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V O L . X X X I I N O. X I X 92 Fact Book / Doing Business in Maine H O S P I TA L I T Y OPENINGS ® Bay Bowls and Smoothies, a Brunswick- based mini-chain, located at 32 Main St. in Freeport, opened on Sept. 5, 2025. ® Douro, a Portuguese-style restau- rant, opened on Oct. 9, 2025, at 110 Thames St. ® Catbird opened at 279 Main St. in South Berwick on Oct. 16, 2025. ® Minibar, an indoor mini-golf course and sports bar, opened in Oct. 16, 2025 at 270 Marginal Way in Portland's East Bayside neighborhood. ® The Local OOB opened at 23 Washington Ave. in Old Orchard Beach. The restaurant, which offers pub food, opened on Nov. 15, 2025. ® Rambler Café reopened at 463 Stevens Ave. in the space formerly occupied by Rwanda Bean in Portland on Nov. 21, 2025. ® Bar Harbor Cheesecake Co. opened on Nov. 28, 2025, at 166 Main St. in Ogunquit. ® Wow India opened at 649 Congress St. in Portland on Dec. 2, 2025. The menu includes a selection of Indian dishes. ® Aomori, a Japanese restaurant owned by chef Masahiko Miyake and his family, opened at 52 Hanover St. in Portland on Dec. 8, 2025. ® PopUp Bagels, a Connecticut-based bagel chain with a New York presence, opened a Portland location at 210 Middle St. on Dec. 12, 2025. ® Sea Salt Fry opened its doors on Dec. 12, 2025, at 231 Post Road in Wells. It will serve upscale comfort food. ® LB Mini-Mart, the convenience store offshoot of the eatery LB Kitchen, opened at 235 Vaughan St. in Portland's West End on Dec. 18, 2025. ® Baked on Maine opened on Jan. 2 at 42 Maine St. in Brunswick. ® Aomori Kitchen + Market opened at 52 Hanover St. in Portland on Jan. 14. It serves as the Japanese conbini-style sister market to chef Masa Miyake's adjacent restaurant, Aomori. ® Bombay Bistro opened at 3 Vallee St. in the former Frog & Turtle spot in Westbrook on Jan. 14. ® Mornings in Paris opened in Falmouth at 240 U.S. Route 1 in February. It's the bakery's fourth location. Mornings in Paris has other cafés in Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Ogunquit. ® Belle Boulangerie, located in a 4,500-square-foot mixed-use build- ing at 156 Water St. in Hallowell, opened in February. ® Crepe Elizabeth, founded as a mobile bakery in 2022, opened its first brick- and-mortar location recently in downtown Freeport. The shop debuted on Feb. 1 in the Mallet Building, at 7 Mills St. The past year brought a steady stream of change to Maine's restaurant and food business landscape. New eateries and cafés opened from Kittery to Bangor, familiar names expanded and new owners took over established businesses. At the same time, several restaurants closed their doors, some businesses hit the market and others navigated mergers, acquisitions and financial challenges. Here's a roundup of openings, closings and transactions from the past year. Tracking Maine's restaurant shake-up A year of growth, closures and ownership shifts B y A l e x i s W e l l s P H O T O / A L E X I S W E L L S Minibar, a new sports bar in Portland with a twist, offers sandwiches including the Bogey Burger, an 8-ounce patty with cheddar, American cheese and a signature sauce on a brioche bun.