PORTLAND — Rosemont Market & Bakery plans to open a produce-only market on Commercial Street, in the former Finest Kind warehouse.

The market will sell fresh produce from Maine farms and the Chelsea Produce Market outside Boston, according to John Naylor, owner of Rosemont. He said it should open sometime between mid-February and early March.

The 1,500-square-foot, no-frills market will cater to Portland restaurants as well as the public, Naylor said. To help keep prices down, there will be no fancy displays or grocery bags. Customers must bring their own bags, just as they would at a farmers’ market.

“It’s going to be pretty, but no bells and whistles,” Naylor said. “A little market. And hopefully the city will let us wheel tables out on the sidewalk in the summer.”

The old Finest Kind store is located at 9 Commercial St., near the intersection with India Street. A new Italian coffeehouse called Crema, operated by the owners of Arabica, is scheduled to open soon in the old store. The produce market will be in the warehouse right next to it.

Naylor says the market will have a glass garage door to let in sunlight. The inside has high ceilings and will be painted the same citrus colors as Rosemont’s Brighton Avenue location.

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“The reason we chose that spot is it’s near the ferry terminal for people on the island,” he said. “It’s on the peninsula for a lot of the restaurants, to serve their produce needs. This is a fabulous addition to our store. Our specialty has always been produce, and our connection with local farmers and producers.”

Naylor said local farmers will be delivering produce to the new market almost every day. Many of them are farmers who have not been able to get into the Portland Farmers’ Market, Naylor said, but “I’m not trying to compete with the farmers’ market, I’m just trying to six, seven days a week offer you local produce.”

A Rosemont employee will be going to the Chelsea Produce Market five days a week to hand pick items to sell here in Portland.

Staff Writer Meredith Goad can be contacted at 791-6332 or at:

mgoad@mainetoday.com

 


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