Category: Closings

Aurora Provisions, a mainstay of the West End neighborhood, is slated to close its retail store and cafe Labor Day weekend.

The owner issued a statement Wednesday afternoon,

We believe that the catering side of our business represents our future. Though to realize the catering business’ full potential and to meet our current demand, we must devote our full time, talent and resources to this line of service. Therefore, it is with fond sadness but clarity of purpose that we announce the Aurora Provisions café will permanently close on Saturday, September 1, 2018.

We did not come to this decision easily or hastily. Like many of our peers in the food industry, we’ve had our share of challenges and have had to face difficult economic realities, but we are proud to say we’ve done so head-on, with a goal to ensure Aurora’s longevity, which is ultimately what we are doing with this transition.

All café staff will have the opportunity to transition to the catering business as seasonal employees, though we respect some may pursue opportunities elsewhere and are arranging outplacement services through the Maine Department of Labor. This is a talented team and we hope to keep it together.

Happily, we will continue to operate our catering service out of the same location for as long as we can continue to earn your patronage. We know this will come as a shock to many, but with this decision, we believe we can secure a long and bright future for Aurora Provisions.

Thank you for your continued support.

As a longtime West End resident and Aurora customer I’m sad to see this taking place. The building occupies a central location at the intersection of West, Clarke and Pine. Hopefully someone else will step forward to operate a neighborhood cafe in that space, but as of today there’s no word on what the future holds for 64 Pine Street.

Aurora was sold last year by Marika Kuzma Green to the present owner Melissa Carr.

For more information see today’s article on the closure in the Portland Press Herald.

Hella Good Tacos owners Josh and Melissa Bankhead have announced plans to close their business at the end of Saturday.

Dear friends and taco lovers,

We are sad to say we have decided to close Hella Good Tacos. We have had a great nearly 8 year run between our cart and brick and mortar.

However Melissa and I have decided it’s time to let go and try something new.

We will be open until end of day Saturday, unless for some reason we run out of food before hand.

Please come in for one last bite and help us off to our next chapter.

Cheers!
Josh

Eating Portland Alive is reporting that Fork Food Lab plans to close up at the end of September,

After 2 years in operation and one under management of NYC-based Pilotworks, Fork Food Lab is closing and evicting its 35+ entrepreneurs effective September 30th.

Update: the Press Herald has published a report on the closing , as have Maine Startup Insider, and the Bangor Daily News.

Three Dollar Dewey’s has gone out of business.

A sign posted on the front door indicates that the family made the decision to retire, but also hints that “family traditions have a way of continuing forward….”. Could that be a hint that the next generation is working on a new beer bar?

For more information see this article from the Press Herald.

East End Cupcakes has decided to close their retail shop on Fore Street and to focus their business on wholesale and supplying cupcakes  to events.

Over the past 7 years you have allowed us to be a part of your baby showers, gender reveals, birthday celebrations, engagements, weddings, anniversaries, graduations, and so much more- and it has been the honor of a lifetime!

I want to thank everyone who has supported us throughout the years. This dream would never have been realized without the help of friends, family and this incredible community. You all helped bring cupcakes from my East End apartment to a Downtown Portland storefront!

Both Tempo Dulu and Opium, the restaurant and bar in the Danforth Inn, are scheduled to close at the end of this month, reports the Press Herald.

Raymond Brunyanszki, co-owner of the inn, said the businesses were not profitable enough and that a “disconnect” existed between the guests staying at the inn and people dining at the restaurant. He also cited the difficulty of finding qualified staff familiar with Southeast Asian cuisine.

Artemisia Cafe has announced plans to shut down their dinner service. This coming Friday will be its last night in operation.

The Italian restaurant that serves dinner at Artemisia opened nearly 5 years ago in May of 2013 and is run by Heather Neville and Guy Frenette. The couple grew-up in Maine but had spent several years working in the restaurant industry in the Bay Area (Chez Panisse, Aquerello, Oliveto). There’s no word yet on what their post-Artemisia plans are.

Abilene has announced they plan to close their restaurant at the end of March.

As many of you have heard by now, after much consideration we have decided that March will be our last month in operation. We are confident this is the best decision for our family and we are all excited for new adventures to come.