Revel Now Open in Falmouth

| Posted in Openings

Owners Emma Martin and Sami Smart launched Revel (website, facebook, instagram), a ~35-seat wine and cocktail bar, this past Wednesday. Revel is in the Wyeth building at 267 Route 1 Unit 103 in Falmouth.

The food menu (see below) includes bar snacks like warm olives, deviled eggs (shown above) and smoked trout with chips, small plates like garlic shrimp, brisket and Caesar salad (shown above) as well as chacuterie and cheese boards. There’s also an option for a Snack Tower sized for 6+ people. The bar menu includes classic cocktails, house specialty mixed drinks, spritzs like the Trentino (cappeletti, pink peppercorns, bubbly, soda) wines by the glass, mocktails, beer, cider and hard cider. There’s also an extensive bottle list.

The stylish space offers bar and table seating as well as recessed lounge area (center right). Revel’s hours are evolving. Over the next few days they’ll be open Sunday, Monday and Wednesday at 4 pm, and anticipate opening at 11 am on Thursday as they launch their midday grab and go menu.

Here’s a look at the food, cocktails and wine by the glass menus:

Also, here is the bottle list. The wines are available to enjoy at Revel or to purchase and take home.

 

Maine Food & Dining News: Brunswick, Wiscasset, Yarmouth, Westbrook, Hallowell, Falmouth, South Portland, Bucksport, Cape Elizabeth, Rockport, Bethel, Jonesboro

| Posted in Maine

New food and dining developments are taking place all across Maine. Here are some recent updates to keep you in the know:

  • A new bakery/cafe called Baked on Maine (facebook, instagram) opened for business in Brunswick (right photo) on Friday. It’s located at 41 Maine Street in the space formerly occupied by the Great Impasta. The menu includes breakfast options like pancakes, avocado toast, sausage biscuits and gravy, and a variety of breakfast sandwiches. For lunch they offer a wide range of sandwiches for lunch like beef on Weck, a caprese panini and a chicken parm. Baked on Maine also offers baked goods from Wildflours Bakery in Brunswick. They’ll initially be open Friday through Monday, 8 am – 2 pm.
  • Stacy and Ryan Linehan have sold their business Treats (website, facebook, instagram) in Wiscasset (center photo). The new owners are Joeseph Swifka and Emily Hughes. The couple have most recently worked at the Costal Maine Botanical Gardens where Swifka was the executive chef and Hughes worked in the garden shop. The Linehans themselves bought the business and have operated it for the last 20 years. The founders were Helen and Denny Davis. Hughes and Swifka will be the fifth set of owners of Treats.
  • Chef Christian Hayes has launched the Sparhawk Tavern (instagram) in Yarmouth in the space he formerly operated his restaurant The Garrison. The Garrison closed in July 2024. It’s currently open for takeout only Wednesday through Saturday, 4 – 8 pm with a menu of pub standards like nachos, burgers, fried chicken sandwiches, and wings along with salads, beer, wine and cocktails. Hayes expects to open the dining room for indoor dining soon.
  • A new business called Town Line Diner (facebook) is under construction on Route 302 (left photo) in Westbrook. The diner will be occupying the former Pine Tree Bakery building. It’s being launched by Kori Reece who has been the chef at Lenny’s at Hawkes Plaza and Josh Gelston, the owner of Duck Pond Variety. The menu will have a selection of what Reece is calling greasy spoon classics like omelettes, corned beef hash and biscuits and gravy as well as “silver spoon specialties” like chocolate banana foster pancakes, haddock Benedict’s and “monster” sized sandwiches. The team hopes to launch the 45-seat diner February 1st. When it does will be open Wednesday through Sunday, 6 am – 1 pm.
  • Juiced in Hallowell has announced they’re closing “due to factors related to the sale of our building and its rising rents.” Their last day in business will be January 17th. Juiced opened for business in May 2014.
  • John Paul Gagnon sold his Falmouth restaurant JP’s Bistro (website, facebook, instagram) to Christa Kelly and Bernie’s Foreside owner Adam Shapiro late last year. Long time sous chef Richard Carey is now the executive chef at the restaurant.
  • The Barkery (web, facebook, instagram) is planning to hold their grand opening for their South Portland restaurant and dog park on February 5th. with a community preview day on January 31st.
  • The Bangor Daily News reports that a food truck turned restaurant called Salsa Shack (website, facebook) has opened in Bucksport. It’s located at 84 Main Street in the space formerly occupied by My Buddy’s Place. Salsa Shack is open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 am – 5 pm.
  • Jason Williams, the chef/owner of The Well in Cape Elizabeth was interviewed for the Atlas Obscura podcast.
  • Sara Jenkins, the chef/owner of Nina June in Rockport, was interviewed for the Flipping the Table podcast.
  • Meryl Kelly from A Longer Table Homestead in Bethel was interviewed for the Maine Famous podcast.
  • As reported yesterday, La Laiterie (website, facebook, instagram) is under construction in Jonesboro. Chef Ross Florance and McKenna Koledo hope to soft launch the restaurant this spring and be fully operational in May. Read this article to learn more about their plans.

