Maine's Restaurant And Brewery Openings And Closings Of 2026, By Region

Maine's restaurant, bakery and brewery scene saw near-constant turnover in the first nine months of 2026, according to the reporting gathered here. Of the 48 items tracked, Greater Portland produced the largest share: Portland, South Portland, Scarborough and Saco together accounted for more than a dozen openings and closings, including repeated trouble at the dog-friendly restaurants Woof Play Eat, which permanently closed in Portland citing city and state delays, and The Barkery, which closed in South Portland.

Bakeries and cafes were a recurring thread across the state. Gross Bakery closed in Portland and Jodie's Cafe closed for good in Wiscasset, while new bakeries opened in Winterport and Wiscasset. Several long-running institutions also changed hands or shut down, including a longtime Maine buffet restaurant, a lobster restaurant headed to auction, and Skowhegan's Heritage House, even as other Maine restaurants marked milestone seasons — a 99th year for one seafood spot and a 48th season for the restaurant known for the world's largest lobster roll.

Breweries saw both growth and strain: a new brewery and restaurant opened in Milo, two Brunswick breweries both moved to new locations, and an Eliot brewery closed amid a dispute with its town over $100,000. Central Maine, Down East and the Bangor area each logged a mix of new openings — from a lakeside restaurant in Aroostook County to a new Italian restaurant in downtown Bangor — alongside closures such as the Farmington Diner and a Lewiston bakery that had supplied Maine Dunkin' locations for more than 20 years.

Portland

• Chick-fil-A announced that its first Portland restaurant would open on January 22, 2026. (Chick-fil-A)
• A new indoor dog bar, Woof Play Eat, opened its restaurant and bar in Portland, WJBQ reported. (WJBQ)
• Pastry chef Brant Dadaleares closed Gross Bakery in Portland, the Portland Press Herald reported. (The Portland Press Herald)
• A French wine bar and restaurant called Elizabeth was set to open in Portland in spring 2026, the Portland Press Herald reported. (The Portland Press Herald)
• The Portland pasta restaurant Abbiocco closed after just six months in business, WJBQ reported. (WJBQ)
• Noble Pizzeria & Barbecue was closing, Portland Food Map reported. (Portland Food Map)
• The Portland dog park and restaurant Woof Play Eat permanently closed, citing lengthy city and state delays, Newsradio WGAN reported. (Newsradio WGAN |)

South Portland, Scarborough & Saco

• A new sister restaurant to Yosaku was opening in South Portland, the Portland Press Herald reported. (The Portland Press Herald)
• The former owners of Ohno Cafe were opening a pub in South Portland, the Portland Press Herald reported. (The Portland Press Herald)
• A new South Portland restaurant closed indefinitely after a fire, WCYY reported. (94.3 WCYY)
• The Barkery dog park and restaurant closed in South Portland, the Portland Press Herald reported. (The Portland Press Herald)
• Bayley's Seafood Restaurant in Scarborough closed permanently, Spectrum News reported. (Spectrum News)
• A new daytime restaurant and market opened in downtown Saco, the Portland Press Herald reported. (The Portland Press Herald)

York County & the Seacoast

• A new Japanese restaurant was planned for downtown Biddeford, the Portland Press Herald reported. (The Portland Press Herald)
• Koi Asian Restaurant in Biddeford was permanently closing, WCYY reported. (94.3 WCYY)
• Forbes Restaurant proposed a new bar and reopening its second floor overlooking Wells Beach, Seacoastonline reported. (Seacoastonline.com)
• Sanford's Azul Agave Mexican restaurant was opening three more York County locations, the Portland Press Herald reported. (The Portland Press Herald)
• The new Thai restaurant Sweet Rice opened in Ogunquit, Seacoastonline reported. (Seacoastonline.com)
• An Eliot brewery closed amid a dispute between the town and the pub's owner over $100,000, the Portland Press Herald reported. (The Portland Press Herald)

Midcoast

• Prospect Country Store was closing as its owners planned to open a bakery cafe in Winterport, Bangor Daily News reported. (Bangor Daily News)
• The Rolling Pin Café and Bakery opened on Main Street in Winterport, WABI reported. (WABI)
• Two Brunswick breweries were both moving to new locations, WJBQ reported. (WJBQ)
• Jodie's Cafe in Wiscasset permanently closed after months of uncertainty, 94.9 HOM reported. (94.9 HOM)
• A new Wiscasset bakery combining family and quality ingredients was set to open in September 2026, the Lincoln County News reported. (The Lincoln County News)

Down East

• A new Ellsworth eatery began serving Jamaican-inspired dishes, Bangor Daily News reported. (Bangor Daily News)
• A local family opened a new restaurant, Siren & Sailor, the Mount Desert Islander reported. (Mount Desert Islander)
• A chef from Michelin-rated restaurants opened a cafe in rural Down East Maine, Bangor Daily News reported. (Bangor Daily News)
• A chef opened his own restaurant, Astro, in Brooklin, the Ellsworth American reported. (The Ellsworth American)
• Two new restaurants opened in Blue Hill, Penobscot Bay Press reported. (Penobscot Bay Press)
• A popular eastern Maine bakery chain closed its Ellsworth shop, Bangor Daily News reported. (Bangor Daily News)

Central Maine

• A Lewiston bakery that supplied Maine Dunkin' locations closed after more than 20 years in business, WMTW reported. (WMTW)
• Chick-fil-A announced the opening of a new restaurant in Augusta. (Chick-fil-A)
• Pak Lee Chinese Restaurant in Skowhegan closed, Centralmaine.com reported. (Centralmaine.com)
• Lewiston's former Ramada Inn was set to become a Clarion Hotel with a new restaurant, the Lewiston Sun Journal reported. (​​Lewiston Sun Journal​​ ​​​ ​​​)
• Skowhegan's Heritage House restaurant was closing, though a new chapter was planned for the site, b985.fm reported. (b985.fm)
• The Farmington Diner closed as El Tequila prepared to move in, the Lewiston Sun Journal reported. (​​Lewiston Sun Journal​​ ​​​ ​​​)

Statewide

• A Maine restaurant known for serving the world's largest lobster roll set its opening date for its 48th season, WJBQ reported. (WJBQ)
• A popular Maine seafood restaurant opened for its 99th year, WMTW reported. (WMTW)
• A longtime Maine buffet restaurant was closing permanently, WCYY reported. (94.3 WCYY)
• An iconic Maine restaurant known for its large lobster rolls was getting new owners, b985.fm reported. (b985.fm)
• A Maine McDonald's restaurant location closed, a rarity for the chain, WCYY reported. (94.3 WCYY)
• A popular Maine lobster restaurant closed and was set to be sold at auction, WMTW reported. (WMTW)

Northern & Eastern Maine

• A new brewery and restaurant opened in Milo to local support, WABI reported. (WABI)
• A new restaurant began serving Chinese-American fusion food to the Bangor area, WABI reported. (WABI)
• A Brewer restaurant known for karaoke was preparing for its second grand re-opening, WABI reported. (WABI)
• A Bangor food truck favorite opened a permanent brick-and-mortar restaurant, WABI reported. (WABI)
• An Aroostook County couple opened a new lakeside restaurant serving urban-style fare, Bangor Daily News reported. (Bangor Daily News)
• A new Italian restaurant opened in downtown Bangor, Bangor Daily News reported. (Bangor Daily News)

Compiled from reporting by the outlets linked above; follow the links for their full stories.