Here’s Why So Many Portland, Maine Restaurants Are Closing

For those who love to dine in Portland, many of the restaurants that they know and love are closing their doors. What's happening?

Restaurant Apocalypse

In an article from Maine Biz, a panel discussion was held with three Portland business owners about what they are calling Portland's “restaurant apocalypse.” It included Jay Villani, owner of Local 188 and Salvage BBQ, Richard Pfeffer, co-owner of Gritty McDuff's, and Josh Miranda, owner of Blyth & Burrows, Via Vecchia, Papi and Henry’s Public House.

What Caused the Restaurant Apocalypse

There are a few reasons the panel blamed for the shutdown of 20 Portland restaurants all within six months. One is that costs are up. Have you been to the grocery store lately and bought a box of cereal that was way more than you expected? The same thing happens to restaurant owners who are paying more for food and labor.

In turn, menu prices go up and that causes fewer people to eat out.

Too Many Restaurants?

At its peak, Portland had an enormous amount of restaurants and it was often billed in magazines and articles as one of the best restaurant cities in the country. That has started to slip since renting anything in Portland, be it an apartment or a restaurant, is ridiculously expensive.

Is there a solution? Will more restaurants be closing? It's tough to predict. The restaurants surely won't go away, but there may not be quite as many choices in Portland as there used to be.

Read more about Portland's Restaurant Apocalypse at Maine Biz