Category: Under Construction

Benny’s to Open May 14th

| Posted in Under Construction

Chef/owner Josh Sobel has announced he’ll be launching his new restaurant Benny’s  (instagram) on Wednesday, May 14th. Benny’s is located at 545 Congress Street and will be open for lunch and dinner. Here are some details on the menu shared in a press release today,

Benny’s dinner menu starting at 4:00pm will feature house-made Soft Pretzel Garlic Knots, a nod to the iconic flavors of Philadelphia, alongside other appetizers like Stuffed Peppers, Ramona’s Meatballs, Seafood Cocktail and Salads. A full classics pasta menu including Rigatoni Alla Vodka, Spaghetti & Meatballs, Linguine & Clams, Fettuccine Bolognese and more will accompany choices of entrée Chicken or Eggplant Parmesans, sandwiches and sides. All entrees are $16 – $25; kids menu items, $10.

For lunch (from 11:00am) which will start later in May, expect offerings like an array of hearty Ramona-style hoagies, a variety of crispy chicken cutlet sandwiches, and a cheesesteaks menu (all $16-$18), or smaller Kaiser roll sandwiches ($10).

Benny’s will be open Wednesday through Sunday, initially just for dinner but soon after adding lunch hours when they’ll be open 11 am – 10 pm.

Zero Bar & Grille on Riverside

| Posted in Under Construction

Olivia True has leased the 155 Riverside Street property formerly occupied by Volcano where she plans to open Zero Bar & Grille (website, facebook). True had previously worked at 155 Riverside for 4 years when it was known as Seasons Bar & Grille.

The menu is still under development but if the draft one supplied with the liquor license application is a guide the restaurant will serve an approachable menu of pub food. Zero will have a full liquor license serving beer, wine and spirits, and will be hosting bands and DJs, karaoke nights, comedians, dances and other events. Pool tables and darts will be available.

The business is named in honor of True’s dog. The adjacent Ramada Inn is a pet friendly hotel and Zero will offer a “doggie bag” of  fresh grilled chicken, green beans, carrots and rice with a portion of the proceeds being donated to the local shelter of the month. True also anticipates hold pet friendly events in Zero’s event room.

Watch for Zero to launch sometime by the end of June.

Allagash Brewing at The Downs

| Posted in Under Construction

Allagash Brewing has announced plans to launch their new tasting room at The Downs in Scarborough in July.

…we couldn’t be more excited to expand the Allagash experience to Scarborough at The Downs. The space will have the same Allagash good vibes we’re known for, plenty of fun events, and more drink options—including house-made cocktails, wine, and of course, our beer. You can also expect a new menu from the celebrated team at Bite Into Maine.

Allagash first announced plans to have a Scarborough tasting room in 2022.

Liu Bian Tan 2.0

| Posted in Under Construction

Chef Chung Heng Liu has launch a $4.5k crowdfunding campaign to help her relaunch her popular food truck Liu Bian Tan (instagram). At LBT Liu served a menu of  “old school” Taiwanese street food such as house-made noodles, buns, pancakes, dumplings that “share[d] often overlooked Taiwanese flavors” and recreate the comfort foods she remembers from growing up in Taiwan.

Liu had 20 years+ of experience working in the family Chinese restaurant before moving to Portland. The name of the food truck is a mash up between Lu Bian Tan which means street stalls in Mandarin and Liu’s last name.

Shown above are a couple photos from the original LBT which launched in 2020.

Restaurant Real Estate: April 2025

| Posted in Under Construction, Real Estate

Welcome to the April 2025 edition of the Portland Food Map restaurant real estate listings sponsored by The Boulos Company—a commercial real estate brokerage that has helped Maine’s restauranteurs buy and lease restaurant spaces since 1975.

This resource gathers in one convenient place the spaces available in Portland (and a few in the surrounding area) that could be potential sites for restaurants and food producers and retailers to locate their next business. Finding the right spot is one of the crucial early challenges in launching a new business and hopefully this resource will make that step just a little bit easier.

West End/Valley/Libby Town

87 Brackett St – The 1,077 sq ft former OhNo Cafe is for lease for $2,700/month + utilities (MG). The space also includes a 825 sq ft basement area.

189 Brackett St – The 520 sq ft space that was the original location of Chocolats Passion is for lease for $1,400/month (MG). Contact Amber Dorcas (amber@redfernproperties.com) for more information.

