The couple moved here from San Francisco where they both worked at the famed Zuni Cafe. Callan was the pastry chef and Norris was the executive chef and a nearly 20-year member of the Zuni Cafe team.

Callan and Norris hope to open Bev’s this June when they’re promising a “casual cafe focused on excellent food and hospitality” serving breakfast, lunch and prepared food to go.

Our guests can expect a focused menu for counter service and takeaway breakfast and lunch. Breakfast will include egg sandwiches, granola, oatmeal, and pastries. Lunch will include hot and cold sandwiches, salads, soups, and daily specials. Limited prepared foods will be available to help make a delicious weeknight dinner at home simple.

We will cook the only way we know, making dishes that are comforting and familiar, guided by the best local ingredients in close partnership with New England farmers, ranchers, and other artisanal producers.

Bev’s will serve beer and wine as well as Tandem Coffee and teas from the Rare Tea Company.

To get caught up on all the new restaurants under development visit our Under Construction List.

Novel Book & Bar

| Posted in Under Construction

The Portland Phoenix has published an article about Novel Book & Bar, a new book-centered establishment under construction near Longfellow Square.

Whether you’re an avid reader or a bar scene enthusiast, there’s something for you in Portland.

At least, that’s how the owners of Novel Book & Bar, a soon-opening Congress Street joint, read the situation. Portland is home to plenty of great restaurants and bar scenes, but almost all cater directly to the food and drink. What’s missing is a more intellectual space to congregate where books are the focus.

2023 Beard Awards Nominees

| Posted in General News, Maine

This year’s James Beard Foundation Awards list of restaurant and chef nominees were announced this morning.

Of the 11 Maine semifinalists, The Quarry in Monson has earned a spot as a final nominee in the Outstanding Hospitality category. Congratulations to chef/owner Marilou Ranta and her team!

After a final round of evaluation and voting, this year’s Beard Awards winners will be announced on Monday June 5th in Chicago.

Related information:

Rwanda Bean Closing Thompson’s Point Cafe

| Posted in Closings

Rwanda Bean (website, facebook, instagram) has announced plans to close their cafe on Thompson’s point as of the end of April. They will continue to operate their coffee roasting, packaging and wholesale operations out of their space on Thompson’s Point and also plan to make it available as an event space.

In order to further drive growth and stability for Rwanda Bean and to continue to deliver on our mission to support the community of Rwanda coffee farmers by sharing their harvests with the wider world, we are going to focus exclusively on our roastery operations, production and wholesaling out of our Thompson’s Point location. As of May 1, we will wrap up our retail presence and the Thompson’s Point event team will take over our event and kitchen area as an additional venue offering.

The Rwanda Bean coffee shop on Stevens Ave will be gradually expanding their hours of operation to 7 days per week with expanded menu offerings.

Brea Lu Cafe Moving to 511 Main Street

| Posted in Under Construction

Brea Lu Cafe (website, facebook, instagram) had planned to move from their current spot to 100 Larrabee Road, but that location fell through earlier this year. Owner Christian DeLuca has now leased a large space at 511 Main Street in Westbrook which he is building out into a new home for his popular breakfast and lunch spot.

DeLuca plans to launch with a menu that includes classic dishes served when Brea Lu was in its longtime home on Forest Ave in Portland. The new dining room will seat 100 people—up from 44 at their current location—and there will be seasonal outdoor seating as well. The kitchen will double in size, and DeLuca hopes to eventually add an in-house bakery. The cafe is also slated to have a private room for events and meetings that will seat 30+ people.

Construction on the site is already underway. DeLuca will be closing down Brea Lu on Cumberland Street on at the end of April and hopes to reopen at the Maine Street location in early June. Brea Lu will be expanding its hours to stay open until 2 pm, and will be available in the evenings for events, pop-ups, and for use by food trucks.

Logan Abbey the owner of the George’s North Shore food truck is taking over the current Brea Lu building where he plans to open a restaurant called George + Leon’s Famous Roast Beef.

Update: A fire broke out at the construction site and will likely delay the launch of the new cafe.

To get caught up on all the new restaurants under development visit our Under Construction List.

4 Re/Openings

| Posted in Openings

Full Turn (website, instagram) just completed a kitchen expansion and reopened Friday night with their latest menu theme. This time around the concept is Italian Sunday Dinner. They’re located in East Bayside in the former Baharat location, and are open Thursday through Saturday  4 – 9 pm.

Thai Esaan (facebook, instagram) opened on Saturday at their new location on Portland Street in the former Back Bay Grill building. Their hours are 11am to 9 pm, Tuesday through Sunday. See photos below for a look at their menu and the Krah Pow Moo Grob (crispy pork, spicy Thai basil, green beans, onions, red pepper with rice) dish.

The bar Room for Improvement (instagram) will be open to the public on Thursday, April 13th. Owners Arvid Brown and Nick Coffin have completely renovated 41 Wharf Street into a 36-seat venue with bar along the left wall, circular booths along the right and additional seating out back. The hours of operation will initially be Thursday through Monday, 5 pm to 1 am.

The well-loved bar Maps (instagram) on Market Street has been closed since the start of the year. The space has undergone a extenive renovation in the last few months and is slated to open this Thursday at 5 pm. Their regular hours of operation will be Tuesday and Wednesday 4 pm to midnight, and Thursday through Saturday 4 pm  1 am.

Every week there’s word of some new business under development. To get caught up visit our Under Construction List.

Upcoming Events

| Posted in Events

March 27 – Batson River in Portland is hosting ChopTails bartender competition featuring Rob Roy from Primo,  Jake Bosma from Cocktail Mary, LyAnna Sanabria from Papi, Sylvi Roy from Twelve, and Bailey White from The Danforth.

March 29 – the James Beard Foundation will release the list of nominees for this year’s awards. There are 11 semifinalists from Maine under consideration.

March 30 – Maps (instagram) on Market Street is scheduled to reopen after completing an extensive renovation.

April 3 – Scratch Baking is teaching a bagel baking class.

April 4 – Roma is holding a Central Italian wine dinner.

April 12 – Evo is serving a 5-course Italian wine dinner.

April 13 – Room for Improvement (instagram) will be opening.

April 16 – Turamali will be serving two seatings of an 8-course Mexican dinner at the Knotted Apron (tickets go on sale on March 24th).

April 17 – there will be a meeting of the Portland Restaurant Sustainability Council.

April 18 – Avery Yale Kamila will be giving a talk on the 300 year history of vegetarianism in Maine in Buxton.

April 20 – The April Fun With Ferments meet-up is taking place at Mast Landing.

April 20-22 – chef Johnny Spero from the Michelin-starred Reverie in Washington DC will be serving a 9-course dinner at Hugo’s.

April 21 – The Good Food Awards will take place, there are 12 finalists from Maine in the running this year.

May 20 – Maine Wild Wine Fest is taking place in Freeport.

June 12-18 – Portland Wine Week is taking place with events at restaurants all over the Portland area.

July 23 – Open Farm Day.

August 23 – an Outstanding in the Field dinner is taking place at Dandelion Spring Farm. Tickets go on sale March 20th.

September 10 – Maine Cheese Festival.

October 8 – Maine Open Creamery Day.