For a statewide guide to eating and drinking see the Maine Food Map—a growing list of coffee shops, bars, restaurants, bakeries, cafes, plus other food and dining businesses in all of Maine’s 16 counties.

La Laiterie in Jonesboro

| Posted in Maine

Ross Florance and McKenna Koledo have purchased a building in Jonesboro where they plan to open La Laiterie (website, facebook, instagram) an all-day bakery/cafe. The couple shared that they’re excited to launch the restaurant and serve “accessible and approachable French food to Washington County.”

The restaurant’s menu will be draw its inspiration from the culinary traditions of Brittany. La Laiterie will offer a wide range of options from convenient grab-and-go items to dishes like moules-frites, oysters on the half shell, and classic French sandwiches like jambon-beurre for a sit-down meal. French baked goods and pastries, buckwheat crepes, and quiches will be available for breakfast. Additionally, La Laiterie will host Florance’s tasting dinner series Flora.

La Laiterie will be located on the first floor of the 2,500 sq ft building at 749 Route One in Jonesboro. Koledo and Florance are renovating the space which will have a bar in addition to table seating. They shared that the vision for the renovations is to create a room that feels ” warm, cozy and classy” with accents of Brittany culture.

Koledo and Florance hope to soft launch the restaurant this spring and be fully operational in May. La Laiterie will be a year round business and initially be open Thursday through Sunday, 8 am – 4 pm.

Florance’s resume includes several years spent working for chef Thomas Keller at Bouchon Bistro in California and Per Se in NYC, and for chef Eric Ripert at La Bernardin. He operated a previous iteration of La Laterie in Machias in 2023 and 2024. Koledo has a background in marketing and business management. She most recently at SpotCo with a roster of clients from Broadway.

Photo: From a Flora pop-up dinner held in Calais this past August.

Playmakers Pizza and Pub

| Posted in Under Construction

Tom Minervino, Michael Barton and Matthew Reid have leased space at 512 Warren Avenue where they plan to open Playmakers Pizza and Pub. The space was formerly occupied by Turf’s Sports Pub. Playmakers is expected to seat around 100 and will have a room for events.

The draft menu includes pizza by the slice and full pies as well as wings, burgers, chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, nachos, snacks like mozzarella sticks and fried pickles, and desserts. They anticipate being open week days 4 – 10 pm, and weekends 11 am – 10 pm.

Barton and Minervino are owners of Legends Rest Taproom and Paper City BBQ in Westbrook.

Quanto Basta Closing

| Posted in Closings

Chef/owner Betsy Spinillo has announced she’s closing down her restaurant Quanto Basta. You can see her full statement on this instagram post. It reads in-part,

5 years ago, I had an idea for a food truck. It was fulfilling and exciting, and I wanted more. 3 years ago, I had an even crazier idea and got to work on opening up this little pizzeria. It has been successful beyond my expectations, wildly exhausting, and endlessly inspiring. But something inside of me changed this past year. The things that 1 loved most about being a sole-owner/ operator, the drive that once sustained me and gave me the energy every day to show up and be the right kind of boss, friend, server. listener, maker, greeter, educator – it was waning.

It was becoming harder and harder to live up to the expectations / had set for myself in this space, and harder to push away the nagging voice in my head that was telling me that somethings got to give…Throughout my time here in Portland, both personally and professionally, I’ve learned how incredibly important it is to honor that voice. It has guided me towards making some of the most profound decisions that have led to an even truer, richer life than I could have ever imagined for myself…

Spinillo also wrote that, “On February 1st, 249 Congress St. will have a new tenant, but I will let them share that news with you all when they are ready. What I can say is that I feel incredibly honored that they were interested in taking over my space, with that beautiful oven being put to use in ways you have yet to see…”

Spinillo launched the Quanto Basta food truck in 2021. The Quanto Basta restaurant launched in July 2023. The Maine Sunday Telegram gave Quanto Basta 4 star rating.

Upcoming Food & Dining Events

| Posted in Events

Monday – Visit Portland, the Portland Regional Chamber, and HospitalityMaine are launching their Winter Weekdays program. Running through to April 30th, it brings together on winterweekdays.com weekday pricing specials at restaurants from around Maine.

