
The North Point announced it was closing its doors Sunday, the most recent in a string of restaurant closures in the Portland area. Photo courtesy of The North Point
Restaurant and cocktail bar The North Point announced it was closing its doors Sunday, the most recent in a string of restaurant closures in the Portland area.
Those in the local restaurant industry have attributed the closures to rising food and labor costs, staffing challenges, a highly seasonal market and financial hardships following the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The North Point has closed its doors for the last time,” The North Point owner Dan Talmatch posted on Facebook Sunday afternoon. “This decision wasn’t made lightly, but was made in light of rising costs, difficulty staffing, and generally decreasing sales.”
Brothers Dan and Noah Talmatch opened The North Point on Silver Street in February 2013, serving up specialty cocktails, wine and craft beer, and sharable plates.
In the past month, more than a half-dozen restaurants in the Portland area have announced closures, including landmark Yarmouth seafood spot the Muddy Rudder and 10-month-old Portland restaurant Thistle & Grouse.
Muddy Rudder went on the market for $1.4 million in early October. At the time, real estate broker Earle Wason said the 250-seat restaurant had been operating with about 20 waiters and line cooks when the business needed about 50 to stay afloat.
Ohno Café in the West End, downtown Chinese restaurant Golden Lotus and Sisters Gourmet Deli in Monument Square also announced recently that they would be closing their doors.
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