Category: Under Construction

Barber Brothers Meat & Provisions

| Posted in Under Construction

The Press Herald reports that brothers Max and Jack Barber have bought the former Legion Square Market in the Knightville neighborhood of South Portland where they plan to open Barber Brothers Meat & Provisions.

Owners of the Mainely Burgers food trucks have purchased South Portland’s former Legion Square Market, also known as Smaha’s, and plan to reopen the neighborhood grocery store and butchery this summer.

Follow the Barber Brothers Meat & Provisions instagram account for updates as they work towards an opening day this summer.

Fork Food Lab Move to South Portland

| Posted in Under Construction

Today’s Press Herald reports on the move of Fork Food Lab to larger quarters in South Portland.

Fork Food Lab, the shared commercial kitchen space and food business incubator, plans to begin moving this month into a two-building campus it has purchased in South Portland that’s eight times the size of its current location, allowing for more of the burgeoning businesses on its lengthy wait list to start the process of growing into independent operations of their own.

Restaurant Real Estate: May 2023

| Posted in Under Construction, Real Estate

Welcome to the May 2023 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

2 Pine St – the former Treasure Chest space in Longfellow Square is for lease. Call (207) 773-7100 for more details.

156 State St – 1,250 sq ft of space on the first floor of the Portland Club is available for $24/sq ft (NNN).

235 Vaughan St – the 700 sq ft space most recently occupied by Other Side Deli and which had been the longtime home of Vaughan Street Variety is for lease. Call (207) 650-0846 for more information.

Arts District

549 Congress St – the 1,397 sq ft space currently occupied by the Portland Downtown offices is available to lease for $3,100/month (NNN).

554 Congress St – 1,621 sq ft former Dunkin’ Donuts space with hood for $2,301/month (NNN).

582 Congress St – the longtime home of Harmon’s Floral Company will be available for lease starting in May. The 1,550 sq ft space is for lease for $5,850/month (NNN).

25 Forest Ave – Portland Stage is looking for a restaurant partner to co-develop a 2,700 sq ft restaurant space in their Forest Ave building; $19.50/sq ft (MG).

44 Oak St – 4,347 sq ft of space in a beautiful historic building at the corner of Oak and Free Streets is available for $15.50/sq ft (NNN).

Bayside

75 Chestnut St – a 2,100 sq ft ground floor retail space under construction in Bayside is for sale for $649,999.

73 Cove St – a 5,519 sq ft industrial space in East Bayside is listed for $35/sq ft; it’s expected to become available in 2024.

360 Cumberland Ave – two space are available, a, 1,100 sq ft street front retail spot for $22/sq ft, and an 800 sq ft back building for $27/sq ft.

46 Elm St – this 385 sq ft corner space in the parking garage at the corner of Elm Street and Cumberland Ave. It’s available for $13/sq ft (MG).

52 Hanover St – a new building set to open in April 2023. On the first floor will be 1,500 – 4,500 sq ft retail space available for $30/sq ft (NNN).

65 Hanover St – 1,800 sq ft of space is available for $20/sq ft (NNN).

82 Hanover St – the 3,067 sq ft former Yard space in Bayside is available for $30/sq ft (NNN); the sale includes all FF&E inventory.

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

34 Portland St – the 3,400 sq ft building that was formerly occupied by Candy’s is for sale for $599,000.

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).

1 Commercial St – the original location of Benkay at the corner of Commercial and India Streets is undergoing renovations and is expected to be available in 2023. The 900-2,950 sq ft is for lease at $35/sq ft (NNN).

185 Commercial St – a new building under construction will include 2,229 sq ft of ground floor retail space that will be available in 2024; $55/sq ft (NNN).

215 Commercial St – 2,189 sq ft of retail space near the corner of Commercial and Dana Streets is available for $65/sq ft (MG).

327 Commercial St – the former Tiqa restaurant is for lease—7,981 sq ft @ $30/sq ft (NNN)—or for sale for #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).