January 15 – Chef Andrew Taylor will be serving a public family meal at the Local 188 event space.

January 17 – Chef Damian Sansonetti will be teaching a Coq Au Vin cooking class and Burgundian wine class at Chaval.

January 20 – Turamali (instagram) will be holding a pop-up at Luncheonette.

January 24 – Courtney Loreg from Woodford’s Food & Beverage will be the guest chef at a Flanagan Farm Supper Club dinner. Asher Boisvert is teaching a vermouth class at Chaval.

January 30 – Adrian Arvizu from Big Tree Hospitality will be the guest chef at a steakhouse themed Flanagan Farm Supper Club dinner.

February 7 – Chef Damian Sansonetti will be teaching a pasta & negroni class at Chaval.

February 8 – Ilma Lopez and Damian Sansonetti will be the guest chefs at a Flanagan Farm Supper Club dinner where they’ll celebrate the menu of their former restaurant Piccolo.

February 13 – Devin Finigan from Aragosta on Deer Isle will be the guest chef at a Flanagan Farm Supper Club dinner.

March 1 – Chef Damian Sansonetti will be teaching a Whole Hog Butchery class at Chaval.

March 6 – The Maine Craft Brew Summit is taking place. Natalie Cilurzo, co-owner and President of Russian River Brewing Company, will be the keynote speaker.

Planning a wedding, holding a business event, or hosting visitors from away? Our printed guides are a great resource to help your guests explore the Maine restaurant scene.

The Portland and Midcoast pocket guides are now for sale in packs of 25 on our online store.

Restaurant Real Estate: January 2026

| Posted in Real Estate

Welcome to the January 2026 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/Libby Town/Parkside

867 Congress St – A former church which at one time was slated to be the future home of Vena’s is for sale for $549,000. The interior has already (see photos on listing) been partially renovated to include a bar/counter.

270 Saint John St – A 2,714 sq ft space in Union Station Plaza is available for $17/sq ft (NNN).

Arts District

11 Brown St – The 5,352 sq ft restaurant space currently occupied by Tokyo Sushi Ramen is for sale for $1,200,000. It comes with a fully equipped kitchen.

540 Congress St – The 27,800 sq ft building formerly occupied by Reny’s is for lease for $9.50/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).

582-584 Congress St – The 680-1,555 sq ft space formerly occupied by Harmon’s is for lease for $2,500 – $5,850/month (NNN).

Bayside/Inner Washington

52 Hanover St – 1,500 sq ft of retail space on the first floor of the Armature building is available for $30/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 $27/sq ft (NNN).

65-67 Portland St – The 2,750 sq ft former Thai Esaan/Back Bay Grill space is available for $16/sq ft (MG).

114 Preble St – The former Coals building is available to lease. The 4,424 sq ft turnkey restaurant is listed at $26/sq ft (NNN) and includes onsite parking and outdoor seating.  For more information on the building and its history see this post on instagram.

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).

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).

10 Cotton St – The 4,606 sq ft former Thistle and Grouse is available for $19.05/sq ft (MG). It has a fully built out kitchen and the dining room was recently renovated.

58 Exchange St – The 1,314 sq ft space formerly occupied by the Cheech & Chong cannabis shop is available for $55/sq ft (MG).

373 Fore St – The 7,500 sq ft former Henry’s Public House building is for lease for $26.50/sq ft (MG).

425 Fore St – This 1,548 sq ft space had been built as a restaurant which never opened. It’s now available for $70/sq ft (MG).

433 Fore St – A 930 sq ft lounge space on the first floor of the Hyatt is for lease for $60/sq ft (MG).

100 Middle St – A 350 sq ft cafe space on first floor of an Old Port office building is available for $850/month (Gross).

157 Middle St – A 2,039 – 5,155 sq ft retail space is available for $27.95/sq ft (MG).

191 Middle St – The 1,500 sq ft retail space formerly occupied by Crystal Joys is for lease for $60/sq ft (MG).

15 Monument Square – The 1,000 sq ft former Sisters Gourmet Deli space is available to lease for $3,600/month (NNN).

28 Monument Square – The building owner is seeking someone to lease the Public Market House and develop the food hall as an incubator space for new food businesses. The 8,064 sq ft space spans the 1st and 2nd floors and has a commercial kitchen in the basement. The well-loved Jamaican restaurant Yardie Ting already occupies part of the first floor and Bub’s Home Kitchen has moved in on the second floor with the remainder of the building vacant and already built out with kitchen infrastructure needed for new businesses. 28 Monument Square is listed at $12/sq ft (NNN). For more information on the building and its history see this post on instagram.

