Category: Under Construction

K-Pop Kimbap Food Truck

| Posted in Under Construction

A Korean food truck called K-Pop Kimbap (facebook, instagram) is under development and expected to launch next year.

Josh and Yunhee Keough plan to serve variations of the popular Korean dish kimbap. The menu is still under development but will likely include: a ham kimbap with veggies and egg, a beef kimbap with kimchee, a vegetarian kimbap made with marinated tofu skin, and both a spicy chicken and spicy pork kimbap. There will also be a kid’s kimbap made with eggs and ham. For sides the truck will have both kimchi and scallion pancakes. They expect to augment the regular menu with specials.

The Keoughs plan to fully launch the food truck in the spring, but hope to pop-up at some spots this winter to get feedback on the menu and get familiar with working out of the truck. They’re exploring a variety of spots to locate K-Pop Kimbap in Portland and towns in surrounding area.

Yunhee Keough was adopted and grew up on Peaks Island. She began cooking Korean dishes for friends while in college as a way to further connect with her Korean heritage. Both Keoughs worked at Korea House which was located in the space on Congress Street where Mi Sen is now located and was in business 2010 – 2013.

The photo above is a rendering of what the truck is expected to look like once the wrapping of the truck with the K-Pop Kimbap branding and design is completed.

Wow India on Congress Street

| Posted in Under Construction

Prakash Jayavelu Singh has leased space at 649 Congress Street in the Arts District where he plans to open Wow India (instagram).

The overall vision for the restaurant and bar is a place where “authentic Indian heritage meets creative fusion flavors from across the world.” The restaurant will serve a menu that blends influences from different regions in India, and it will also serve some popular dishes like tacos, mussels and pizza prepared with an Indian fusion twist. Wow India will have a full bar. The drinks menu will include house designed cocktails that make use of Indian spices and flavors.

The kitchen will be headed up by Singh and Pardeep Prasana. Singh started his career in India. For nearly a decade he was a chef at Tulsi in Kittery where he and Prasana crossed paths. Prasana currently works in the Chicago area.

Together, [we] aim to introduce Portlanders to a menu that celebrates authentic Indian cuisine and Indian-Portuguese influenced fusion dishes. Our offerings include vegan options like seitan curry, BBQ soy tenders, and golden shrimp, Indian-style mussels, Indian-Portuguese inspired shrimp dishes, and of course, everyone’s favorite, Chicken Tikka Masala. Each plate tells a story, blending decades of international experience with a deep respect for flavor, culture, and community.

Renovation of the 3,000 sq ft space formerly occupied by Rebel Munchies is underway. Singh hopes to launch Wow India by the end of November.

A New Brewery and Restaurant for Milo

| Posted in Under Construction, Beer, Maine

John Riitano and Tracy Bonney-Corson have taken over the former Bissell Brothers location in Milo where they plan to launch Rail Yard Brewing (facebook) and the Rusty Rail restaurant. Corson has extensive experience in the healthcare field and will be leading operations. Riitano is the brewer and co-owner of Two Knights Brewing in Sangerville and will head-up brewing at Rail Yard as well. They hope to launch the business by the end of year.

They shared this vision in a post on Facebook,

The railroad industry played a significant role in connecting the great state of Maine and its lumber industry to the rest of America. Rail Yard Brewing and the Rusty Rail tap room will do the same for the breweries, wineries, and distilleries of Central and Northern Maine. Highlighting some of the best beverages from the Maine Highlands and beyond. Join us in the tap room for a true taste of Maine.

The tap list is expected to include their own beer, a tap for Two Knights as well as beer and cider from other producers in rural Maine like Turning Page Farm in Monson, Stone Tree Farm in Unity, Knife Edge in Millinocket, and Gordon’s Grog in St Albans. In a nod to the space’s previous occupant there will also be a tap for Bissell Brothers beer. Riitano shared that he’s looking forward to using the larger 10-barrel system and hopes to use the Milo brewery to experiment with new techniques like coolship open fermentation. His goal is to add a canning line in the next year or two and eventually branch out to producing beverages like cider and gluten-free beer. The larger Milo system will also expand production capacity for Two Knights through a contract brewing relationship.

