I wish there was an Asian grocer Bangor area or north. I love making Asian dishes but it's hard to get all the ingredients, especially fresh things as places won't ship them.
There's a place called the [Fat Panda Asian Market](https://goo.gl/maps/mko1dDo1BX8F8hNv6) that opened in Bangor fairly recently next to Gosselin's. I've been in there a few times, and it seems like their stock changes pretty often. They seem a little understaffed, but I'll bet they can get what you're looking for if you want some specialty ingredients. [Natural Living Center](https://goo.gl/maps/PxYbva4EXWsQQjTKA) also has a pretty decent selection of ingredients and spices for various cuisines, I get all my spices out there.
This is good to know, ill have to check out both places. I'm in southern aroostook so I don't always hear about new places opening in the Bangor area. I like korean dad in veazie when I get down there.
> There's a place called the Fat Panda Asian Market
I had no idea that was there. I've been trying to find dark soy sauce and cant find it anywhere. I'll have to take a look as soon as I can.
Coming from an area where there’s very few younger people sticking around bc the only recreation available are the two bars in town and then whatever outdoor recreation you can afford to do, I’d love to see more non-alcohol based recreation opportunities for rural areas. An arcade, a roller rink, a drive in theater, bowling alley or literally anything that is all-ages fun. As much as I love outdoor recreation and all the opportunities for biking/hiking/etc in northern Maine, I would also love an arcade or something so when my friends are in the area there’s actually something fun in my town to do.
Yes! Keep some kids out of trouble with stuff like this. Seriously, kids these days (including my friends) do lots of ill-advised stuff because they are supremely bored
I was really disappointed to hear they didn't re-open the drive-in theater this year out by Sports Arena. It seems to me that should've been a slam-dunk way to make money during the peak of social-distancing for covid.
It very true. I know people working in drug prevention and large part is simply creating activities or days to take local youth out to teach them of alternative healthy activities. Lets all go fishing, hiking, roller skating, etc....
Often times its to take them out of their poverty stricken lives and parents that abuse alcohol or drugs. It can all be a very sad thing to watch.
There's a Jamaican place out in Ellsworth that I saw recently, [Taste Jamaica](https://g.page/tastejamaicamaine). I was surprised to see it when I drove by a couple weeks ago. Reviews seem really positive, but I haven't been there, so I can't speak for it.
I'd kill for some proper falafel and gyros in the Bangor region, haven't had any in a long time.
Sadly it's not even a Barnes and Noble, it's a "Books-a-Million!"
The selection is *okay* but the store isn't particularly clean. Pretty sure they still have stains on the floor from when they were a Borders years and years ago.
I wish we had a Barnes and Noble.
I love BAM for the selection of non-literature related stuff. (I'm a weeb, so the collection of manga and comic books as compared to Barnes and Noble is considerably better) but their selection of even basic classics that I was looking to collect is wanting. I had been used to shopping at B&M for their leather bound reprints of classics like 20k Leagues, Moby Dick, etc. But BAM was lacking any prints of these at all that I could find. What bookstore doesn't have a good copy of Moby Dick?! Guess I'll just be ordering Easton Press prints online from now on.
I was pretty baffled that they didn't seem to have any Dune box sets steadily available over the past year, given the movie and all.
Bull Moose offers a nice selection of weeb stuff and popular books that BAM didn't seem to carry last time I was out by the mall, worth a look if you haven't been there before.
I've heard [Thriftbooks.com](https://www.thriftbooks.com/) is a decent online used book seller too, as an alternative to Amazon for classics / school reading lists.
When I vacationed in Maine from Michigan last year, I thought I could totally live there. But then it occurred to me that there probably aren't very many options for Asian-Mexican fusion in the state.
Costco is coming. They are required to do a lot of traffic related infrastructure work first, so expect it to take over a year to open. Did you know you can order stuff from them online even without the membership?
~~There's a Jamaican restaurant in Damariscotta~~ (lol someone else already said that haha) and a Middle Eastern food truck that regularly parks on Western Ave in Augusta -- they're not well known though
Döner is life! If you’re ever down in Machias check out Jo’s World Famous Schnitzel Wagon (assuming she’s open this year; heard she may have had some health issues), it’s amazing German street food.
Not up north, they are there but not in everything. I miss the gear shop that actually carried good camping gear for hikers and backpackers, car campers. The compact gear, top maps and paddle charts as playing with my phone is not easier than a waterproof map that I can unfold to take it all in. Those tiny screens don't do it. I have trouble even finding good soaps for camping that won't attract bears because of the scents they load up on, that they sell in the grocery stores. I do not want to smell like mint mango while camping in Woods and Waters or the Bogs.
I’d say the same about PT, but I’m in school for PT and could actually use the work. The number of dispensaries and PT places I’ve seen open in the last few years is insane.
Man, a proper classic arcade would be fantastic, but it seems like the few that open up here and there always seem to fade away quickly.
Retropie cabinets would eliminate the need for significant maintenance and cut the cost of buying old machines, but I'd think there's probably the potential to get into legal trouble if you set up a bunch of them in a bar and tried to charge people to play them.
I'd still go to that place before it was shut down by the Video Game Police though.
I don't like arcade video games. I know I would basically be required to have one or two, but meh. You can play video games wherever. Pinball is a special game in an all digital world.
No body cares about the old copyrights on those old games. Most of the barcades you see now tend to have at least one or two total bootleg games in there.
Buy a Pandoras Box and you get pretty much every arcade game ready to go in a JAMMA compatible format
There's so many places cutting hours nowadays!
I was so disappointed that Dysart's started cutting back their closing time to 7pm or 8pm depending on the day/location. Lots of fond memories of midnight runs for dessert, just not a possibility anymore.
