Nosh Taco in Portland’s Canal Plaza closed earlier this month, not quite a year after it launched in the former Copper Branch vegan restaurant space.

Co-owner Michael Fraser said the taqueria wasn’t able to generate enough revenue to keep it afloat, particularly after the project quickly became more costly than the owners had expected.

“We ran into opening costs that were more than double what we thought they would be when we signed the lease,” Fraser said. “Because of that, we weren’t able to get as much money as we wanted into the design of the space, so it didn’t quite have the feel we wanted.”

Fraser said rent for the 1,300-square-foot downtown Portland space was steep, adding that limited downtown foot traffic – an issue for many businesses since the pandemic – was another factor behind the closure.

“We knew in July that we weren’t even close to where we wanted to be in the numbers. There just wasn’t enough traffic there,” Fraser said. “We thought we were going to be doing probably three times the amount of business we actually did. (The location) has a lot of visibility, but for some reason, it doesn’t draw as much as we’d hoped.”

Fraser’s team tried to keep its prices down to attract business. “We had $5 tacos,” he said. “You could grab two tacos and a soda at lunch, and it’d be $12.”

Nosh Taco’s lunch crowd was often “pretty decent,” Fraser said, “but we had almost zero dinner business.

“In the end, we just ran out of money,” he added. “Didn’t have the cash flow it takes sometimes to keep businesses open the first couple of years.”

Fraser and his partners, Michael Barbuto and Kevin Doyle, also co-own Nosh Kitchen Bar and CBG.

BIG TREE HOSPITALITY TAKES OVER LOCAL 188 SPACE

Big Tree Hospitality announced recently that it will be using the former Local 188 space on Congress Street as an event venue and home base for its catering operations.

“This opportunity is especially meaningful to us, and we’re honored to carry the torch, preserving this iconic space while creating a new venue to celebrate weddings, host pop-ups, guest chef dinners, and give our catering team a home of their own,” said Big Tree co-owner Arlin Smith in a news release.

Local 188 closed this fall after 25 years in business. The Spanish- and Mediterranean-influenced eatery was among the restaurants that helped Portland develop its reputation as a great food town.

In addition to Big Tree Catering events, the venue, at 685 Congress St., will also be used for fundraisers, community get-togethers, wine tastings and other gatherings, according to Big Tree officials. Big Tree also owns Eventide Oyster Co. in Portland and Boston, The Honey Paw and several local markets.

Local 188 owner and chef Jay Villani will work with Big Tree as a consultant for the Local 188 space. “For over 25 years, Local 188 has been considered the ‘living room’ of the West End,” Villani said. “I’m excited to help Big Tree Catering preserve the elegance and warmth of this vibrant room and gently transform it into a dynamic setting that retains the communal feel of Local.”

SICILIAN RESTAURANT COMING TO BRUNSWICK

Veteran Midcoast restaurateurs plan to open a casual Sicilian restaurant in Brunswick in the space of the former Scarlet Begonias.

Tony and Chelsea Bickford aim to launch Pomelia at 16 Station Ave. in early or mid-January. Because the 30-year-old Scarlet Begonias recently closed, Tony Bickford said he and his wife want to keep the transition from feeling jarring to customers. To that end, they said Pomelia will have a similar “casual and welcoming” vibe. Sticking with the floral theme of its predecessor, Pomelia is named for a Sicilian flower, and the menu will feature pasta, pizza and sandwiches, just as Scarlet Begonias’ did.

“But we wanted to differentiate ourselves because Brunswick already has a few pizza spots and some pasta, so we really wanted to focus on the Sicilian portion of Italy,” said Bickford, who will also be Pomelia’s chef.

Pomelia’s draft menu features four variations of Sicilian focaccia-style pizza and a selection of salads and southern Italian pastas. Sandwiches include the cucina povera classic, pane cunzato and scaccia ragusana, made with a thin fermented bread dough that’s folded over an eggplant, fennel and ricotta filling before baking. Appetizers include some Sicilian street food favorites such as arancini and chickpea fritters panelle.

Pomelia will serve beer, wine and cocktails, but Bickford said they want to have a “solid” nonalcoholic menu as well. “We want to have a very welcoming menu of different drinks so people won’t feel left out if they don’t want to enjoy some wine,” he said.

The space can seat about 68 inside. Bickford said the couple is repainting, moving some dividing walls and refinishing tables to prepare for the opening.

The Bickfords owned Little Village Bistro in Wiscasset for seven years, before it closed in 2021.

“We know there are some people who loved Scarlet Begonias that will be upset that we’ve made changes,” Bickford said. “But I’m optimistic that they’ll be happy if they do come in and give us a try.”

