Restaurant Real Estate: October 2026

| Posted in Real Estate

Welcome to the October 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

251 Danforth St – A 1,143 sq ft retail space across the street from Ugly Duckling is available for $2,500/month (MG).

Arts District

540 Congress St – The 25,800 sq ft building formerly occupied by Reny’s is for lease for $7.50/sq ft (NNN). The building is also for sale for $2,975,000.

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).

649 Congress St – The 3,850 sq ft former Novel is available for $20/sq ft (MG).

15 Free St – The 1,000 sq ft former Maine Surfer’s Union space is available for $29.50/sq ft (NNN).

18 Free St – The 3,586 sq ft former Wigon Office Supplies space is available for $35/sq ft (MG).

133 Free St – The 7,969 sq ft building partly occupied by Mathews is for sale for $2,465,000. The listing indicates “If desired, sale includes business establishment.”

Bayside/Inner Washington

251 Congress St – LB Kitchen is making this space adjacent to their restaurant available for pop-ups.

52 Hanover St – Two 1,500 sq ft retail spaces (Suite 1, suite 2) on the first floor of the Armature building is available for $30/sq ft (NNN). They’re adjacent to the Aomori restaurant and market.

65 Hanover St – The 1,800 sq ft space that had formerly been occupied by the When Pigs Fly retail shop in 2024 is available for $25/sq ft (NNN).

127 Marginal Way – The 8,170 sq ft space formerly occupied by West Marine is available for $32/sq ft (NNN).

265 Marginal Way – The dining room and kitchen at Minibar are available to sublease to an operator looking to launch a new business in the space, for use as a commercial kitchen, or in partnership to operate food service for Minibar.

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.

375 Riverside St – A 7,311 sq ft retail space is available to lease for $16-19/sq ft (NNN).

123 Washington Ave – The space formerly occupied by Maine Craft Distilling has been subdivided into a set of six retail and restaurant spaces with five remaining available. They range in size from 939 to 2,020 sq ft and are available for $18 – $30 (NNN). For more information contact Brice O’Connor at (207) 553-1725 or boconnor@boulos.com. See this instagram post for some history of the building and neighborhood.

186 Washington Ave – The 7,620 sq ft Am Vets building is for sale for $990,000.

Old Port

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 $25/sq ft (NNN). The sale price is $2,900,000.

57 Exchange St – The 4,334 sq ft former Gross Confection space is available for $45/sq ft (MG).

201 Federal St – The 2,300 sq ft space with a patio in the Casco building formerly occupied by Milly’s Market is available for $25/sq ft (MG). The building owners are seeking a business to open a market in that space.

366 Fore St – The 5,458 sq ft former Old Port Billiards space is available for $20/sq ft (NNN).

416 Fore St – The 1,100 sq ft former Mark’s Place is available for  $5,500/month (MG).

420 Fore St – The 2,200 sq ft former Old Port Slice Bar space is available for $50/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).

442 Fore St – A 1,200 – 2,400 sq ft space across from the Hyatt is available for $45-60/sq ft (MG).

46 Market St – The 2,100 sq ft former Blind Pig basement space is available for $35/sq ft (NNN).

115 Middle St– A 2,065 sq ft retail space is available for $39.75/sq ft (MG). Many years ago this was the home of the Model Foods Market.

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).

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), the market portion of the building is also for sale for $1,699,000. For more information on the building and its history see this post on instagram.

66 Pearl St – The 8,537 sq ft of space that had formerly been home to Bull Moose and Anthony’s are available for $18.50/sq ft (MG).

Outer Forest Ave Area

634 Forest Ave – the 1,364 former Abbiocco space is available. The property includes 13 parking spots and a fully built out kitchen and cafe space.

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.

