Category: Closings

Judy Gibson chef/owner Chris Wilcox has announced he’ll be permanently closing the South Portland restaurant. November 19th will be their last day in business.

I cannot begin to express the sadness I feel as I write this. The last four years of my life have been wholly dedicated to Judy Gibson. We opened on March 4th of 2020 and were forced to close ten days later because of the global pandemic. We lost 80% of our operating capital in those first four months. Once we were able to open again for outdoor dining we saw a strong surge in revenue and had a great summer to help keep us pushing through. We did not receive any large federal financial assistance and have been riding the highs and lows of seasonality in Maine ever since. We’ve fried chicken and made corndogs to allow for Judy Gibson to continue as we always wanted to be. This past summer was good, but not good enough to sustain us through the slower months of winter. The decision to close now is so that we can guarantee that our staff can get paid while they figure out what is next and that all of our vendors are paid in full. All gift cards with remaining balances after we close will also be reimbursed in full.

The Maine Sunday Telegram selected Judy Gibson as the Best New Restaurant of 2021 and restaurant critic Andrew Ross gave it a four star rating (excellent) in a review in 2022.

Coffee By Design owner Mary Allen Lindemann has announced she’ll be permanently closing the coffee shop on Congress Street. The Congress Street location was the original CBD that opened in 1994.

It is with deep sadness that I share that we will be permanently closing the Coffee By Design Congress Street coffeehouse. This is a difficult announcement to make. I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude for the support this community has always given this special place in Portland.

You can read the full announcement on instagram. It also indicates that the decision is unrelated to the recent steps by the CBD staff to form a union and concludes with,

I am immensely grateful for the support of our customers, our dedicated employees, and our partners throughout the years. To our true believers – you know who you are – you have been patrons and also dear friends. We are honored to have you in our lives. While Coffee By Design Congress Street is closing its doors, the memories we have created together will live on. We hope to see you at Diamond Street, India Street and online.

Owners Peter and Jessica Sueltenfuss have announced that they’ve closed the Other Side Deli on Veranda Street. They plan to expand the hours at the Other Side Diner (website, instagram) where they’ll offer more breakfast to go options as well as some of their customer’s favorite sandwiches from Other Side Deli.

Good morning Portland and our East Deering community. We have made the very difficult decision to close the deli (effective immediately)

Our intent was not be be this abrupt, but there are factors that are just out of our control.

It has been a great journey for us and making this decision was extremely difficult. Being a part of the East Deering community for the past 9 years has been an incredible experience and we could never thank you enough for all of the love you have shown us❤️
We have had many struggles this year and in order to continue to put our best foot forward we have decided to channel all of our energy into the Diner.

The Other Side Deli opened in 2015, and the Sueltenfusses opened the Other Side Diner in 2019. They had also had operated a second location of the deli on Vaughan Street in the West End that launched in 2017.

Lorne Wine in Biddeford has announced they’ve chosen not to renew their lease and so will be closing their wine shop and bar in the summer of 2024.

Come hang with us over the next few months! We are throwing some killer parties and events and we are stoked to tell y’all about what we got planned next. Lorne will celebrate its 5th anniversary in June 2024 the last and hopefully the best.

Washington Avenue pizzeria Radici has announced they’ll be closing in November. Their last day in business will be November 18th.

Over the next month we’re going to take a look back at some of our favorite pizzas like this Parsnip, Castelfranco and Lemon number because they’re delicious, and we’re feeling sentimental as we’ve decided to close Radici.

Owners Randy and Ally Forrester launched Radici on July 2, 2020. They had moved to Portland from Allentown, New Jersey where they had operated Osteria Radici which was a Jame Beard Awards semi-finalist for Best New Restaurant and Best Chef in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Banded Brewing has announced that they’ll be closing their Bayside taproom. Their last day in operation on Hanover Street will be this Saturday.

We’ve made this decision with Banded’s sustainability and growth at the forefront. We believe that closing our Portland space will allow our team to better use our resources to support our home taproom and kitchen in Biddeford, and our production brewing operations. Biddeford has always been our home, and we’re excited to continue to elevate our taproom experience by providing the best beer, food, vibes, and service that we can.

Owners of The Danforth have announced plans to close their West End bar and restaurant.

We love and believe in everything we’ve done. The unfortunate reality is that we have been unable to find a path that would sustain the business financially and ensure its future. Our priority during this transition is supporting our teams with financial provisions in the short term, and beyond that, helping them to secure future employment.⁠
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Thank you to everyone who stopped by for a drink, meal, or just to say hi over the last year.

The Danforth opened July 22, 2022. Their last day in business will be Saturday, September 23rd.

For additional reporting, see this article in the Press Herald.

Owner Rachel Sagiroglu has announced she’ll be closing her business The Maker’s Galley which is located near the corner of India and Commercial Streets. The last day of operations will be September 27th. Maker’s Galley opened on November 13, 2021.

After careful consideration, I have come to the difficult decision to close The Maker’s Galley. The Maker’s Galley was created to bring together local makers and food enthusiasts as the brick-and-mortar location for Experience Maine. Sadly, the last year has been increasingly difficult to manage two growing businesses and maintain work life balance. In addition, I can no longer carry the burden of the rising costs impacting restaurants in Maine and the constant staffing challenges. As Experience Maine continues to grow, it has also become clear that I need to focus my energy on this business and the greater impact it can have on Maine’s hospitality and tourism industry.

Sagiroglu plans launch a new catering and private chef business called Experience Maine Culinary to carry on some of the services and events that Maker’s Galley produced.

Owners Michelle and Steve Corry have shared a statement on instagram about the future for their Old Port restaurant.

After several months of careful consideration, we have come to the very difficult decision to sell our beloved Petite Jacqueline. As of now we plan to continue to operate through September and hope that someone that is equally as passionate about French food and culture will continue our vision.

As most of you know, this restaurant has always been special to us as it was created in homage to my grandmother Jacqueline Derasse. Thanks to the skill and dedication of our staff we weathered COVID, however, this last year has been extremely difficult with rising costs and equipment issues.

Steve and I attempted to remain open as long as possible but have realized that we can no longer focus on the business as much as we once did. We want to put our family first. We are extremely grateful to our loyal customers who have been incredibly supportive over the past 12 years. We will miss the daily interaction with our friends of Bistro PJ and, especially, our team – some of whom have been with us for many years.

Our staff has been EXTREMELY dedicated to this special place and it is the thought of not seeing them and our guests on a regular basis that will be the most difficult part of this decision.

Again, we cannot thank the community enough for the past 12 years, it has been a truly special experience.

Petite Jacqueline opened in Longfellow Square in 2011 to rave reviews. The Corry’s moved the restaurant to its present location in 2016. They opened a new rendition of their restaurant Five Fifty-Five in Brunswick in 2022.

 

Today’s Press Herald reports on the closure of Rick’s Lobby Cafe.

But their gracious presence in the building soon will come to an end. In May, as the couple were celebrating the cafe’s eighth anniversary, the building owners informed them that their lease would not be renewed, and that they would need to vacate by the end of October. The Woods have set Friday, Sept. 1, as the cafe’s last day.