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).

110 Thames St – Two spaces in the Sun Life building are available: a 5,772 sq ft space for $35/sq ft (NNN) and 2,575 sq ft space for $35/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  Weldon Hotel at the corner of York and Maple Streets.

Camp Pennant – this brewery, distillery and restaurant is for sale. Contact Karen Rich for more information at karen@malonecb.com or (207) 210-6637.

Outer Forest Ave Area

332 Forest Ave – A 2,309 sq ft space in a building at the corner of Bedford Street and Forest Ave is available for $16/sq ft (NNN).

683 Forest Ave – a space in Woodford’s Corner most recently occupied by a restaurant called Merveille is for lease. Call (207) 766-8845 for more information.

1569 Forest Ave – The Riverton Station Pizza, Bar & Grill and the property it is on are for sale for $1,700,000.

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

375 Riverside St – several retail spots ranging from 3,050 – 26,285 sq ft are available to lease for $16-19/sq ft (NNN).

123 Washington Ave – The 10,894 sq ft space formerly occupied by Maine Craft Distilling is available for $16/sq ft (NNN). It includes a restaurant, an outdoor seating area and onsite parking.

550 Washington Ave – 2,400 sq ft of the former Botto’s bakery is available to lease for $18/sq ft (NNN).

Northgate Shopping Center – 1,700 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.

Navis Cafe, Thames St – Navis Cafe is for sale for $1,299,000. The 36-seat 1,456 sq ft cafe is located in the WEX building along the Eastern Promenade Trail.

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

1422 Broadway, South Portland – This 1,440 sq ft restaurant building in Cash Corner is for lease for $27/sq ft (NNN).

333 Clarks Pond Parkway, South Portland – a 1,557 sq ft space near Taj in South Portland is for lease for $20-22/sq ft (NNN).

185 Cottage Rd, South Portland – The 2,647 sq ft former Mast Landing tasting room is for lease for $15.30/sq ft (NNN). It includes 20 parking space.

45 Huntress Ave, South Portland– Modestman Brewing is moving their tasting room and that’s freeing up this 2,016 sq ft space. It is available to lease for $4,500/month.

60 Ocean St, South Portland – The restaurant space had been occupied by Taco Trio is for lease. The 6,006 sq ft space is available for $9.99/sq ft (NNN). Taco Trio has returned to their original location at 119 Ocean Street.

Elsewhere in Maine

Bandaloop, Arundel – After 20 years in business the owners of Bandaloop have shared plans to sell the restaurant property. It’s priced at $2,100,000.

186 Main St, Auburn – A new building under construction along the Androscoggin River will include a 4,776 sq ft space that the owners hope to lease to a brewery or restaurant. It’s available for $18.50/sq ft (NNN). An additional 1,340 sq ft space will also be available when construction is completed.

111 Bath Rd, Brunswick – The Fat Boy Drive-In business and property is for sale for $775,000. Fat Boy has been in business since 1955.

7 Dunlap St, Brunswick – The 4,635 sq ft building currently occupied by Tonic at Bolos is for sale for $875,000. It includes all furniture, kitchen equipment and other furnishings.

137 Longwood Rd, Cumberland – A 2,110 sq ft building that’s been partially converted for use as a restaurant is available for $20/sq ft (NNN). See photos in the listing for a look at the current state of construction.

319 Main St, Cumberland – The 2,148 sq ft former Rise Pizza & Pub building is for sale for $850,000, or available to lease for $5,000/month (NNN).

267 Scarborough Downs Rd, Scarborough – Six retail spaces in a new building at The Downs are available. They range in size from 1,091 – 2,208 sq ft. They’ll be available to occupy in the spring of 2027.

60 Mile Rd, Wells – The former Varano’s Restaurant building and a 2 bedroom apartment are for sale for $1,695,000. See this instagram article for additional information on the building and the neighborhood.

863 Main St, Westbrook – The former Frog & Turtle and adjacent retail spaces are for sale for $1,790,000.

4 & 7 Dana St, Westbrook – 2 retail spaces are available in a new building that is under construction with plans to open in 2027. 1,250 – 5,085 sq ft of space (NNN).

10 & 16 Hardy Rd, Westbrook – The building, land and business of Lenny’s at Hawkes Plaza is for sale for $689,000.

161 Main St, Woolwich – The Taste of Maine restaurant on Route One is for sale.

1335 Route 1, Yarmouth – The 6,884 sq ft former Muddy Rudder building is for lease.

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.