Category: General News

Governor Mills has announced a new measure intended to help curtail spiking Covid numbers by implementing a 9 pm curfew November 20th through December 6th.

Beginning tomorrow, Friday, November 20, 2020, through Sunday, December 6, 2020, all outdoor and indoor amusement venues, movie theaters, performing arts venues, casinos, and businesses that provide seated food and drink service, including social clubs, restaurants, and bars and tasting rooms currently open for outdoor service, will close for the night by 9:00 p.m. This limit on hours is designed to limit extended gatherings at a time when many students and family members are returning to Maine and at a time when social gatherings are more common, both of which will likely lead to more COVID-19 transmission.

The Coastal Enterprise Institute has provided grants to several restaurants, bars and other hospitality business to help them in efforts to winterize their businesses.

Recipients of the CEI Women’s Business Center Outdoor Dining Grants are: Chaval, Tu Casa, Cocktail Mary, LB Kitchen, Solo Italiano, Coffee By Design, eighteen twenty wines, Maine Oyster Company, and Anoche.

The Bangor Daily News has published a report on the Sacred Bakery run by the Sacred Heart/St. Dominic Parish as a fundraising the “parish’s continuing efforts to make those arriving in Maine feel more comfortable”.

“We are so thankful for the support of our mission,” said Kimberly MacDonald, who oversees the ‘Sacred Bakery’ at Sacred Heart Church in Portland. “The proceeds go to supporting our mission of assisting refugees, asylums, immigrants, and those who are marginalized.”

Marcy’s Diner has filed the paperwork to apply for a beer and wine license (page 98).

Obtaining a beer and wine permit will enable the Diner to be comparable with other local restaurants with respect to level of service and menu offerings. The hours of operation for the diner are currently Thursday – Sunday, 8am – 1pm. We may add in Monday evening dinners beginning in the late fall.

The Portland Phoenix has published an article on how covid restrictions are impacting Portland’s bars.

Owners of most Portland bars and tasting rooms remained in limbo this week after Gov. Janet Mills indefinitely delayed the reopening of indoor service amid surging COVID-19 cases.

In response to the rapidly growing number of Covid cases in Maine, Governor Mills has made changes to rules regarding restaurants, bars and tasting rooms.

The plan for bars and tasting rooms to re-open for indoor service starting on November 2nd has been postponed until further notice. Additionally, indoor gatherings are limited to a maximum capacity of 50 people.

A message from Governor Mills,

“To the business owners and employees of bars and tasting rooms, I am deeply sorry that we have been forced to make this decision to postpone your reopening to prevent the further spread of the virus. I know that you were ready and willing to follow public health guidance to keep yourselves and Maine people safe. We realize that this decision will cause hardship. We do not take this action lightly, but the rapid rise in cases in just the past six days means that we cannot in good conscience proceed with the planned reopening,” said Governor Mills. “My Administration will continue to do all we can to support Maine’s small businesses and hardworking families through these challenging times and will continue to seek further financial relief from Congress for Maine businesses who have lost so much already.”

The Portland City Council voted last night to extend outdoor dining permits for sidewalk tables, on street seating and other forms of outdoor dining until January 4th.

For more information read this article from the Press Herald.

The Bangor Daily News talked to restaurant owners from around Maine about their plans for this winter.

As cold weather sets in around Maine, restaurant owners and their staff now face an uncertain winter season. After a warm-weather season that was better than expected and helped greatly by expanded outdoor dining across the state, some eateries are concerned about keeping customers as temperatures drop and snow flies.

Today’s Maine Sunday Telegram takes a look at the plant-based foods being offered at Black-owned restaurants in Portland.

In Maine, we’re blessed to have the new directory blackownedmaine.com, which allows users to search by business category and region of Maine. When the site launched in June, it confirmed what I suspected. Portland is home to many Black-owned restaurants, and most offer robust vegan choices.

Chef Damian Sansonetti from Chaval was interviewed for a segment on the PBS News Hour about how the pandemic is impacting small businesses in Portland.

October is a funny business in Maine. Warm days and cold nights; New England’s northern tip offers a confusing waltz between the seasonal past and what is to come. But this October is particularly difficult to read. After a summer nearly canceled by the pandemic, the fall is offering Portland a few extra chances at economic recovery. But, winter is coming, and the brief resumption of business made possible by warmer weather and outdoor space is in its final days.

Also interviewed for the report were Mary Alice Scott from Portland Buy Local, Lauren Wayne from the State Theatre and city councilor Justin Costa.