COCKTAIL MARY FUNDRAISES TO MOVE TO BIGGER SPACE

Cocktail Mary recently launched a month-long campaign to raise $100,000 so that it can move to a larger venue in 2025.

Cocktail Mary founder Isaac MacDougal announced the campaign kickoff Monday on Cocktail Mary’s Instagram page, and said it pulled in $2,000 in its first 12 hours. Fundraising will continue until Dec. 25.

The queer craft cocktail bar takes up just 800 square feet at 229 Congress St. in Portland.

“It’s really just too small of a space,” MacDougal said, noting that it also only has one bathroom. “We need a little bit more space, especially for the dance parties we’ve been having, which have been so lovely, but just really packed.”

MacDougal said he will keep Cocktail Mary in Portland and is hoping to double or triple the bar’s space, depending how much money they’re able to raise. MacDougal is using NuMarket, the Boston-based crowdfunding platform that caters to food-and-beverage businesses.

Under the NuMarket system, contributors receive 120% of their investment back, paid in six monthly installments of store credits that never expire. Sissle & Daughters Coffee, Wine Bar & Grocer and Vietnamese restaurant Cong Tu Bot recently used NuMarket to fund buildouts.

“A lot of our customers are a little lower income, but they do spend money at the bar. So they can buy into this and essentially have a tab at the bar when we open,” MacDougal said. “It’s actually a low-barrier way for people to invest in the business with return, sort of a win-win for everybody.”

MacDougal hopes Cocktail Mary will be able to relocate by early summer. The bar has been serving and supporting the local LGBTQ+ community since launching on Congress Street five years ago.

“It’s a particularly important time for places like this, where community can come together and feel safe and seen,” MacDougal said. “Fortifying local organizations that support marginalized communities is important right now.”

PORTLAND FARMERS’ MARKET MOVES INDOORS IN DECEMBER

The Portland Winter Farmers’ Market kicks off Saturday, Dec. 7, with more farmer vendors than ever, according to organizers.

Wednesday is the last day for the 2024 outdoor Portland Farmers’ Market. The indoor winter market, at 631 Stevens Ave. in the Stevens Square Community Center (the old Catherine McAuley High School), runs on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. until April 12. There are 25 vendors this year.

Assistant Market Manager Doug Donahue, of Balfour Farm in Pittsfield, said the 2024-25 winter market features about five more farmer vendors than it did last year. “We’ve been trying to add farms all along, but we needed to find the right fit. The new farms this year had products to offer that the market didn’t already have,” Donahue said, mentioning goat cheese from Worth the Wait Farm in Denmark.

The winter market will feature an array of products, including seasonal produce; beef, pork, chicken and lamb; oysters; bread and baked goods; cheeses, yogurt, milk and eggs; jams, jellies and pickles; as well as honey and maple syrup.

“You can pretty much do your entire grocery shopping there,” Donahue said.

The winter market has drawn more customers each year since it’s been held at the Stevens Square Community Center, according to Donahue. “It’s becoming more and more popular as word gets out,” he said.

BEAUJOLAIS NOUVEAU TASTING

The Alliance Francaise of Portland has scheduled a Beaujolais wine celebration for December, featuring the 2024 Beaujolais Nouveau. In France, the wine is released the third Thursday of November, by law, soon after harvest, with great fanfare; Beaujolais Nouveau isn’t meant to age.

The event is set for Saturday, Dec. 7, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Grippy Tannins wine store at 16 Middle St. in Portland. Tickets, $30 for Alliance Francaise members and $40 for non-members, include tastings of various Beaujolais wines and hors d’oeuvres.

For more information or to buy tickets, visit the Alliance Francaise website.

FEAST OF THE SEVEN FISHES IN CAMDEN

Camden Harbour Inn is collaborating with Browne Trading Company and author and seafood authority Barton Seaver for a Feast of the Seven Fishes program in December.

Set for Saturday, Dec. 14, the events include a 1 p.m. talk by Seaver, who will discuss sustainable fishing, dining, his life in Maine and traveling abroad. The talk – at $135 per person – includes bubbly and hors d’oeuvres, as well as signed copies of Seaver’s book, “American Seafood.”

Natalie’s, the restaurant at Camden Harbour Inn, will also put on a Feast of the Seven Fishes meal that evening. The feast is an Italian tradition, usually observed on Christmas Eve, that calls for families to eat a seven-course meal featuring seven different fish and shellfish. Natalie’s Executive Chef Jose Ochoa and his culinary team worked together with Seaver to create a seven-course dinner highlighting sustainable local seafood. Seaver and Jesse Shaw from Browne Trading will also be on hand. Dinner is $187 per person, excluding tax and gratuity and wine pairing.

To reserve space for the events, call the Camden Harbour Inn at 207-236-4200.

Copy the Story Link