Elsewhere in Portland

91 Auburn St – A pair of retail spaces (1,500 and 5,000 sq ft) are available in the Northgate Shopping Plaza for

144 Fore St – A 1,527 sq ft space in the same building as Madrid’s is available for $17.50 – $25/sq ft (NNN).

1364 Congress St – An 1,864 sq ft retail space is available in the Westgate 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

323 Broadway – The Ferry Village Market and the building/land it occupies is for sale for $1,300,000.

725 Broadway – The 15,524 sq ft former Broadway Bowl building is for sale for $2,500,000, and also available to lease.

185 Cottage Rd – The 2,646 sq ft former Mast Landing tasting room is for lease for $16/sq ft (NNN). It includes 20 parking spaces.

Elsewhere in Maine

111 Bath Rd, Brunswick – The Fat Boy Drive-In business and property are for sale for $695,000. Fat Boy has been in business since 1955.

7 Dunlap St, Brunswick – The 4,635 sq ft former Tonic at Bolos space is for sale for $799,000.

286 Main St, Kingfield – The Rolling Fatties property and business are for sale for $550,000. You can read the owner’s statement about their plans here.

53 Pleasant St, Lubec – The 400 sq ft former Morano’s Authentic Pizza building is for sale for $349,900.

200 US Route One, Scarborough – The 1,421 sq ft space formerly occupied by The Cheese Iron is available.

276 Scarborough Downs Rd, Scarborough – Six retail spaces in a new building at The Downs are available. They include two designated as restaurant spaces that are 2,498 and 5,148 sq ft. They’ll be available to occupy in the spring of 2027.

1574 Post Rd, Wells – The building formerly occupied by the North Star Lounge is for sale for $1,399,000.

4 & 7 Dana St, Westbrook – A 5,085 sq ft restaurant space is available in a new building that is under construction with plans to open in 2027.

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.

The Cafe by Twin Tide

| Posted in Under Construction

Hannah Maltby and Cathy Hayward are leasing a 627 sq ft space in the Equality Commons building on Casco Street where they plan to launch The Cafe by Twin Tide. The menu is still under development but is expected to include grab-and-go soups, salads, sandwiches, and baked goods like cookies, brownies, blondies, muffins, whoopies, and pie.

Hayward and Maltby look forward to being a resource to the building residents as well as office workers and people who live in the area. They plan to be open from breakfast through to 6 pm. They hope to launch the cafe before the end of the year.

Hayward and Maltby launched Twin Tide Kitchen (website, facebook, instagram) this summer and since July have operated The Hut by Twin Tide on Commercial Street serving sandwiches, salads, baked goods, ice cream and drinks.

Botanically Curious Closing in November

| Posted in Closings

Owner Paula Kersch has announced she’ll be closing the Botanically Curious (website, facebook, instagram) apothecary. Its last day in business will be November 22nd.

After careful consideration, I’ve made the decision to close the physical Botanically Curious educational apothecary and third space in downtown Portland.

I have owned Botanically Curious & served communities through this work for almost 10 years. Opening the apothecary was a beautiful experiment, one I am incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to create. But life is pulling me in a few different directions, and I want to be more present for my family as I move through some big transitions.

Botanically Curious is located at 419 Congress Street in the first floor of the Masonic building. It opened for business on April 5, 2024. Kersch will be selling all non-Botanically Curious products in stock at a 40% discount.

2027 Beard Awards Open Call

| Posted in General News

The James Beard Foundation has launched their annual Open Call for the 2027 Beard Awards (facebook | instagram). Recommendations from the general public, industry professionals, and regional judges are considered by the awards subcommittee as they put together the list of semifinalists for each year.

We’re looking for chefs, creators, food system leaders, and more who could be the next James Beard Award winners! Whether you published a cookbook in the last year, own a restaurant, or advocate for food system change, we encourage you to submit your entries and recommend your talented colleagues.

Are there Maine restaurants, bars, chefs, bakers, beverage professionals, or restauranteurs that you feel meet a high standard for excellence? To bring them to the attention of the Beard Foundation just create an account and submit your recommendation on the JBF Awards Platform. The deadline for the open call process is Monday, November 30th.

