Restaurant Real Estate: August 2026

| Posted in Real Estate

Welcome to the August 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

770 Congress St – A 2,602 sq ft building near Bramhall Square is for sale for $850,000.

785 Congress St – A 1,619 sq ft retail space near Bramhall Square is available for $23/sq ft (NNN).

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

25 Casco St – A 627 sq ft cafe space in the Equality Commons building is available to lease for $20/sq ft (MG).

540 Congress St – The 25,800 sq ft building formerly occupied by Reny’s is for lease for $7.50/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).

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

East End

1 North St – The 1,200 sq ft space formerly occupied by Belleville is available for $45/sq ft.

Bayside/Inner Washington

239 Congress St – The Tiny Tim’s space is available. Call (207) 450-6610 for more information.

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

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).

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).

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

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 2,754 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. Contact Sasha Phillips for more information (sphillips@boulos.com, 860-387-3408).

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

375 Fore St – The 2,500 sq ft central bar and dining area of the former Henry’s Public House is available to lease for $9,500/month (MG).

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).

127 Middle St –The 3,512 sq ft former Cellardoor tasting room is for lease for $43/sq ft (NNN).

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 5,796 sq ft space that was the former home of Bull Moose is available for $15.75/sq ft (MG).

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).

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.

1435 Forest Ave – The 2,910 sq ft former Fortune Garden building is for sale for $550,000.

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.

Elsewhere in Portland

144 Fore St – several retail space in the same building as Madrid’s are available. They run from 1,527 to 3,544 sq ft and are listed at $17.50 – $19/sq ft.

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 space formerly occupied by Maine Craft Distilling is being subdivided into 4 retail spaces and 2 earmarked for bars or restaurants. They range in size from 1,005 to 2,542 sq ft and are available for $18 – $33 (NNN). For more information contact Brice O’Connor at (207) 553-1725 or boconnor@boulos.com.

Westgate Shopping Center – 1,340 – 3,200 sq ft of space are available. The lease rates are negotiable.

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 th 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 $3,200,000, and also available to lease.

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

465 Maine Mall Rd – a 6,350 sq ft restaurant building formerly occupied by Chili’s is available for $35/sq ft.

Elsewhere in Maine

Bandaloop, Arundel – After 20 years in business the owners of Bandaloop have shared plans to sell the restaurant property. The Portsmout Herald reports that Bandaloop property is under contract and the sale expected to close later this year.

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.

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

74 Carry Rd, Oquossoc – Portage Tap House is for sale for $1.9M.

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

267 Scarborough Downs Rd, Scarborough – Six retail spaces in a new building at The Downs are available. They range in size from 1,091 – 5,248 sq ft. They’ll be available to occupy in the spring of 2027.

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 Other Side Diner Reopening

| Posted in Openings

The Other Side Diner (facebook, instagram) is holding their grand reopening Saturday, August 1st. The diner is under the new ownership of Danielle Dubois and Dan Washington. Dubois has been a member of the Other Side kitchen staff for the last year, and Washington has several years experience cooking in the Portland area.

The layout of the room remains the same, and Washington and Dubois are taking a very similar approach with the menu (see below) continuing to serve dishes like the lamb gyro, Monte Cristo sandwich, falafel eggs benedict and pancakes. Other Side offers coffee, tea and other soft drinks as well as a selection of local beers, cider, kombucha and brunch drinks like mimosas. Dubois and Washington hope to eventually open the diner for dinner. Shown above are the turkey club sandwich and a side of Greek donuts.

The diner is located at 500 Washington Avenue and will be open Monday through Friday 8 am – 2 pm, and Saturday/Sunday 8 am – 3 pm.

Founders Peter and Jessica Sueltenfuss sold the business to Washington and Dubois in June. They initially opened it in April 2019.

CN Traveler: 20 Best Bars

| Posted in Reviews

Conde Nast Traveler has published their list of the 20 Best Bars in Portland, Maine.

Something’s come over Portland, Maine, lately. The city’s bar life has become a mirror to its exploding complexity, and the only reasonable way to respond is to sip your way through it.

The list features: Benny’s, Blyth & Burrows, Bramhall, Bubba’s, Central Provisions, Chaval, Downtown Lounge, East Ender, Elizabeth, Five of Clubs, Lazzari, Lucky Cheetah, Maps, Novare Res, Oxbow, Papi, The Jewel Box, The Marquis, Top of the East, Via Vecchia

Zaitun to Open Saturday

| Posted in Openings

A Somali restaurant called Zaitun (instagram) is under construction on Forest Ave in the building formerly occupied by Loco Taco. Owner Abdulrahman Idow plans to launch Zaitun this Saturday, August 1st at noon.

Idow hopes Zaitun can “be a place where people can experience authentic Somali cuisine, whether they’re reconnecting with the flavors of home or trying them for the very first time. We look forward to bringing our community together and introducing more of Maine to the rich culture of Somalia.”

The restaurant will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner (see menus below) with options like Hummus Oodkac (hummus topped with Somali spiced beef jerky), injera-based dishes prepared with chicken, lamb or vegetables, Channa Masala (chickpeas simmered in tomato and onion gravy with ginger, garlic, cumin and coriander), shwarma wraps, sambusas, and desserts.

Zaitun is located at 849 Forest Avenue and will be open Monday through Thursday, 9 am – 9 pm, and Friday/Saturday, 9 am – 11 pm.

 

Sweetfern Geometer Opens Today

| Posted in Openings

Sweetfern Geometer (instagram) is set to open Wednesday, July 29th. Owner William Justice has completely renovated the former Bake Maine Pottery Cafe space at 122 Washington Ave. It now features a 20-seat bar and overall seating capacity for 50 guests. Sweettfern will be open Wednesday through Sunday, 5 – 9 pm.

Justice is initially launching Sweetfern with counter service and an abreviated bar menu (see below) that includes Scallop Crudo plated with kielbasa, cucumber, scallion mayo, green oil and red currant, Spelt Demi-Boule served with radish and marigold butter, and the option of Marinated Chicken or Tofu served with charred heirloom tomato, basil, Irish moss, trumpet mushorooms, Szechuan pepper and masa. The beverage program will initially include, beer and wine with plans to add a cocktail with the launch of the full menu.

When the full menu and table service comes on line, Sweetfern will serve some a la carte options with the central offering of family-style meals utilizing seasonal ingredients and guided by dinner guest preferences (vegetarian, seafood, etc).

Justice began his career in hospitality running an underground catering operation in California as an offshoot of his work in the publishing industry. The side venture to provide food for book events eventually became center stage in his career. He went on to launch a farm-to-table restaurant and bookstore/coffee shop in Kansas, before moving to NYC where he was the chef and co-owner Tannat Wine & Cheese. Earlier this year he opened a bakery/cafe in an adjacent space called Mourning Cloak (instagram).

Ilma Lopez Runs for City Council

| Posted in People

Chef Ilma Lopez, co-owner of Chaval and Ugly Duckling, is running for the District 5 seat on the Portland City Council. A statement on her campaign website reads,

I believe Portland should be a city where families, working people, and seniors can afford to live, where neighborhoods are safe and welcoming, where local businesses can grow, and where every child has access to a strong education. My approach is practical: listen to residents, spend taxpayer dollars responsibly, and focus on solutions that strengthen District 5 and all of Portland.

The other candidates for District 5 are Michael Todd Chretien, Jakobi Delgado, and Kevin Gardella. You can read about the full set of 10 candidates running for spots on the City Council in this article from the Press Herald.