Portland and Rochester Closing After Less Than a Year

Spotted via Portland Food Map, partners Garrett Fitzgerald and Tegan Curry of Portland and Rochester Public House announced on Facebook yesterday that the restaurant would be open Tuesday, Wednesday, "and possibly Thursday this week and then we will be closing our doors." The news of closure comes shortly before the restaurant's one year anniversary, which would have fallen on July 11. The announcement contends that running both Portland and Rochester and Bar Harbor Lobster Pound "is proving to be a little too much to handle" for the couple.

Those interested in purchasing "a truly turn-key establishment right at the busy time of year" are instructed to message the business owners, who will leave the place intact. Chef Paul Lively is praised for "elevating our menu to new heights," and it's suggested he would stick around for a new venture.

Though the owners say "this will be a great opportunity to get into a ready to go place very reasonably," rumor has it that the rent on the space is notably high for something removed from the busier downtown areas. Who will be the next to give it a go at 118 Preble Street, and will they "continue the tradition that has been set in motion by us, or start something completely new"?
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[Photo: Tom Minervino]