Welcome to the December 2024 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
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.
Bayside/Inner Washington
52 Hanover St – On the first floor of the Armature is 1,500 – 3,000 sq ft of retail space available for $30/sq ft (NNN). One spot in the building has been earmarked for a coffee shop.
178 Kennebec St – 2,644 sq ft of space are 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).
266 Commercial St – a 6,689 sq ft retail space is available in this new construction building for $20-22/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 $34.99/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.
340 Fore St – a 932 retail space at the corner of Fore and Silver Streets is available to lease for $35/sq ft (MG).
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).
40 Free St – a 1,511 sq ft space in the new building constructed by JB Brown is available for $27.50/sq ft (NNN).
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 (G).
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).
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).
35 Silver St – The North Point closed in October. The business is now for sale for $75,000.
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.
630 Forest Ave – a 1,440 sq ft retail space in Woodfords Corner is available for $17 (NNN).
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 $19.98/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 $895,000.
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 $2,095,000. 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 $875,000. Fat Boy has been in business since 1955.
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.