441 Congress St – the 2,400 sq ft former Guitar Grave retail space is available for $15/sq ft (MG).

43 Exchange St – the 1,717 sq ft space occupied by Peruvian Link is for lease for $60/sq ft (MG). It’s located midway down lower Exchange Street.

201 Federal St – 2 retail spaces will be available in the new 18-story building under construction at the corner of Temple and Federal Streets. The 527 and 2,300 sq ft spaces are listed at $40/sq ft (MG).

368 Fore St – the former 5,458 sq ft Old Port Tavern is available for $32/sq ft (NNN).

416 Fore St – the former Mark’s Place is available; 1,100 for $60/sq ft (NNN).

470 Fore St – the longtime home of Paciarino is now available. The 2,000 sq ft storefront on the corner of Fore and Cross Streets is for lease at $32.50/sq ft (NNN).

40 Free St – the new building constructed by JB Brown has four storefronts ranging in size from 1,473 to 3,024 sq ft for $27.50/sq ft (NNN).

55 Market St – this 3,700 sq ft space on Market Street was formerly occupied by the Big Easy. It’s available for $24/sq ft (NNN).

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

157 Middle St – 1,091 – 5,155 sq ft of retail space is available for $27 – 29.95/sq ft (MG).

176 Middle St – the former Starbucks store at the crossroads of the Old Port at the intersection of Middle and Exchange Streets is for lease. The 2,126 sq ft space is for lease for $75 (MG).

1 Monument Square – 1,500 sq ft of first floor space adjacent to Cera is available for $3,125/month (MG).

28 Monument Square – two spots are available in the Public Market House. A space on the 2nd floor (143 sq ft with a base rent of $1,185 + utilities and CAM charges—call  413-636-9688 for details) and a 400 sq ft space on the first floor available for $2,250/month (NNN).

25 Pearl St – 1,689 sq ft former Subway space available for $30/sq ft (MG).

66 Pearl St – 5,796 sq ft of space—the former Bull Moose retail shop—is available for $15.75/sq ft (MG).

144 State St – 2 retail spaces will be available in the development in the former Mercy Hospital building on State Street. The 1100 and 2,566 spaces are available for $26/sq ft (MG).

15 Temple St – the 2,086 sq ft space formerly occupied by Bubble Maineia is available for $26/sq ft (MG).

110 Thames St – two spots (2,700 and 3,200 sq ft) are now available in the newly constructed building in the Portland Foreside development. Both are listed at $35/sq ft (NNN).

42 Wharf St – this 3,770 sq ft space in the Old Port includes a 2,000 sq ft patio, $45/sq ft (MG).

India Street

144 Fore St – the former VA building is near the Portland Foreside development and adjacent to several new office buildings off Thames Street. It has 1,537 – 21,911 sq ft of space available for $24-29/sq ft (NNN).

47 India St – 1,000 sq ft of the former Lois’ Market building is for lease, $3,333/month (NNN).

Forest Ave

369 Forest Ave – a 5,040 sq ft building on Forest Ave is available for $14.50/sq ft (MG).

671-675 Forest Ave – a retail building in the center of Woodfords Corner is for sale for $675,000.

503 – 509 Forest Ave – the exterior of this building is slated to be restored to its historic design. It has 4,500 – 9,500 sq ft of space available for $10/sq ft (NNN).

701 Forest Ave – 3,147 – 6,405 with parking available for $18/sq ft (NNN).

1871 Forest Ave – the former Tortilla Flat building is for sale for $3,100,000.

Deering Center

476 Stevens Ave – the Elsmere BBQ building in Deering Center is for sale for $1,450,000; the sale includes all FF&E inventory. It is also available to lease, 3,000 – 4,091 sq ft for $25 – 30/sq ft (NNN).

Elsewhere in Portland

1091 Congress St – the former Denny’s building and parking lot are available to lease; 4,901 sq ft at $25.50/sq ft (NNN).

Northgate Shopping Center – 2,200 to 5,700 sq ft of space is available.

Westgate Shopping Center – three spaces are for lease at $18-40/sq ft (NNN).