919 Congress St – The 4,770-9,540 sq ft former Salvage BBQ building is available for $20/sq ft (MG).

270 Saint John St – A 2,714 sq ft space in Union Station Plaza is available for $17/sq ft (NNN).

211 Valley St – A 1,260 sq ft former garage and the .13 acres it is on are for sale on Valley Street for $1,300,000.

235 Vaughan St – The former Vaughan Street Variety storefront in the West End has been completely renovated. The 620 sq ft space is available for $2500/month (MG). Call (207) 650-0846 for more information.

Arts District

486 Congress St – A 2,400 sq ft former cannabis retail space is available for $22/sq ft (NNN).

511 Congress St – The 2,875 sq ft former Golden Lotus space is available for $16.50/sq ft.

554 Congress St – A 1,621 sq ft former Dunkin’ Donuts space is available for $17.04/sq ft (NNN).

555 Congress St – The 1,908 sq ft former Five Fifty-Five dining room and mezzanine are available to lease for $20/sq ft (NNN).

582-584 Congress St – The 680-1,555 sq ft space formerly occupied by Harmon’s is for lease for $2,500 – $5,850/month (NNN).

594 Congress St – The 2,592 sq ft space in the Upper H. H. Hay Building formerly occupied by Starbucks is available for $28/sq ft (MG).

600 Congress St – Two spots in the Schwartz Building at the corner of Congress and High Street are available. The 2,200 sq ft corner unit is listed at $23/sq ft (MG) and an 800 sq ft space facing Congress Street at $27/sq ft (MG).

649 Congress St – The 3,000 sq ft space formerly occupied by Rebel Muchies and Libations is available for $22/sq ft (MG).

77 Free St – The space previously occupied by the Free Street restaurant and bar is available. The 8,500 – 17,000 sq ft space is for lease for $5/sq ft (NNN). Call (207) 761-6500 for additional details.

Bayside/Inner Washington

52 Hanover St – 1,500 – 3,000 sq ft of retail space on the first floor of the Armature building is available for $30/sq ft (NNN). One spot in the building has been earmarked for a coffee shop.

178 Kennebec St – A 2,644 sq ft space is available in a newly constructed Bayside building for $25/sq ft (NNN).

114 Preble St – The former Coals building is available to lease. The 4,424 sq ft turnkey restaurant is listed at $26/sq ft (NNN) and includes onsite parking and outdoor seating.

186 Washington Ave – The 7,620 sq ft Am Vets building is for sale for $1,600,000. See the listing for photos of the bar and seating area.

Old Port

0 Canal Plaza – The 1,350 sq ft former Nosh Taco building in Canal Plaza is for lease for $47.74/sq ft (NNN).

1 Canal Plaza – 4,284 – 14,412 sq ft of ground floor retail space will be available as part of upcoming renovations; $30/sq ft (NNN).

15 Chestnut St – The building that was home to Grace restaurant is for sale. It includes the property, business assets and all FF&E. The restaurant seats 175 and features a large circular bar on the first floor of the former church. The building has 14,358 sq ft of space. It’s for sale for $2,450,000.

185 Commercial St – A new building on Commercial Street has a 2,334 sq ft ground floor retail space that is available for $55/sq ft (NNN).

327 Commercial St – The 6,981 – 7,981 sq ft space currently occupied by Tiqa is available for lease or to buy. The lease rate is $30/sq ft (NNN). The sale price is $3,500,000.

383 Commercial St – 1,193 – 4,805 square feet of space in a newly constructed building on Commercial Street is available for $28/sq ft (NNN).

8 Exchange St – The 1,800-3,600 sq ft space formerly occupied by The Bar & Bites on lower Exchange Street is available for $60/sq ft (MG).

85 Exchange St – The space that had previously been the home of Dobra Tea is back on the market. The 1,350 sq ft space is available for $45/sq ft (MG).

201 Federal St – A 2,300 sq ft space in the new 18-story Casco building is available for $40/sq ft (MG). The building owners are seeking a business to open a market in that space.

433 Fore St – A 930 sq ft lounge space on the first floor of the Hyatt is for lease for $60/sq ft (MG).

477 Fore St – The 1,361 sq ft space formerly occupied by B + B Bakery is available for $30/sq ft (MG).

40 Free St – The 1,358 sq ft space formerly occupied by Auntie’s House is available for $27/sq ft.

127 Marginal Way – The 3,040 sq ft former All Speed bicycle shop space across the parking lot from Trader Joes is available for $35/sq ft (NNN).

100 Middle St – A 350 sq ft cafe space on first floor of an Old Port office building is available for $850/month (Gross).

