WESTBROOK — With the addition of a second floor on the way, the Frog & Turtle restaurant will temporarily close June 17 and reopen in August.
Owner and Chef James Tranchemontagne and his partners Guy and Jane Cote are looking forward to expanding upward and providing patrons with seating on an outdoor deck and views of Saccarappa Falls.
“Anytime you are elevated up high, eating its awesome,” Tranchemontagne said. “There are also rumors the city wants to light up the falls at night, which would be really cool.”
The original part of the restaurant will be back up and running in August and the new second floor should be open by Sept. 10, he said.
“They will finish upstairs by Labor Day, which we will give ourselves a week to do the final cleaning and set up,” he said.
Plans call for the second floor to seat between 50 and 60 people, allowing the restaurant to host events.
“There aren’t many places that have a real spot for events in the Greater Portland area,” Tranchemontagne said. Event space at many restaurants is tucked away to the side and not really a part of the restaurant, he said.
“This will help us become more of a destination,” partner Guy Cote said.
The restaurant got initial approval from the Planning Board last week to use a portion of Vallee Square to store their construction equipment, which will also take up a few parking spaces.
“There is always that concern that when you see construction and a place closes, it never opens back up,” Cote said. “We are not leaving town.”
“You are always trying to beat that rumor mill,” Tranchemontagne added. “We are not leaving. The mayor, City Council, they have been great helping us and helping us achieve our dreams. It’s nice when the city backs the smaller business, it’s awesome.”
Chance Viles can be reached at 780-9092 or cviles@theforecaster.net. Follow Chance on Twitter: @chanceviles.
The Frog and Turtle on Vallee Square will shut down for construction of a second floor June 17 with plans to reopen in August.
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