Other Spaces – some vacated restaurant spaces haven’t yet been formerly listed for by the owner. Check the closing announcements for the latest information.

Outside of Portland

Bath – the former  home of Salt Pine Social is available. The 3,535 sq ft building is available for $16/sq ft (NNN).

18 Ocean St, South Portland – the 4,351 sq ft former Snow Squall is for lease for $12/sq ft (NNN).

372 Cottage Rd, South Portland – the former Omi’s Coffee Shop is available for lease. Call Jennifer Davies at (207) 650-9944 for more information.

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.

Hot Liquor Tank

| Posted in Under Construction

Rick Binet, the owner of Mash Tun and Jefe Juan’s, is planning to open a third Wharf Street restaurant named Hot Liquor Tank. The name is a reference to the equipment that supplies hot water into the brewery process. Binet selected the name to “highlight the sister bar relationship with Mash Tun.” Binet opened Mash Tun (instagram) in 2016 and Jefe Juan’s (instagram) in 2020.

The draft menu submitted with Hot Liquor Tank’s liquor license application includes calamari, fried oysters, clam chowder, shrimp po’boys, blue fin sashimi as well as chicken and waffles, caesar salad, wings and a fried chicken sandwich.

Hot Liquor Tank will be located at 43 Wharf Street adjacent to the recently opened Room For Improvement. Binet hopes to open the restaurant in June. Binet is also pursuing a brewing license for the business. While its not likely to be in production in time for the opening, the plan is for HLT to eventually serve their own house beer.

To get caught up on all the new restaurants, bars and other hospitality businesses in development visit our Under Construction List.

Lido’s 2 on Market Street

| Posted in Under Construction

Vien Dobui and Jessica Sheahan, owners of Cong Tu Bot, have leased the former Pat’s Pizza location at 30 Market Street where they will open a second restaurant. Lido’s 2 Oun Lido’s (instagram) will be a 60-70 seat restaurant centered on communal/family-style dining serving an Asian food and beverage menu.

The dining room (second floor) will have both bar and booth seating with some tables set up with lazy susans for easy sharing of dishes among diners. Along with the kitchen, the ground floor will have a checkout counter to facilitate take-out pick-up from Lido’s 2. For now Sheahan and Dobui will use the top floor for offices but the longer term plan is to convert it to an event space.

The name of the business was inspired by Dobui’s memories of Lido’s Nightclub in his hometown of San Jose, California. Through a series of concept shifts Lido’s 1.0 became the favorite bar for an eclectic mix of communities including Mexican cowboys, Vietnamese ballroom dancers and drag queens. While the Portland context is different, Dobui hopes his Lido’s can also be a home to a similarly unexpected mix of peoples, and one that can create an inclusive and welcoming Old Port space for Portland’s queer community.

Sheahan and Dobui hope to open LIDO’S 2 this year.

Cong Tu Bot was founded in 2017. Dobui was a James Beard Awards nominee in the Best Chef: Northeast category in 2020 and 2022. The New York Times included it in their 2021 list of the 50 restaurants they were “most excited about right now”.

To get caught up on all the new restaurants, bars and other hospitality businesses in development visit our Under Construction List.

Update: Since this article was published the prospective name of this business has been changed to Oun Lido’s.

Lecha in Deering Center

| Posted in Under Construction

A new bubble tea cafe and ice cream shop called Lecha (instagram) has leased space at 502 Stevens Ave near Pat’s Meat Market, Norimoto Baking, Rwanda Bean and The Honey Exchange.

Owner Som Mantasut plans to serve a variety of bubble teas, and both soft and hard serve ice creams, and will also have a retail space selling locally made products. Mantasut aims to create a “vibrant daily spot where Asian bubble tea traditions meet American decadent custard.”

Renovations are underway and Mantasut hopes to open Lecha on the first weekend of June. The shop will feature a mural from Pam Chevez, and Leacha will be working with local artists for exhibitions and cultural events in the adjacent Pocket Park.

The name Lecha is a play on words that combine Leche (milk in Spanish) and Cha (tea in Thai) into a single word.