115 Middle St – The 2,065 sq ft space formerly occupied by Beach Boys Cannabis is for lease for $39.75/sq ft (MG). Back in the 1970s it had been the home of Model Food Importers which retailed wine, cheese and other imported foods.

121 Middle St – A 2,482 sq ft retail spot is available for $45/sq ft (MG).

151 Middle St – the 2,741 former Anthony’s Italian Kitchen space is available.

157 Middle St – A 2,039 – 5,155 sq ft retail space is available for $27.95/sq ft (MG).

191 Middle St – The 1,500 sq ft retail space formerly occupied by Crystal Joys is for lease for $60/sq ft (MG).

5 Milk St – A 2,199 sq ft former hair salon is available for $28/sq ft (NNN).

15 Monument Square – The 1,000 sq ft former Sisters Gourmet Deli space is available to lease for $30/sq ft (NNN).

28 Monument Square – The building owner is seeking someone to lease the Public Market House and develop the food hall as an incubator space for new food businesses. The 8,064 sq ft space spans the 1st and 2nd floors and has a commercial kitchen in the basement. The well-loved Jamaican restaurant Yardie Ting already occupies part of the first floor with the remainder of the building vacant and already built out with kitchen infrastructure needed for new businesses. 28 Monument Square is listed at $12/sq ft (NNN). For more information on the building and its history see this post on instagram.

66 Pearl St – The 5,796 sq ft space that was the former home of Bull Moose is available for $15.75/sq ft (MG).

54 York St – A 1,605 sq ft space is available for $30/sq ft (MG). It’s located in the same building as the new Weldon Hotel at the corner of York and Maple Streets.

Old Port Bar – An undisclosed 1,160/sq ft bar/restaurant in the Old Port is for sale for $175,000.

Camp Pennant – this brewery, distillery and restaurant is for sale. Contact Karen Rich for more information at karen@malonecb.com or (207) 210-6637.

Outer Forest Ave Area

49 Dartmouth St – A 1,310 sq ft retail space adjacent to Bow Street Beverage is available for $16.50/sq ft.

546 Deering St – The 2,198 sq ft former Dunkin Donut building in Woodfords Corner is for lease for $35/sq ft (NNN).

332 Forest Ave – A 1,992 sq ft space in a building at the corner of Bedford Street and Forest Ave is available for $16/sq ft (NNN).

448 Forest Ave – The 1,675 sq ft former Pizza Joint space is available for $25/sq ft (NNN).

503 – 509 Forest Ave – When renovations are completed this year, this building will have 1,268 – 6,313 sq ft of space available for $10-15/sq ft (NNN). See this feature article for more information.

634 Forest Ave – the 1,364 former Sissle & Daughters wine bar/cafe is for $3,000/month (NNN). The property includes 13 parking spots and a fully built out kitchen and cafe space.

1871 Forest Ave – The former Tortilla Flats is for sale. The 8,771 sq ft building is on 3.43 acres of property and is listed for $1,750,000.

631 Stevens Ave – The 1,000 sq ft cafe space inside the Stevens Square Community Center is for lease.

Elsewhere in Portland

239 Congress St – The 780 sq ft space formerly occupied by Tiny Tims is available for $2,500/month (Absolute Gross). It’s nearby Cocktail Mary, The End of Portland bar, Quanto Basta and LB Kitchen.

550 Washington Ave – 2,000 – 2,400 sq ft of the former Botto’s bakery is available to lease for $18/sq ft (NNN).

Northgate Shopping Center – 1,700 sq ft of space is available.

Westgate Shopping Center – Three spaces are for lease 1,440, 3,800 and 5,000 sq ft. The lease rates are negotiable and the property owner has a strong interest in finding a restaurant tenant for the shopping plaza.

Other Spaces – Some vacated restaurant spaces haven’t yet been formerly listed for by the owner. Check the closing announcements for insights on where those opportunities may be.

South Portland

448 Cottage Rd, South Portland – The 4,433 sq ft former Elsmere BBQ is for sale for $1,395,000. The property includes a fenced in outdoor patio and seating area, a warehouse portion with drive-in door, and on site parking.

60 Ocean St, South Portland – The restaurant space had been occupied by Taco Trio is for lease. The 6,006 sq ft space is available for $16.98/sq ft (NNN). Taco Trio has returned to their original location at 119 Ocean Street.

145 Ocean St, South Portland – The ~1,000 sq ft former BenReuben’s space in South Portland is available for $3,000/month (MG). Contact Josh at (207) 408-3879 for more information.