The food menu the Rusty Rail is still under development but expected to feature elevated pub/comfort food with seasonal specials and a focus on local sourcing. Seth Ostrosky is joining the team as the general manager for the Rusty Rail. Ostrosky was the chef/owner of the Nor’easter in Dover-Foxcroft earlier in his career had run Flatlanders in Greenville.

Crispy Gai in Providence

| Posted in Under Construction

Crispy Gai is looking to open a second location in Providence, Rhode Island reports Alexa Gargosz, in her weekly Food Club newsletter for The Boston Globe,

“There’s a lot of opportunity,” said [Crispy Gai co-owner Jordan] Rubin, who said they are currently looking at Providence locations and hope to open by spring 2026. “There’s a lot of hungry chefs doing really exciting things, and a community and camaraderie of chefs gravitating toward it.”

The article goes on to report that Crispy Gai chef/co-owner Cyle Reynolds would head up the new Providence location, “Reynolds, however, is willing to relocate to Providence. And he’s planning to bring Victor Toj, who previously cooked at Oberlin and Durk’s BBQ in Providence, to be his opening sous chef.”

Reynolds, Sasha Brouillard, Rubin and Marisa Lewiecki launched the Portland Crispy Gai in June 2021.

This is the second Portland restaurant that’s recently announced plans to open a second location further south. Peaks Island pizzeria Il Leone will be opening a second location in Park Slope.

Paak Salad and Smoothie Cafe

| Posted in Under Construction

Praewpran Yiamjanya and Patrick Udomsay, the owners of the Sook Thai Mobile Kitchen food truck, have leased space at 650 Congress Street where they plan to open a salad and smoothie cafe called Paak (instagram).

At Paak they’ll be serving appetizers and smaller bites like fried pork dumpling. However center stage for the menu will be the salad section. Customers will have their choice of a variety of house designed special salads and dressings with the option to add-on proteins like braised caramelized pork belly, tofu, and chicken teriyaki. Customers can also build their own salads; rice and noodle bowls will be available too. For drinks Paak will offer both cold-pressed juice drinks and fruit smoothies. They shared they’re aiming to produce beverages that provide a sense of freshness and that are also rich in nutrients. Stay tuned for more details on the menu as they work towards a hoped for opening day in the spring.

Paak—which means vegetable in Thai—will have room to seat 12-13 people. Udomsay and Yiamjanya want to make it “chill place to hang out” and enjoy a snack or a meal. They plan to continue to operating the Sook Thai food truck after the launch of Paak.

Restaurant Real Estate: October 2025

| Posted in Under Construction, Real Estate

Welcome to the October 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

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

Arts District

540 Congress St – The 27,800 sq ft building currently occupied by Reny’s is for lease for $9.50/sq ft (NNN). Reny’s has decided not to renew their lease when it expires at the end of March.

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).

Bayside/Inner Washington

105 Fox St – a 1,950 sq ft space located between Rising Tide and Austin Street is available for $5,220/month (NNN).

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.

127 Marginal Way – The 3,040 sq ft former All Speed bicycle shop space across the parking lot from Trader Joes is available for $27/sq ft (NNN).

65-67 Portland St – The 2,750 sq ft former Thai Esaan/Back Bay Grill space is available for $16/sq ft (MG).

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.  For more information on the building and its history see this post on instagram.

Old Port

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 $2,175,000.

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).

10 Cotton St – The 4,606 sq ft former Thistle and Grouse is available for $19.05/sq ft (MG). It has a fully built out kitchen and the dining room was recently renovated.

8 Exchange St – The 1,800-3,600 sq ft space formerly occupied by The Bar & Bites on lower Exchange Street is available for $25/sq ft (MG).

373 Fore St – The 7,500 sq ft former Henry’s Public House building is for lease for $26.50/sq ft (MG).

425 Fore St – This 1,548 sq ft space had been built as a restaurant which never opened. It’s now available for $70/sq ft (MG).

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 1,134 sq ft space formerly occupied by B + B Bakery is available.

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

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).

15 Monument Square – The 1,000 sq ft former Sisters Gourmet Deli space is available to lease for $3,600/month (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 and Bub’s Home Kitchen has moved in on the second 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).

110 Thames St – Two spaces in the Sun Life building are available: a 5,772 sq ft space for $35/sq ft (NNN) and 2,575 sq ft space for $35/sq ft (NNN).

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  Weldon Hotel at the corner of York and Maple Streets.

