Category: 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.

Don Lindgren has announced he’ll be winding down the Rabelais pop-up bookstore on Washington Ave. Rabelais will be open daily 10 – 5—except Christmas and New Year’s Day—through their last day of operations on January 4th.

When we opened the tiny shop on Washington Avenue in July of 2024, we expected it to be a short-lived pop-up with just a three-month life span. That first few months we had so many great conversations and saw so many friendly faces that we extended our lease an extra fifteen months through the end of this year. The conversations and friends old and new have continued but we’re looking forward to getting back to the cataloguing desk and concentrating on the rare books and our private and institutional clients.

Rabelais will continue selling rare culinary books and ephemera privately, at book fairs, and online at www.rabelaisbooks.com.

Taking over the Rabelais spot on Washington Ave will be Total Loss Books (instagram) which will be run by longtime Rabelais staff member Emma Cousins and by Sam Wells.

Mast Landing Brewing has announced they will be closing their South Portland location at the end of the year.

We want to share an important update with our community. After much reflection, we’ve decided to close our South Portland taproom at the end of 2025. This was not an easy choice, but it will allow us to dedicate our focus and resources to strengthening our Freeport and Westbrook locations.

We’re deeply grateful to everyone who spent time with us in South Portland. The support, moments, and drinks shared have meant so much to our team. While we’ll miss this unique space, we’re looking forward to welcoming our South Portland family (including all SoPo taproom staff) in Westbrook and Freeport in the new year!

The 2,647 sq ft space at 185 Cottage Road is now listed for lease for $15.30/sq ft (NNN). It includes a parking lot space for ~20 cars.

Naomi Hall has announced she’ll be closing Leda (website, instagram) her cafe and drop-in childcare facility. Leda’s last day in business will be Monday.

After much thought and many sleepless nights, I’ve made the difficult decision to close Leda, including both the café and the playspace.

This space has been a dream built from love — a place to nurture connection, creativity, and care. Over these months, I’ve been endlessly grateful for every latte shared, every smoothie enjoyed, and every moment your little ones played and laughed here. Your support has meant everything.

Unfortunately, the business has reached a point where it’s no longer financially sustainable in our current location, and it’s time for me to step back.

Leda opened in late May. It is co-located with Salud on Marginal Way

The Press Herald has reported on the closure of Model T Coffee on Congress Street.

Model T opened in May 2024 in the space formerly occupied by Coffee by design. That CBD location had closed in October of 2023.

The owners of the Eighty-Ate Hospitality, Cecile and Cara Stadler and Emily Topaz, have announced they’ll be closing ZaoZe Café & Market. Their last day in business will be November 1st.

After much reflection and with full hearts, we’ve made the decision to close ZaoZe Café & Market. Our last day of service will be Saturday, November 1, 2025.

ZaoZe has always been more than a cafe – it’s been a space for creativity, collaboration, and community. Since the beginning, we’ve been guided by a love of good food, local ingredients, and meaningful connection. Every meal shared, every market visit, and every conversation across our tables has meant the world to us.

This decision wasn’t easy. The hospitality landscape has changed in many ways, and after careful consideration, we believe this is the right time to close this chapter.

We want to extend our deepest gratitude to our team, our farmers and makers, and to all of you who have supported us – through every season, event, and dream. Your enthusiasm and kindness have made ZaoZe what it is.

ZaoZe opened for business in the summer of 2020. Recently Eighty-Ate had folded Bao Bao into ZaoZe, it had previously operated in the Spring Street location in Portland where it launched in 2014.

Cara was named a Best New Chef by Food & Wine in 2014, and was a James Beard Awards nominee in Rising Star Chef of the Year in 2015.

The owners of Low Stakes have announced the upcoming closure of their Exchange Street steakhouse.

Every good story deserves a proper ending.

After an unforgettable run, Low Stakes Lodge is riding off into the sunset.

Thanks for every steak, every song, every bloomin onion, and dice roll you shared with us at the Lodge. We’re riding this party out for a few more weeks, so come on down and saddle up for one last ride.

The post on instagram goes on to say, “That being said, this isn’t that last you’ve seen of this space. We’re shutting things down for a few months to give the space a facelift, and reopen the doors as more @highrollerlobsterco . This space will be more of what we’ve all known and loved over the last 10 years, and will double as a Highroller private events space.”

Low Stakes was launched by Andy Gerry, Baxter Key, and Peter Bissell in June of last year.