171 Ocean St, South Portland – A 707 sq ft commercial kitchen is available to lease for $1,200 per month.

239 Ocean St, South Portland – The 1,621 sq ft former Pizza Joint building in South Portland is for sale for $795,000.

Elevation Burger, South Portland – The business franchise, infrastructure, equipment and lease for 2,600 sq ft space are for sale for $250,000. Call (207) 838-2274 for more information.

Elsewhere in Maine

100 Larrabee Rd, Westbrook – The owners of Phoever are looking for someone to takeover their space when they move to a new location. They’ll be moving to 1227 Congress Street by this summer.

The Downs – A 2,019 sq ft restaurant space is for sale in The Downs a 577-acre mixed use development in Scarborough.

881 Route 1, Yarmouth – Shared kitchen space formerly utilized by MaineFlavor before they moved to the West End is available.

60 Mile Rd, Wells – The former Varano’s Restaurant building and a 2 bed room apartment are for sale for $1,895,000. See this instagram article for additional information on the building and the neighborhood.

Billy’s Chowder House – Both the building and business of Billy’s Chowder House in Wells is for sale. The ~200 seat restaurant comes with a 62-car parking lot and sits on Mile Road which connects Route 1 with Wells Beach. See this instagram article for additional information on the building and the neighborhood.

111 Bath Rd, Brunswick – The Fat Boy Drive-In business and property is for sale for $825,000. Fat Boy has been in business since 1955.

3 East Grand Ave, Scarborough – a 4,000 sq ft turnkey restaurant is available to lease for $17.50/sq ft (NNN).

Bayley’s Seafood, Scarborough – This 3,018 sq ft turnkey seafood restaurant is available to lease for $24/sq ft.

256 Main St, Kingfield – A 1,550 sq ft space formerly occupied by a retail shop is available for $2,325/month and is negotiable. Contact Polly MacMichael at KingfieldUSA@gmail.com or (207) 491-6431 for more information.

863 Main St, Westbrook – The former Frog & Turtle and adjacent retail spaces are for sale for $2,190,000.

Bandaloop, Arundel – After 20 years in business the owners of Bandaloop have shared plans to sell the restaurant property.

261 Shore Rd, Ogunquit – The former Northern Union restaurant property is for sale for $3,250,000. The owner is also open to offers to buy the business or alternatively to lease the property.

Glossary

MG – Modified Gross which indicates that the operating expenses (taxes, insurance, maintenance, etc.) for the property are included in the lease rate. The tenant would pay its own utilities, which sometimes includes heat.

NNN – Triple Net which indicates that operating expenses are not included in the lease rate, and the tenant will pay them separately. They are often referred to as CAM (Common Area Maintenance) charges and taxes, which are expressed as $/sf. The tenant is also responsible for utilities.

Gross – Gross indicates all expenses including utilities are included in the lease rate. The tenant would be responsible for phone and internet access, as well as interior janitorial.

Sodt Candy Store

| Posted in Under Construction

A new candy store called Sodt (instagram) is under construction at 119 Cumberland Ave in the space formerly occupied by Sticky Sweet. They hope to be open before the end of May.

For a number of years sisters Nikoline and Signe Ostergaard have been bringing candy back to Maine from trips to Denmark to share with friends. Sodt, which means sweet in Danish, is an effort to share the sweets they love with the people of Portland. The sisters are being joined in the business by their mother Liz Ostergaard.

The Ostergaards plan to sell treats from Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, and England. Customers will be able pick and put together a mixed bag from the range of sweet and sour candies, chocolate, caramels and black licorice available. They shared that their slogan is “The way candy should be” and that they’re putting an emphasis on sourcing candies made with natural products and sugars. Some of the candies they’ll have available will be gluten-free and vegan.

The Garden Bar Coming to South Portland

| Posted in Under Construction

Lanai Monahan will be opening a second location of her Biddeford-based business The Garden Bar (website, facebook, instagram). It will be located in South Portland in the space formerly occupied by Cafe Louis. The South Portland cafe will have 20 seats and Monahan is hoping to add some outdoor seating this summer.

The Garden Bar serves made to order salads and bowls. They have a few signature combinations—you can’t go wrong with the Santa Fe—or customers can select from dozens of ingredients to make a custom combo. The South Portland location will be adding a selection of wraps as well as some appetizer/snack items and a wider range of options for salads and bowls.

Monahan hopes to launch the South Portland location in May. The Biddeford Garden Bar is located at 40 Main Street and it opened May 6, 2023.

