Mainebiz has published an interview with Tom Ruff, the founder of Orange Bike Brewing.
Entrepreneur and cycling enthusiast Tom Ruff shifted gears from medical recruiting to gluten-free brewing, with plans to launch Orange Bike Brewing in Portland later this year. With construction still in progress at 31 Diamond St. in Portland, he gave Mainebiz the lowdown.
For more information on Orange Bike Brewing see this report on the brewery.
After five years of working out of Fork Food Lab, Lake & Company (website, facebook, instagram) is moving to Yarmouth. They’ll be occupying the 3,000 sq ft commercial kitchen at 881 Route 1 in the building that had formerly been the home of Maples.
It’s bittersweet to leave our friends and colleagues at Fork Food Lab. To our incredible staff and devoted clients, we would not be the company we are today without you. It feels a bit like growing up and leaving your family home! This move is a symbol of how much we have grown and accomplished over the past 5 years and we are very humbled.
Owner Hannah Lake White expects to continue offering weekly menus, prepared foods, frozen meals, and desserts for both delivery and pick up.
A new restaurant called Little Pig (website, instagram) has moved into the former Figgy’s location in the West End.
Owners Michael and Piyathida Macdonnell will be serving a menu of what they’re calling “Thai-ish” cuisine—dishes that bring together elements of their Maine and Thai backgrounds.
We hope to bring a little bit of our family’s dinner table to yours with our first take away location. In our blended family of South East Asian and East Coast folks, we try to bring a lot of fun and a lot of flavor.
Food on the streets have been some of our favorites. If we can achieve just a little bit of that far-east feeling here in Portland, our hearts will be full.
We plan on offering some familiar classics and some new ideas. Our goals are to always be approachable and always be full flavored.
While they’re still working on a full menu and launch, the Macdonnell’s will be holding Little Pig pop-up (see menu below) this coming Saturday through Monday, 2 pm – 6 pm. Little Pig is located at 722B Congress Street on the back side of the Yordprom Coffee building.
To get caught up on all the new restaurants under development visit our Under Construction List.
Zachary Poole, Joey Joseph and David Phillips have bought the Portland Beer Hub (website, instagram) and plan to reopen the business early this summer. The new Beer Hub will retail packaged beer, wine and prepared foods. Customers will also be able to enjoy a menu of drinks and snacks at the Beer Hub. The 10-tap draft system will serve beer, wine, cider and seltzer, and they plan to also serve a limited range of bottled wine.
Poole and Phillips are the co-owners of the Maine Brew Bus. The Portland Beer Hub is located at the corner of Pearl and Fore Streets in Boothby Square.
Portland Old Port has the story on the Angoor Wine Bar (instagram) which is under development at 100 Fore Street in the new WEX building.
Angoor will be a self-pour wine bar serving a few dozen wines which customers can dispense in 2, 4 and 6 ounce pours. Owners Sangeeta Nasiff and Rafael Dones plan to also serve beer, cocktails and small plates sourced from established local businesses. The owners hope to open Angoor this fall.
Welcome to the June 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.
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).
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
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 – an 1,100 sq ft space near Schulte & Herr is available for $22/sq ft (NNN).
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 $500/month (MG).
52 Hanover St – On the first floor of a new building 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. 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).
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 $5,500 (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 $18/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 spaces 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 spot with it’s own 8 foot hood for $850/month + utilities and CAM charges.
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 1,560 – 10,620 sq ft of space available for $24-29/sq ft (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).
43 York St – this 1,800 sq ft space is tucked around the corner from Yosaku on York Street. It’s available for $3,000/month (MG).
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.
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Oxbow Brewing and Hardshore Distilling have leased the former Maine Mead Works space on Washington Ave. The move provides both with an opportunity to expand their production capacity and rework their tasting rooms (see floor plan below).
Hardshore will be moving their bar into the new space and expanding seating in their current service area. Similarly, Oxbow is moving their tasting room to their section of the former meadery with the current Oxbow tasting room will be available for events and for overflow capacity. Construction of the new Oxbow and Hardshore tasting rooms are already underway and both business hope to open later this summer.
Seasonal outdoor seating will be available at the front of the building along Washington Ave with a food truck from Eaux (website, instagram) center stage in the new development. Owner Evan Richardson will be serving Eaux’s famed chicken and waffles along with a vegetarian Hen of the Woods mushroom and waffles option and other dishes from the former Eaux menu. The food truck will be launching in early June and will be open Thursday though Monday, 4 – 9ish.
Oxbow was an anchor tenant for the former Nissen Bakery building when the brewery launched their Portland location in 2014. Hardshore launched their distillery on Washington Ave in 2016. Eaux was in operation at 90 Exchange Street from 2018 to 2020. Maine Mead Works went out of business in January.
A new Cambodian restaurant called Khmer Kitchen (facebook) is under construction on the second floor of the Public Market House. Khmer Kitchen is moving into the two spaces that were formerly occupied by Dila’s Kitchen and Pho Huong.
Owner Khanya Mimande plan to serve “a variety of authentic Cambodian/Khmer food, fresh, delicious, flavorful meals, appetizers, and drinks.” The draft menu includes a wide variety of rice dishes like Cha Kroeung (stir fry lemongrass with red and green peppers, onion and Thai basil), rice noodle based soups, wings, ribs, and Khmer egg rolls.
Mimande is in the final stages of launching Khmer Kitchen, and also plans to open a Laotian restaurant.
Melissa Lombardi, the owner of the Twist (instagram) ice cream food truck, has leased a first floor space at the Public Market House. The new location will be the home of a year-round business named Twirl.
Twirl will offer an expanded menu of shakes, cakes, pints, and other grab and go treats such as ice cream sandwiches in addition to the made-to-order ice cream creations that have been available from the food truck since it launched in 2019.
Lombardi hopes to have Twirl open in time for Father’s Day on June 18th.
A new business is under development in Allen’s Corner. A group of owners led by Samuel Eakin from Cherished Possessions plan to launch a diner and pub in 1,805 sq ft space at 64 Auburn Street.
The 40-seat establishment (see floor plan below) will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breakfast and lunch will be modeled after Bayou Kitchen in Woodfords Corner. Eakin has reached an agreement with Bayou Kitchen to license their recipes and name for the daytime service (6 am to 2 pm), and Bayou will be providing training to the CP staff as part of the deal. In the afternoon and evening (2 to 10 pm) the pub will offer drinks and a menu inspired by Eakin’s home state of Louisiana.
Renovations to the building are underway. The final space will include general table seating and a bar. Furnishings from Cherished Possessions are being incorporated into the room’s design. Part of the yard facing Auburn Street will be landscaped to provide a spot for outdoor seating. The menu will be also be available for takeout.
When it opens later this year the restaurant will be open Wednesday through Monday, 6 am – 10 pm. Live music at the pub is part of the plan for weekend evenings.
