Category: Closings

After 15 years Big Sky has decided to close their operation in the Public Market House effective November 24th. A statement posted in the Market House reads in part,

…We have been on Monument Square for 15 years and  it was a difficult decision to close the store. Unfortunately, the store was unable to rebound from the pandemic. As you know, many office workers in the downtown area are now working remotely and it appears that trend will continue for the foreseeable future. In addition, some businesses have left the downtown area and the result is that our core customers – downtown workers – has substantially diminished. IT is unclear if this will turnaround at some point, but it made sense to close rather than renewing our lease…

One Fifty Ate (aka 158 Pickett Street Cafe) announced today that they’re permanently closing their South Portland cafe.

WE WANT TO SAY THANK YOU to all our our incredible customers & employees over the past 20 amazing years of our beloved shop.
Unfortunately, we have made the difficult decision to PERMANENTLY CLOSE our doors. 😢
Much of this is a result of the combined effect that COVID-19 has had on our industry, the labor shortage, increased cost of goods, and our need to refocus our efforts on our other endeavors.
We are HONORED to have served the community, and shared many great times with each and every one of you.
Thank you all. So very much.
Stay tuned for updates on “Ashley’s Going Away” & our “Farewell Friends” party. We would love a chance to see you again.
Much ❤️love❤️ from,
Josh, Ashley, Katie & the many years of the pirate crew

To read more about 158 see this recent article in Mainer News.

Other Side Delicatessen announced they are permanently closing their West End location. They were not able to negotiate a renewal of their lease.

We are so bummed to have to share this news today. Sunday August 15th will be our last day of service on the West End. It has been a pleasure to serve all of you over the last five years and we could not be more grateful for your patronage.

Chef/owner Muhammad ‘Casey’ Jabrawi has decided to close Coco Cones, his chicken and waffle eatery located on the second floor of the Public Market House. Jabrawi will be directing his full energies to his other business Paella Seafood on  Forest Ave.

Anyone interested in taking over the Coco Cones space can reach Jabrawi at (813) 998-4433 or M_jabrawi@hotmail.com, or contact the Market manager at (207) 939-0980.

Natalie DiBenedetto has announced she plans to close Figgy’s, her takeout fried chicken kitchen in the West End.

Last couple weeks of service! We’ll miss all the kind and generous folks that we’ve met over the years. Sad, yes-but when it’s time, it’s time.

The owners of Pigeons have announced they plan to close the Washington Ave restaurant. This Saturday will be their last day in business. Pigeons opened on May 12th of this year.

Hi, friends. This will be our last week of service at PIGEONS. Life is certainly not a straight path… but that’s the pain and beauty of it. Thank you to the team behind PIGEONS who created something truly magical. A team full of talent, professionalism, charm, wit and heart.

The owners plan to expand their wine shop, Maine & Loire, into the full space of the restaurant.

MJ’s Wine Bar owner Mark Ohlson has announced that he’ll be closing down MJ’s Wine Bar, and that he’s working on launching a new business.

Thank you for all the laughter, memories, music and conversation. MJ’s was a huge success. We fell in love, dressed up, danced and drank some truly incredible wines. Thank you Portland for attending countless wine talks and crazy themed parties. We conga-lined barrels of wine at the bar and sabered bottles of celebration on the patio. It was the dream I had always wanted and we made it come true. Voted Best Wine List in Portland all seven years we were open (humbling). Named Top 20 Wine Bars in the USA by Wine Enthusiast (super humbling), and most importantly, I got to meet you and spend time with you. Thank you. I am so thankful for everything. And now, it is time to move on. Not because MJ’s wasn’t a success, but because I have a new idea in my head and it won’t leave me alone unless I bring it to life.
See you in May, I hope you like to dance…

Bill’s Pizza, a longtime fixture in Portland, has announced they will be closing their Old Port location on February 28th.

Bill’s pizza is closing on commercial st. Come down and get your last pizza from Portland. Make sure you come say bye to Jess as she is not going to be going to Old Orchard with us. She is however looking for a new position if you have one to offer! Just about everything is up for sale if you are looking for restaurant equipment. We will miss all of you and hope to see all our regular faces before February 28th.

The Bill’s Pizza in Old Orchard Beach will remain in business.