If the 2027 awards follows a similar pattern from last year, then the semifinalist list will come out in late January, the final nominee list will be released in April and the 2027 award winners will announced in June.

For your reference here are:

Maine Food & Dining News: Buxton, Lewiston, Biddeford, Topsham, Freeport, Wells, Brunswick, Deer Isle, Kennebunk, Auburn, South Portland, Gardiner, Cumberland

| 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 restaurant called The Mustard Public House (website, facebook) has opened at 1420 Long Plains Road in Buxton in the building formerly occupied by Oak and Ember. The menu includes dishes like smoked wings, Caesar salad, burnt ends chili, burgers, spaghetti and meatballs, and warm bourbon apple crisp. They’re open Thursday through Monday, 4 – 10 pm.
  • The Lewiston cocktail bar Sonder & Dram (facebook) has reopened under new ownership. Davinci’s Eatery owner Craig Tribuno took over the space in June—the original version of the business closed a year earlier. The menu (see below) includes house and classic cocktails, beer, wine, nonalcoholic drinks and dishes like tacos, grilled cheese, pulled pork sandwiches, seared tuna and truffle fries. Sonder & Dram will be open Friday and Saturday, 4 – 11 pm. They’re located at 12 Ash Street.
  • Rift Arcade (website, facebook, instagram) has reopened in Biddeford at their new location at 5 Washington Street. Their menu includes pizza bagels, mac and cheese, hot dogs, sandwiches and snacks like pretzel bites and mozzarella sticks. They serve cocktails, mocktails, beer and wine.
  • The Press Herald has published an article about Maine Canned Fish (website), a new business that’s a collaboration between Erika Colby from Anoche and Joshua Scher. “The factory in Topsham is located in the former Hancock Lobster Facility. Maine Canned Fish began its 20 month build-out in fall 2024. It is the first new seafood canning factory in the state in over 50 years.”
  • A new restaurant called The Kingtide (website, facebook) is under development and expected to open this March in Freeport. Owners Rick and Tatiana Boyd are taking over the Lobster Cooker space (shown above) at 38 Main Street. The Kingtide menu is still under development but expected to offer a broad assortment of dishes that make use of locally sourced ingredients and taps into Rick Boyd’s Southern heritage as well as globally-inspired flavors and techniques. The Boyds also operate Rambler Irish Bistro in Yarmouth. The Lobster Cooker will remain open through October 31st. The owners shared, “We have appreciated the support of our local community, the many partners we have had to help spread word our delicious food & the many, many families that made us part of their trip to Maine every year! Thank you all for great run!”
  • The Portsmouth Herald has reported that Exeter-based Ani’s Bakery Cafe (website, facebook, instagram) is planning to open a second location in Wells. It will be located at 175 Depot Road and will be opening on October 11th.
  • The Bowdoin Orient has published an article about Paolo’s, an Italian restaurant that opened earlier this year in Brunswick. “Paolo’s, named after Jeremy Kratzer’s late grandfather Paul Macher, fittingly built its menu around the comforts of the home.”
  • Aragosta on Deer Isle is holding a Champagne dinner on October 22nd in colaboration with Victorieux Champagne.  The New York Times recently featured a recipe from Aragosta chef Devin Finigan’s new book A Kitchen on Goose Cove.
  • Chez Rosa in Kennebunk is holding a Fall Harvest Brunch on Sunday October 11th.
  • The Lewiston Sun Journal reports that the Court Street location of Nutty Netties in Auburn closed on Sunday.
  • The Press Herald has published a report on teenager Charlie Heeley and her South Portland business The Little Crumb Bakery.
  • The Kennebec Journal has published an update on Plum Bakery (instagram) which Kristen Lamontagne has under construction in Gardiner.
  • As previously reported, the bakery cafe Mère (website, instagram) has opened for business in Cumberland. They’re open daily 7 am – 7 pm.

