Category: Closings

Bake Maine has announced they’re closing their Portland location. The last day in business will be August 27th. Their message on instagram reads in-part,

Thank you, Portland. It’s been a crazy adventure, but it’s time to come to an end. Bake Maine Portland has enjoyed its (almost) 3 year run, but we need to focus on our Wells location. Try as we might, we still can’t be in two places at once.

Owners Doug and Kristen Perry opened the Bake Maine on Washington Ave on January 20, 2023. They opened a second location in Wells in April 2024.

The owners of Paper Tiger have announced they’re closing down their restaurant on Fore Street. Their last day in business will be August 31st.

Their announcement on instagram reads,

It is with a heavy heart and a real sense of accomplishment that we share this news:
After three years of unhinged bar fun, Paper Tiger will be closing its doors on September 1st.

That gives you two more weeks to soak it all in before we’re gone forever.

We wrote an incredibly heartfelt (and way too long) essay about this moment… and then deleted the whole thing. Instead, we’ll leave you with this:

Senioritis doesn’t mean phoning it in; it means going out exactly how you want, loud, weird, and unapologetic.

So come get weird with us one last time. We love you. We’ll always love you. And we’ll miss you more than words can say.

Michael Fraser, Nace Cohen and Marcus Alcantara launched Paper Tiger in March 2022. Fraser is an owner or co-owner of several other establishments in town including Camp Pennant, Roma, CBG, and Nosh.

The owners of Rise Pizza & Pub have announced the closing of their restaurant. This Friday will be their last day in business. Their statement reads in-part,

It is with a very heavy heart that we have to share the news we are closing Rise. Friday will be our last day of service. The perpetual kitchen-staffing crisis in the restaurant industry coupled with high operating costs and razor-thin profit margins have made it unsustainable for us to stay in business. We regret this decision tremendously as we had envisioned Rise being a staple in the community for years to come…Thank you for all the support over the past 2 years. Restaurants are always a risk and we don’t regret taking that leap at all. We’re just devastated that our passion wasn’t enough to keep it going. We’ve made some great friends and will miss seeing all of you every week.

Rise opened in August 2023. It’s located at 319 Main Street in Cumberland Center. They’ll be open this week 4 – 9 pm on Wednesday and Thursday, and noon – 9 pm on Friday.

Freedom’s Edge Cider has announced plans to close their Portland tasting room on Diamond Street. This Saturday will be their last day in operation. Their announcement reads in-part,

We have nothing but gratitude for your incredible support in Portland over the past year. We’re also very grateful to Kerri, Elena and the entire tasting room team. Everyone who came felt the care, thoughtfulness and warmth they put into every little thing they did.

Truthfully, our plan was for Andy & Ned, Freedom’s Edge’s owners, to spend a lot of their time in Portland working to create new ciders. And the reality is that that simply didn’t happen. Too much to do, to little time, a tale as old as time! And without all those bottled ciders, our Diamond St location was simply too big and costly to be sustainable.

The cider company will continue to operate their production facility and tasting room in Albion.

Tin Pan Bakery on Brighton Ave has announced plans to close later this month. Their Facebook post reads in part,

It is with mixed emotions that I have to announce the end of Tin Pan. Over the past nine years we have weathered inflation, tight labor markets, a pandemic, ingredient shortages, and more, including my own inexperience with business and some questionable decisions. But it turns out I can’t keep enduring arthritis and its constant toll on my aging joints, which makes this decision sad but inevitable…Lindsay and I are filled with gratitude for the kindness of our customers and your willingness to entrust your family celebrations with us. Fortunately Portland has many excellent bakeries and we know we leave you in good hands.

The Soakology tea room and spa on Congress Street is closing. Their last day in business will be May 11th. Their announcement reads in-part,

Thank you for allowing us to be part of your lives, special occasions, celebrations, and memories over the past 20 years. Our Portland community and loyal customers have been the joy of our day-to-day interactions, and we will be forever thankful…Our hearts are heavy, yet full of gratitude for the loyal customers who have kept us thriving for so many years. Thank you for being a part of it all and please, be well.

Soakology opened November 16, 2004 and moved to their current location in 2015. They were originally located 30 City Center in the space that Hifi Donuts has occupied.