Mainebiz Special Editions

V O L . X X X N O. X I X 28 Fact Book / Doing Business in Maine OPENINGS BiddoBanh at 299 Main St. in Biddeford opened in October 2023. The eatery is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. Brickyard Hollow opened what it calls an artisanal craft pizza destinations at 1 Stephen King Drive in Augusta and 80 Main St. in Biddeford. It also expanded the Old Port location, at 9 Commercial St., taking over the former Maker's Galley cafe, market and event space next door. Cheese Louise, a restaurant chain specializing in artisan grilled cheese sandwiches, plans to open its fourth location — at Westbrook's Rock Row development. The new location is slated to open in 2025. Jersey Mike's Subs, which has more than 3,000 locations nationwide, opened two locations in Maine: one at 240 U.S. Route 1 in Falmouth in May 2023 and the second at 507 Main St. in Saco in July 2023. Matchamood, Maine's first matcha bar, opened in September 2023 at 654 Congress St., Portland. It features mat- cha-infused drinks and baked goods. Oak & Ember, at 1420 Long Plains Road in Buxton, opened on the site of the former Buxton Common restaurant. Menu items include roasted bistro steak, tagliatelle bolognese, mustard house ribs and more. Red City Ale House, at 8 Main St. in Windham, was converted from the for- mer South Windham Fire Station into a full-service restaurant. At the Longfellow Hotel in Portland a wellness-focused café, Twinflower Café, and a European-influenced lobby bar, Five of Clubs. The bar and café are walk-in only and do not take reser- vations. The two restaurants opened in May at 754 Congress St. Ziggi's Coffee, a franchise brand that started in Colorado, opened its first Maine store in February, at 3 Waterfall Drive in Saco, near the Scarborough town line. Fika, which opened its doors in July 2023 is located in a 250-square-foot space at 17 Storer St. in Saco and serves simple Scandi-style breakfast and lunch. Mr. Tuna, a Portland sushi vendor with food-cart roots opened its new restaurant at 83 Middle St. in Portland in May. Angoor Wine Bar, a self-pour wine bar, officially opened its doors on May 30 at 100 Fore St. in Portland. Q UA L I T Y O F L I F E Maine has seen a lengthy menu of restaurants come, go and turn over ownership. Let's take a foodie trip around the state to look at some of the changes. In the past year, the Friday Food Insider tracked the opening of more than 30 establishments, while marking more than a dozen closings — including four breweries and one distillery. And still other spots changed hands or went on the market. Here's a roundup of openings, closings and transactions from the past year. Foodies lament closings, hail openings In the past year, Maine has seen a lengthy menu of restaurants opening and closing B y A l e x i s W e l l s P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y L O N G F E L L OW H O T E L At the Longfellow Hotel in Portland, there is a wellness-focused café, Twinflower Café, and a European- influenced lobby bar, Five of Clubs.

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