To get caught up on all the new restaurants, bars and other hospitality businesses in development visit our Under Construction List.

Ore Nell’s Barbecue in Biddeford

| Posted in Under Construction, Maine

Kittery-based Ore Nell’s Barbecue (website, facebook, instagram) is opening a second location in Biddeford. The restaurant will be located at 42 Franklin Street in the building formerly occupied by Louie’s Pizza.

Ore Nell’s serves Texas-style barbecue that’s a reflection of chef Will Myska’s Houston upbringing. The menu includes brisket, ribs, pulled pork, house made sausage, chicken and and BBQ tofu. See orenellsbbq.com for the full menu.

Ore Nell’s launched in 2018 as a collaboration between Myska, David Vargas from Vida Cantina in Portsmouth and restaurateur Jay McSharry. Kyle Chauncey is joining the founders in launching the Biddeford location. The team hopes to open the new Ore Nell’s by the end of June.

Night Mares on Romasco Lane

| Posted in Under Construction

A new neighborhood bar called Night Mares (instagram) is under development on Romasco Lane. Night Mares will co-occupy the same space as the Prairie Baking Company’s cafe now under construction by Night Mares co-owner Elizabeth Rzoska.

We intend to operate a small, neighborhood-oriented bar that respects and reflects Portland. We’re all Portland residents who’ve worked here in various capacities and live just a short walk from our business’ proposed location. We’re excited to contribute to the dynamic, delightful food and beverage scene in this City, hopefully carving out our own niche.

Owners Louis Masi, Elizabeth Rzoska, Devan Marr, and Christian Roadman hope to open the new establishment by July. The draft menu included with Night Mares’ liquor license application include cocktails like Fog Cutter and The Last word, beer, wine, cider as well as food options like soup with focaccia, salad, cheese boards, gougeres, a vegan board and a beet bruschetta.

Rzoska is the owner of Prairie Baking Company. Masi will be curating the cocktail menu, both Masi and Devan Marr currently work at Jing Yan. Roadman has previously worked in the restaurant industry in Chicago and is now a urban planner.

The name of the bar is meant to “acknowledge the serious, refined aspects of a bar slightly mysterious and intriguing with a lighthearted, welcoming touch.” The team hopes to “earn a beloved reputation over time minimizing noise and hype while maximizing warmhearted quality.”

To get caught up on all the new restaurants, bars and other hospitality businesses in development visit our Under Construction List.

New Restaurant in Cumberland (Updated)

| Posted in Under Construction


Tobey Moulton, Simone Burdet and chef Rocco Marzilli are taking over Louie’s Grille in Cumberland where they plan to open a new restaurant. The team aims to provide Cumberland with a “casual, family-friendly spot on Main Street to gather, grab a drink, watch the game, and dine-in or take out great food.” The menu will focus on pizza and pub fare.

Tobey Moulton moved to Maine in 2003 and has worked at Maine inns and hotels before helping found Nosh, Taco Escobarr and Slab. He and life partner Simone Burdet met when they worked together at The Portland Regency—she also has extensive experience working in the restaurant/hospitality industry. Moulton and Marzilli met when working together at Nosh before Marzilli went on to be the chef at The Monhegan House and then helped establish Owl & Elm.

Louie’s Grille closed on April 14th when the longtime owner, Jim Guidi, decided to retire from the business. The new owners hope to open their not-yet-named restaurant this summer.

Update: The restaurant has been named Rise Pizza and Pub. You can follow along with them on instagram at instagram.com/rise_pizza_and_pub/.

Coastal Creamery on Commercial Street

| Posted in Under Construction

A new ice cream shop called Coastal Creamery (instagram) is under construction at 136 Commercial Street in the former Captain Sam’s Ice Cream space.

Owners Kevin and Hayley Ward will source most of their ice cream from a Maine creamery but will also be making some “nut-free allergen safe homemade flavors” of their own and hope to engage in collaborations with other ice cream shops as well. They plan to feature special house-made ice cream cookies and cookie cakes on the menu.

The Wards aim to fully open Coastal Creamery sometime in May.