Category: Closings

Slab Sicilian Street Food is closing. The restaurant’s last day in business will be this Saturday October 12th. A statement from the owners reads in part,

For over a decade, we’ve had the privilege to bring Stephen Lanzalotta’s masterpiece to the masses, and the reception has been overwhelmingly positive! We’re so grateful for the national recognition we’ve received and for our fans far and wide – we cannot thank you enough for your support and kind words through the years. ⁣
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We also want to give huge props to our dedicated staff who have enthusiastically embraced the art & science behind creating the most luscious pizza in all the land.⁣

Slab was launched in June 2014 by Stephen Lanzalotta, Jason Loring, Matt Moran, Tobey Moulton and Emily Kingsbury. Lanzalotta had previously been the baker at Micucci’s where Portlanders were introduced to his version of a slab-based pizza. Lanzalotta passed away in 2022. While best known for their rectangular slices of pizza, the menu has also included salads, sandwiches, a great beer selection, desserts and thin-crust pizzas.

While the restaurant is closing the frozen pizza part of the business will continue on. You’ll be able to find the Slab rising crust pizzas at dozens of locations in Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire—a full list is available on slabportland.com.

The Press Herald has explored why so many restaurants are closing.

A surge of restaurant closures in Greater Portland that started in early September accelerated in recent weeks when a popular Bayside pizzeria, a recently opened Old Port gastropub and a longtime Yarmouth landmark all announced they were shutting down. With food and labor costs rising as the industry’s slowest season approaches, more could be coming.

For some further discussion see these three threads on Reddit.

In a statement on his facebook account chef and business owner Christian Hayes shared that he’s shut down three of his four business and will be redirecting his energy into Dandelion Catering Company (website, facebook, instagram). The statement reads in part,

We pushed as long as we could. What started as a company that was able to properly communicate it’s appreciation and love for the people who supported it very thoughtfully and consistently, grew into a multi-armed, multi-headed beast that took us away from what made it all so special and successful to begin with: each other.

Here we are, now. In a display of serendipitous regression, we as a family find ourselves back to where it literally all started 16 years ago, at Dandelion Catering Co. One business. One spot. One staff. We are picking the pieces up slowly, and working towards repairing it all. The beautiful dining space that was The Garrison will be for rent for our private events and popups, and we are focused on simplifying and streamlining the catering company to be as thoughtful and fulfilling as it should be. The clarity that is gained from this forceful downsizing is allowing us to focus on repairing everything around us, and finding focus in each day forward.

Hayes had closed The Garrison in July. This announcement extends that to include his cafe and store on Main Street in Yarmouth: Thoroughfare and Dandy’s Handy Store. Thoroughfare launched as a takeout pop-up operating out of The Garrison in June 2020 and moved into its own space on Main Street in 2021. Dandy’s Handy Store opened in May 2023.

Coals Pizza (website, instagram) owner Billy Etzel has announced plans to close the Bayside restaurant which has been in operation since 2019.

Sorry folks but after this weekend we’ll be putting Coals Bayside to rest. We’ll be open for regular hours while supplies last. Thanks for the memories!

Coals is well loved for their wings and pizza. The Maine Sunday Telegram gave them 3½ stars and New York Times gave their Bronxville location a rating of Very Good.

Coals is located at 114 Preble Street in the building that had formerly been the home of Portland & Rochester.  Coals currently operates a 2nd location in Norwalk, Connecticut.

Thistle & Grouse (website, facebook, instagram) has permanently closed. Their last day in business was this past weekend. A statement from owners Kimberly Kraus and chef Bobby Will reads in part,

Unfortunately not all things in life are meant to be and this is one of those moments. We set out to Portland from Bar Harbor with a dream of opening a neighborhood gastropub that brought creative comfort food into a warm inviting environment for friends to share libations, laughs and memories.

But a difficult path of remodel met with multiple delays and permitting hurdles, a terrible first winter full of flooded downtowns and snow, combined with a crippling inflation that made it nearly impossible to keep it together, painted a different picture for us.

Will, Kraus and key members of the staff had previously worked together at Kraus’ and Will’s former restaurant Salt and Steel in Bar Harbor.

Thistle & Grouse opened at 10 Cotton Street on December 1, 2023. The restaurant received 3½ stars in a review published by the Maine Sunday Telegram in March. The business is now for sale.

Sisters Gourmet Deli has shared plans to close their Portland sandwich shop. Their last day in business will be this Monday September 30th. The announcement on instagram reads in part,

9ish years ago I was a girl with a dream of creating a Sandwich Empire. We have made so many friends in this little shop. We have catered thousands of events. We have won awards. We have supported people through college (me included). I have been invited to incredible places because of sandwiches, and I am forever grateful for the opportunities brought to light because of this place. I also know it’s time to get out while we’re on top.

Sisters opened on May 1, 2016 at 15 Monument Square. They plan to continue operating the Sisters location in Bath which opened in 2019.

The truth is, we’ve outgrown this beautiful little spot, and Bath has very much stolen our hearts. My husband Nick and I have been operating at full throttle for some time now and it’s time for us to make a smart choice by concentrating all of our efforts in Bath.

Golden Lotus (website, facebook, instagram) has closed. A sign in the window at 511 Congress Street reads “Closed for Good”.  The owners have posted a brief statement on facebook,

Thank you all so much for the last ten years. We truly appreciate all of the love and support you have given us. We look forward to some much needed rest with family and friends. Hopefully, you are able to find another restaurant you like (almost) as much as Golden Lotus!

The owners of Ohno have announced plans to close their West End cafe “just before Thanksgiving.”

As many of you know, this year is Ohno’s 20th anniversary. Today we must announce it will be the last. Years of caring for ill and aging parents while trying to cobble together a staff in the post-pandemic world have left us tapped out. For our own well-being and our family’s, we plan to close just before Thanksgiving.

They’re seeking someone who might want to take the business over: “If any of you love the Ohno as much as we do and think you’d like to take it on, we are open to proposals.”

The When Pigs Fly (website, facebook, instagram) retail shop at 65 Hanover Street in West Bayside has closed. A sign in the door reads,

Good Morning!
Thank you for stopping by When Pigs Fly!
Due to unfortunate circumstances, the Portland When Pigs Fly store has permanently closed.
We thank the Portland Community for supporting us, and encourage all to visit us online at www.sendbread.com

The York-based bakery opened their Portland location last October.

Gross Confection Bar has announced that they’ll be closing their daytime bakery on September 1st. The announcement reads in part,

The decision to close wasn’t easy, but staffing shortages have made it increasingly difficult to keep things running smoothly. We’ve been battling this challenge since COVID, and unfortunately, it hasn’t improved over the past year.

While it saddens us to say goodbye, we’re not disappearing entirely! We’re excited to continue offering a few baked goods during the evening and plan to host bakery pop-ups on weekends from time to time. We’ll keep you posted on those sweet details as soon as we have them.

Gross Confection Bar’s evening dessert and cocktail bar will be unimpacted by this change. The Gross Bakery opened on July 4, 2019 (when the photo above was taken).