Portland city councilor and the former co-owner of the Little Woodford coffee shop, Andrew Zarro, has announced he’ll be running to become the mayor of Portland.
For additional reporting see articles in the Portland Phoenix, Press Herald, and Bangor Daily News.
The Times Record has a report on new oyster farming operation in Bath that’s using a novel approach to raise oysters to market-size at an accelerated pace.
The City Council last week approved the sale of a city-owned building on Town Landing Road along the Kennebec River to Matt Nixon, owner of Muddy River Farm Aquaponics. Nixon designed the world’s first 3D-printed, closed-loop, oyster-farming tank made from sustainable materials. It will be the city’s first business specializing in aquaculture, the production of aquatic life like shellfish or salmon under controlled conditions.
Today’s Press Herald reports on the move of Fork Food Lab to larger quarters in South Portland.
Fork Food Lab, the shared commercial kitchen space and food business incubator, plans to begin moving this month into a two-building campus it has purchased in South Portland that’s eight times the size of its current location, allowing for more of the burgeoning businesses on its lengthy wait list to start the process of growing into independent operations of their own.
Ricky and Molly Wood, the owners of Rick’s Lobby Cafe, have announced their lease isn’t being renewed resulting in the closure of their Congress Street location sometime later this year. Next steps for the Wood’s and their business are TBD.
Building management gave notification that they are going to renovate our lobby cafe space. The investors, building owners and partners no longer want to include a cafe or food establishment in this building, post-renovation. As such, our lease is not being renewed. Thankfully, we have until the end of October until we need to be out.
Monday – Bar Futo is holding an 8-course dinner in collaboration with chefs Tracy Chang from Pagu; Christine Lau from The CLAU Group; Tim Ma from Chefs Stopping AAPI Hate, Lucky Danger, and Chase the Submarine; Shuai Wang from Jackrabbit Filly and King BBQ; Sang Lee from Sushi Sang Lee, and Nikhil Naiker.
Thursday – The film City of Servers will premiere at the Maine Mayhem Film Festival taking place at the Nickelodeon.
Friday – The Daily Grind and The Sinful Kitchen/Pig Kahuna are holding a pig roast as a benefit for Brea Lu. The Westbrook cafe recently suffered a fire at the construction site for their new location.
Sunday – it’s Mother’s Day…check with your favorite restaurants for special Mother’s Day menus.
May 17/18 – La Gallera is holding a Puerto Rican takeout pop-up from the kitchen Belleville on North Street.
May 17/18 – Percy’s and Disco Jalisco are teaming up to produce a pair of dinners.
May 18 – Mrs. Gee Free Living and Sur Lie are collaborating on a gluten-free dinner.
May 19 – Onggi will be hosting Hana Makgeolli for a makgeolli brewing workshop.
May 20 – Maine Wild Wine Fest is taking place in Freeport.
May 21 – Judy Gibson is serving a 4-course dinner featuring wines from Italy.
May 22 – Turamali is serving a 4-course Mexican dinner at Cabana.
May 30 – GMRI is leading an Alewife Migration Walk at the Mill Brook Preserve.
June 5 – The James Beard Awards ceremony will take place. Nezinscot Farm will receive an American Classics award and The Quarry in Monson will learn if they have won in the Outstanding Hospitality category. Scratch Baking is teaching a (sold out) bagel baking class,
June 11 – Big Tree Hospitality is holding a farm to table dinner at Wolfe’s Neck Center in Freeport.
June 12-18 – Portland Wine Week is taking place with events at restaurants all over the Portland area.
July 23 – Maine Open Farm Day is taking place.
August 23 – An Outstanding in the Field dinner is taking place at Dandelion Spring Farm with guest chef Neil Zabriskie from Regards.
September 10 – Maine Cheese Festival.
September 24 – The Saltyard is holding a cocktail brunch at Wolfe’s Neck Center in Freeport.
September 30 – Tender Table is holding their 3rd annual food and art fair in Congress Square Park.
October 8 – Maine Open Creamery Day is taking place.
November 5 – Chaval is holding a late harvest dinner at Wolfe’s Neck Center in Freeport.
Welcome to the May 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 – the former Treasure Chest space in Longfellow Square is for lease. Call (207) 773-7100 for more details.
156 State St – 1,250 sq ft of space on the first floor of the Portland Club is available for $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 $3,100/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 $15.50/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 sq ft industrial space in East Bayside is listed for $35/sq ft; it’s expected to become available in 2024.
360 Cumberland Ave – two space are available, a, 1,100 sq ft street front retail spot for $22/sq ft, and an 800 sq ft back building for $27/sq ft.