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

332 Forest Ave – A 2,309 sq ft space in a building at the corner of Bedford Street and Forest Ave is available for $16/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 $15/sq ft (NNN). See this feature article for more information.

683 Forest Ave – a space in Woodford’s Corner most recently occupied by a restaurant called Merveille is for lease. Call (207) 766-8845 for more information.

1569 Forest Ave – The Riverton Station Pizza, Bar & Grill and the property it is on are for sale for $1,700,000.

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

75 Washington Ave – A 770 sq ft kitchen space is available to lease for $1,450/month.

123 Washington Ave – The 10,894 sq ft space formerly occupied by Maine Craft Distilling is available for $16/sq ft (NNN). It includes a restaurant, an outdoor seating area and onsite parking.

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.

Navis Cafe, Thames St – Navis Cafe is for sale for $1,299,000. The 36-seat 1,456 sq ft cafe is located in the WEX building along the Eastern Promenade Trail.

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

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 $11.98/sq ft (NNN). Taco Trio has returned to their original location at 119 Ocean Street.

239 Ocean St, South Portland – The 1,621 sq ft former Pizza Joint building in South Portland is for sale for $695,000.

Elsewhere in Maine

Bandaloop, Arundel – After 20 years in business the owners of Bandaloop have shared plans to sell the restaurant property. It’s priced at $2,100,000.

186 Main St, Auburn – A new building under construction along the Androscoggin River will include a 5,400 sq ft space that the owners hope to lease to a brewery or restaurant. It’s available for $18.50/sq ft (NNN). An additional 1,450 sq ft space will also be available when construction is completed later this year.

9 Centre St, Bath – A 2,700 sq ft space at the corner of Centre and Front Streets is available for $3,000/month (MG). It hasn’t been used for a restaurant before but the building owner is eager to find a restaurant operator to locate there. Contact Bath Maine Rentals at bathmainerentals@gmail.com for more information.

111 Bath Rd, Brunswick – The Fat Boy Drive-In business and property is for sale for $775,000. Fat Boy has been in business since 1955.

137 Longwood Rd, Cumberland – A 2,110 sq ft building that’s been partially converted for use as a restaurant is available for $20/sq ft (NNN). See photos in the listing for a look at the current state of construction.

319 Main St, Cumberland – The 2,148 sq ft former Rise Pizza & Pub building is for sale for $950,000, or available to lease for $5,000/month (NNN).

261 Shore Rd, Ogunquit – The Northern Union restaurant property is for sale for $2,950,000.

23 Terminal Lane, Owls Head – A restaurant space at the Knox County Airport is available. FF&E is $65,000 which comes with a $200/month lease which includes utilities.

In Good Company, Rockland – In Good Company on Main Street in Rockland is for sale for $187,140.

267 Scarborough Downs Rd, Scarborough – Six retail spaces in a new building at The Downs are available. They range in size from 1,091 – 2,208 sq ft. They’ll be available to occupy in the spring of 2027.

60 Mile Rd, Wells – The former Varano’s Restaurant building and a 2 bedroom apartment are for sale for $1,695,000. See this instagram article for additional information on the building and the neighborhood.

863 Main St, Westbrook – The former Frog & Turtle and adjacent retail spaces are for sale for $1,900,000.

4 & 7 Dana St, Westbrook – 2 retail spaces are available in a new building under construction in downtown Westbrook. The building is under construction with plans to open in 2027. 1,250 – 5,085 sq ft of space (NNN).

10 & 16 Hardy Rd, Westbrook – The building, land and business of Lenny’s at Hawkes Plaza is for sale for $689,000.

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.

The Kitchen Window Bakery

| Posted in Under Construction

Hannah Murch has launched a wholesale bakery called The Kitchen Window (instagram). Murch is the the kitchen manager at Hot Suppa and is using the HS kitchen in their off hours to produce a line of cookies, muffins, croissants, tarts, scones and other baked goods.

Starting this morning, Hot Suppa is also be the first place you can buy Murch’s baked goods. This morning’s line-up includes cinnamon rolls, chocolate chip cookies, and mocha scones. Murch has also produced gluten-free versions of the cookies and scones.

The Kitchen Window baked goods will be on sale at Hot Suppa Fridays through Sundays moving forward. Customers can peruse the day’s selection in a pastry case in the Hot Suppa waiting area to get to go, or to enjoy while waiting for a table.