The Maine Food Map is our statewide dining guide with a list of 123 coffee shops, bars, restaurants, bakeries, cafes, and other food and dining businesses from across Maine’s 16 counties.

Upcoming Food & Dining Events

| Posted in Events

Tuesday – Via Vecchia is hold the 3rd Annual Bitter Ball Negroni Contest. Salt Yard is holding a Rwanda Bean pop-up tasting.

Wednesday – Glenn Prickett, the CEO of the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, will be the guest speaker at an Open Door event organized by the Maine Trust for Local News.

Thursday – Wayside Food Programs is holding their annual Inside Wayside event with food provided by the Casco Bay Chapter of the American Chefs Federation.

Friday – Somali chef Ifrah F. Ahmed will be at Coffee by Design for a book signing for her cookbook Soomaaliya.

Saturday – Oxbow Brewing’s annual Goods from the Woods event is taking place in Newcastle; tickets are now on sale.

October 5 – Luncheonette is relaunching their Korean Night Dinner series.

October 8 – The Maine Food Producers Showcase & Golden Fork Awards are taking place in Portland.

October 10 – Angoor Wine Bar is holding a 3-course Puerto Rican and Indian wine dinner.

October 11 – Chef and author Erin French will be speaking at the State Theatre. Tickets include a copy of her book The Lost Kitchen: Seize the Supper.

October 12 – Ladyfish will be holding an “all-you-can-eat buffet plus passed bites throughout the evening” on their last day in business.

October 13 – High Roller is holding a Maker’s Mark tasting dinner.

October 15-17 – Harvest on the Harbor is taking place. Tickets are now on sale for all three events.

October 16 – The Pierogi Prince is holding a pop-up at the Local 188 event space.

October 17 – The Maine Tool Library is holding a cider pressing event.

October 17-18 – The Messy Cookie is hold the 2nd Annual Cookie Fest.

October 21 – Chaval is serving a 4-course Burgundy wine dinner.

October 24 – The 21st Annual Veg Fest is taking place.

October 25 – The Great Maine Apple Day is taking place in Unity.

November 16 – The 2026 Hospitality Maine Summit is taking place.

November 25 – The last day of the year for the Deering Oaks Farmers’ Market.

December 5 – The first day of the 2026/27 Winter Farmers’ Market at Stevens Square Community Center at the corner of Stevens Avenue and Walton Street.

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 2026 Portland and Midcoast pocket guides are now for sale in packs of 25 on our online store.

Mère Now Open in Cumberland

| Posted in Openings

Georgia Macon has launched her bakery cafe Mère (website, instagram) today. It’s located at 204 Gray Road in Cumberland across the street from Skillins Greenhouses.

She describes Mère as a “a technique-driven comfort bakery” making the “best possible version of foods people already know and love…we do not bow to topical trends, and we do not fear butter.”

The bakery menu (see below) includes naturally leavened breads, pastries, cakes, cardamon buns and a full brewed and espresso-based coffee program. Beans for the drip coffee are sourced from Coffee by Design, and espresso drinks will be made with coffee from Townie Coffee Roasters. Shown above are the pain au chocolat and a cortado.

The savory menu includes options like a turkey pesto sandwich and baby gem and buttermilk salad (shown above), farro verde, croque madame, quiche lorraine and a ploughman’s sandwich on sprouted rye.

Macon and her team have renovated the 2,000 sq ft building with seating for ~30 people as well as a small market that sells beer, wine, house-made jams and preserves, take-and-bake meals, and pantry staples. Mère is open daily 7 am – 7 pm.

Macon was formerly the executive pastry chef for the Prentice Hospitality Group. She attend Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, and worked at Tartine Bakery in San Francisco and was part of the team that launched Tartine Manufactory. In 2023 she was recognized as a Rising Star Pastry Chef by Star Chefs.