See the Under Construction page for a list of other Portland area food businesses under development.

Cuties to Open in Early April

| Posted in Under Construction

Here’s a look inside Cuties (instagram) the all-day bar that’s been under construction on Market Street in the Old Port. The business is being launched by a group of friends and industry colleagues—Bryce Summers, Garrett Lenderman, Ryan Nielsen, Arvid Brown and Nick Coffin. Coffin and Brown are the team that launched Room for Improvement in 2023.

The 2,100 sq ft former Petite Jacqueline space sports a new look. The central bar is now complemented by soft seating communal areas along the south wall and a long window counter looking out over Market Street. A mural by artist Jenna Pirello graces the main entrance, and John Sundling from Plant Office created the greenery design for the bar and the plant rail that circuits high along the windows.

Cuties will initially be open Tuesday through Sunday, 5 pm  to midnight. The owners will be expanding their hours and embracing their full all-day concept starting in mid-May.

The evening drinks menu will feature wine and cocktails. The opening menu will include options like a frozen Mango Cadillac Margarita, a Miami Vice-inspired Sazerac, an espresso Martini on nitro, and a clarified freezer Martinez served with a sidecar short pour of Oyster River Morphos. The food menu will include a range of bar snacks like Nashville hot popcorn shrimp with black lime mayo, and Oaxacan cheese stuffed hushpuppies prepared in a Japanese taiyaki press.

Cuties is located at 46 Market and is set to open on April 8th at 5 pm.

Hank and Arties in Bayside

| Posted in Under Construction

Hank & Arties (instagram) has been working on a food trailer. This morning they and Argenta Brewing announced a collaboration that will see the trailer stationed outside the West Bayside brewery starting in May.

Chef/owner Sean Telo has been holding a number of pop-ups around Portland since last fall. While his day job is with a software company, a decade ago he was working in kitchens like Miller Union in Atlanta and Extra Fancy in Brooklyn.

Here’s a draft of the menu Telo hopes to serve starting in May. Telo has included a kid’s section and hopes that will be a big part of what they do.

Aomori Restaurant & Market

| Posted in Under Construction

Acclaimed chef Masa Miyake has leased a pair of adjacent space in Bayside where he plans to launch a restaurant and Japanese-style convenience store. The new businesses are a family project that are being worked on by Miyake along with his son Reo Miyake and Reo’s partner Helen Carter.

We are especially excited about Aomori and Aomori Market + Kitchen because they will be family-run businesses. These projects allow us to bring together our experiences from both Maine and Japan, creating something very personal. Once we are up and running, we hope to extend this family-focused model to our customers and employees, creating a space that is welcoming to all.

Aomori Restaurant (instagram) will be located in the corner space next to Hanover Street. The 40-seat restaurant will include a bar, table seating, and a 6-8 seat chefs counter and will have outdoor seating during the summer. The concept is of a casual Japanese restaurant inspired by Maine and Japan’s Tohoku Region serving small plates inspired by classic izakaya dishes and Japanese home cooked meals.

Aomori Kitchen and Market (instagram) will be modeled after the conbini convenience stores in Japan—an all-day combination convenience store, cafe, bar and quick service eatery. The market will stock Japanese specialty items as well as some basic everyday essentials. Cold and hot food (karage, nigiri, etc) will be available to grab and go, or to enjoy at one of the markets 10 counter seats. In the evening it will also serve as waiting area bar for customers before getting seated at the restaurant.

The 1,500 and 1,800 square foot space are located at 52 Hanover Street in the Armature building across  from Wilson County Barbecue, Bar Publica and Argenta Brewing. Work with Woodhull on the architecture and design for the restaurant and market are just wrapping up and the hope is to have both businesses open before the end of the year.

Masa Miyake opened Food Factory Miyake in 2007 at 129 Spring Street. The small BYOB sushi bar quickly developed a reputation for excellence. The restaurant moved to its present location on Fore Street in 2011 and for a time the original space was home to Miyake Diner, an izakaya-style restaurant. Pai Men Miyake opened on September 15, 2010. In early 2024 he sold his restaurants to two members of his staff Emily Phillips and Courtney Packer.

Aomori is a region in Japan that’s had a relationship with Maine since the Cheseborough from Bath, Maine crashed there in 1889. The Friends of Aomori have maintained a connection between Aomori Prefecture and Maine for more than 30 years. Coincidentally, it’s also the part of Japan where Masa Miyake is from. The similarity in climate was part of why he opened his first restaurant in Portland and the new restaurant is named for his hometown.