Meredith Goad has written a feature article for today’s Press Herald about how the scarcity and high cost of restaurant spaces in Portland is impacting young chefs who are seeking to open a restaurant.
The city’s food reputation was built on the backs of young, independent chefs opening their own places where they could serve local, seasonal foods and let creativity and originality reign. But as space shrinks and rents rise, some chefs are worried that soon the only people able to open a restaurant in the Old Port and its outskirts will be big names with much deeper pockets than a 28-year-old just out of culinary school.
I HAVE ALWAYS LOOK AT PORTLAND AS A DREAM CHEF LOCATION, TO OWN YOUR BUSINESS BECAUSE THERE IS NOT BIG CHAIN OR BIG NAMES, THAT ARE NOT ACTUALLY WORKING IN THE KITCHEN ,TO RAISE RENT AND PRICES .I DREAM OF ONE DAY ,TO BE PART OF IT, AND HOPEFULLY THIS DREAM DESTINATION WILL NOT CHANGE IN TO A BIG CITY CORPORATE RESTAURANT . NEW HOTEL SHOULD LOOK FOR YOUNG WORKING CHEF THAT WANT TO EXCELL IN THIS BUSINESS AND GIVE OPORTUNITY TO SMALL BUSINESS OWNER TO BE PART OF IT .