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 $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 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).
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).
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).
416 Fore St – the former Mark’s Place is available; 1,100 for $60/sq ft (NNN).
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 $24/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).
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 2,126 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 – 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).
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).
671-675 Forest Ave – a retail building in the center of Woodfords Corner is for sale for $675,000.
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).
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.
Today’s Maine Sunday Telegram tells the story of 5 food trucks that are making the transition to becoming restaurants.
For a food truck owner, launching an actual restaurant is often a dream come true. But it’s also leveling up by an order of magnitude, requiring more money, time, staff and dedication.
Talk to the budding restaurateurs about their conversion projects and you find that while the path to a fixed location contains seemingly endless hurdles and serious financial investments, they feel the potential rewards are worth the stress.
Featured in the article are: George’s North Shore, Yolked Farm to Table, Rebel Cheesteaks, Curbside Comforts, and Quanto Basta.
The food truck-to-restaurant path is well established in Portland. 20+ food trucks have made the transition since 2012 when the city passed the food truck ordinance.
Bloomberg has published a pair of articles on where to eat and stay in Maine and Portland.
Over these delicacies we talk about how, as native Mainers, it’s taken us years to appreciate just how special our state is. Its plain style and aversion to pretension, the traditional small scale of its towns—these things are blended with an urban creativity and world-class food and drinks. The humor is as dry as a pine needle that’s spent years on the forest floor. (Tourist to Mainer: “Lived here your whole life?” Mainer: “Not yet.”) It’s also refreshing for a state to ban highway billboards, as ours has done for 40 years.
The articles mention: The Danforth, Luke’s, Twelve, Evo, Bar Futo, Terlingua, Leeward, Eventide, Aragosta, Dennet’s Wharf, Harbor Cafe, Pentagoet Inn, Wolfpeach, Oxbow, Duckfat, Luna, Minato, Chaval, PAlace Diner, Sweetcream Dairy.
Rick Binet, the owner of Mash Tun and Jefe Juan’s, is planning to open a third Wharf Street restaurant named Hot Liquor Tank. The name is a reference to the equipment that supplies hot water into the brewery process. Binet selected the name to “highlight the sister bar relationship with Mash Tun.” Binet opened Mash Tun (instagram) in 2016 and Jefe Juan’s (instagram) in 2020.
The draft menu submitted with Hot Liquor Tank’s liquor license application includes calamari, fried oysters, clam chowder, shrimp po’boys, blue fin sashimi as well as chicken and waffles, caesar salad, wings and a fried chicken sandwich.
Hot Liquor Tank will be located at 43 Wharf Street adjacent to the recently opened Room For Improvement. Binet hopes to open the restaurant in June. Binet is also pursuing a brewing license for the business. While its not likely to be in production in time for the opening, the plan is for HLT to eventually serve their own house beer.
To get caught up on all the new restaurants, bars and other hospitality businesses in development visit our Under Construction List.
Vien Dobui and Jessica Sheahan, owners of Cong Tu Bot, have leased the former Pat’s Pizza location at 30 Market Street where they will open a second restaurant. Lido’s 2 Oun Lido’s (instagram) will be a 60-70 seat restaurant centered on communal/family-style dining serving an Asian food and beverage menu.
The dining room (second floor) will have both bar and booth seating with some tables set up with lazy susans for easy sharing of dishes among diners. Along with the kitchen, the ground floor will have a checkout counter to facilitate take-out pick-up from Lido’s 2. For now Sheahan and Dobui will use the top floor for offices but the longer term plan is to convert it to an event space.
The name of the business was inspired by Dobui’s memories of Lido’s Nightclub in his hometown of San Jose, California. Through a series of concept shifts Lido’s 1.0 became the favorite bar for an eclectic mix of communities including Mexican cowboys, Vietnamese ballroom dancers and drag queens. While the Portland context is different, Dobui hopes his Lido’s can also be a home to a similarly unexpected mix of peoples, and one that can create an inclusive and welcoming Old Port space for Portland’s queer community.
Sheahan and Dobui hope to open LIDO’S 2 this year.
Cong Tu Bot was founded in 2017. Dobui was a James Beard Awards nominee in the Best Chef: Northeast category in 2020 and 2022. The New York Times included it in their 2021 list of the 50 restaurants they were “most excited about right now”.
To get caught up on all the new restaurants, bars and other hospitality businesses in development visit our Under Construction List.
Update: Since this article was published the prospective name of this business has been changed to Oun Lido’s.