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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 13 J U LY 9 , 2 0 1 8 F O C U S S O U T H E R N M A I N E Every smile tells a story. And each one can say something powerful. As the nation's leading dental benefits provider, Delta Dental makes it easy to protect your smile and keep it healthy with the largest network of dentists nationwide, quick answers and personalized service. Learn more at NortheastDeltaDental.com. I GUESS THEY LIKE ME YOU LOOK AWFULLY FAMILIAR IT'S TOO GOOD TO PUT DOWN THIS IS FUN, I THINK Bob's Clam Hut, of Kittery fame, prepares to open in Portland Portland will soon have its very own Bob's Clam Hut, due to open in coming weeks at 111 Cumberland Ave. in the former location of 3Buoys Seafood Shanty & Grille, which closed in April. The original Bob's Clam Hut, whose comfort-food menu features fried seafood and lobster rolls, opened on Route 1 in Kittery in 1956 and gets pretty jammed in summer. The company is owned by Bowdoin College alumnus Michael Landgarten, who also owns Lil's Cafe in Kittery's Foreside neighborhood. On its website, the business said that when the "iconic" location at the corner of Cumberland and Washington avenues came available, it seemed "destined to be a Bob's." Bob's Clam Hut is advertising for seasonal employment positions in Portland and full-time ones in Kittery. S outhern Maine continues to be a driving force in the state's economy, with real estate, tourism and retail all having strong years, but as always cau- tion is the watchword. See our story on Freeport vs. Kittery and what the tradi- tional retail destinations are doing to evolve. As we look ahead, manufacturers like Hussey Seating Co. are nervous about the effect of tariffs on their costs. S TA R T I N G O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E ยป S FACTOID: Funtown Splashtown in Saco is Maine's second- leading tourist attraction, behind Acadia National Park. Funtown received 500,000 visitors last year, according to the Mainebiz Research Director Stephanie Meagher. Portland more popular with tourists in 2017 The Greater Portland region grew in popularity among visitors to Maine in 2017, according to the most recent annual report of the Maine Office of Tourism. In a survey, 14% of visitors listed the Greater Portland region and Casco Bay as their primary destination last year, up from 10% in 2016. By contrast, the Maine Highlands area was less popular with visitors. It was listed as a primary destination for 14% of those surveyed in 2017, a drop from 16% the year before. P H O T O / V I S I T M A I N E