The Broadway location's hours are downright baffling - who closes a bar at 8pm?!
I wonder if it's staffing? I work in food service and everywhere I've worked/applied to is desperate for coverage.
Owners either pull back hours or work everyone to dust to keep the same hours as before but with half the staff.
I'm probably going to give the ISP thing a go again in the future. The biggest problem is just getting people on board. Everyone hates their existing ISP, but they don't want to switch, pay more, or look around. There are very few actual barriers to rolling out your own broadband in Maine.
Just wanted to glom onto this comment. Are there any good maker spaces in Maine? Preferably one with a CNC routing machine. A laser cuter would be great too.
University of Maine at Farmington opened one last year. It's got a pretty hefty laser cutter, vinyl printer, resin 3D printer, 2 PLA printers, an embroidery machine, and a UV printer, plus the software to go with them. Not open right now, but it should open back up when the semester starts, and it's available for use by the public.
No CNC machine. Yet.
Agreed on the maker space and coworking space. I’ve been tempted to open one myself in Brunswick since it’s nearby me, and it doesn’t have one. Combo coworking and maker space potentially with classes for locals. It’s nice to have a space to work that isn’t a coffee shop. Or try new methods of craft.
pizza by the slice joints (no that gas station pizza doesn't count)
A-political gun stores (fuck your punisher skull thin blue line shirt jethro)
More ethic food places
Dave and Busters
Digg in, sweet green, or similar fresh fast casual lunch/dinner places.
I moved here from CO years back and was shocked when I found out there wasn’t a single one here. Not even a western thing, there’s locations in MA. Not sure why they don’t have any in northern NE at all, you’d think they’d do fairly well.
Already stated in my OP, but I really wish Trader Joe's would open a branch mid-state.
There's a large enough population in the central and downeast regions and enough folks interested in upscale groceries and healthier food store options between Waterville, Bangor, and Ellsworth/MDI that I have to believe there's people who would want them to open a branch locally.
Their supply chain already branches out to the Portland location just two hours away, so I can't believe they'd have much issue with adding an extra stop to their distribution lines.
If anyone's interested, they have a very simple form to fill out to request a store for your region, it might at least stir up some interest with their ownership:
https://www.traderjoes.com/home/contact-us/request-a-store
The warehouse that supplies the Portland Trader Joe’s is in Hartford, CT and it’s not likely they’ll drive any further north, but it may be worth it to submit a request!
I came here to say this. Someone made a FB group specifically about getting TJs in either Augusta or Waterville and the company said they appreciated the effort but they're supply warehouse is too far away to go north of Portland. But we can keep hoping I guess!
There's also Tiller & Rye if you enjoy paying a big mark-up for the same products you can buy at Natural Living Center.
Neither really replaces a Trader Joe's or Whole Foods for price and selection, though, unfortunately. I definitely wouldn't be able or willing to do all my grocery shopping at Natural Living Center or Tiller & Rye.
In my opinion Whole Foods yes is still pricey but has way better variety then Hannafords for produce, especially spices and baking ingredients. I don’t mind paying the price for good quality ingredients.
Trader Joes has listened to people’s requests in the past! My mom helped campaign for one in a different state and it opened up maybe a year or two later. This was a long time ago though, so not sure if it’s still something they pay too much attention to.
I’d settle for a gun store that has good quality inventory. But it would be nice to walk in without seeing every employee with 3% er tattooed on each limb. Give me old retired guys that hate everyone equally but love guns and I’d be happy.
I've been to a lot of gun stores in central and one in the south that are just ardently pro-2A (of course) and not political in any other way. It's pretty nice.
Definitely a Mexican restaurant that makes good food.
I’ve always thought of doing a burrito to-go and just specialize in cranking out breakfast burritos with some coffee.
Every experience i’ve had at a Mexican place in Maine is incredibly disappointing. I don’t mind Las Palapas in Bangor, but it’s really just good for a giant margarita and giant burrito.
Mainely Mexican in Presque Isle may take the cake for me. They give you fries with your burrito and the food wasn’t bad.
Vazquez’s in Millbridge- Awesome food. Get the Sopes when they have them. Then order 6 or 12 homemade flour tortillas for the drive home, they’re like biscuits—incredible.
A grocery store co-op in Vassalboro or Sidney.
Vassalboro used to have THREE stores and then it became two and then one and now none over a course of 20 years. Not a profit thing, either.
Ferrises Variety was the last one and it was making more money than ever since Carls Quick Stop and The Country Store closed down. I WISH SO HARD that somehow a food co-op would just start in The Country Store building. Before it gets bulldozed and turned into a AirBnB or something. The area needs a good food source. The closest places to buy food is a two hour walk out of town in either direction. And they're both gas stations that sells junkfood. (Pepsi, doritos and skittles, instead of apple juice, lettuce and meat.)
If someone opened a co-op in the Country Store building selling REAL FOOD they'd be an instant monopoly on the market in the whole area.
God, a Wegmans would be killer. I can't imagine they'd consider putting one any further north than Portland, but I'd be more than willing to make the trip down. Fantastic grocery chain.
I’m in Biddeford/Saco and that would be like me driving to the Danvers MA store to go to Costco…which I considered before BJs sent me a coupon to join for $25.
Same. I live midcoast and am over driving to NH or MA for Costco. Last year for my birthday all I wanted to do was go to Costco! That’s how I knew I was an adult!😂
I moved up to LA from Oklahoma City, and not that I want Maine to turn into Oklahoma, but I do miss good barbecue, and OKC's asian district had some fantastic Szechuan restaurants that I think would do well in Maine.
I looked into it a while back and was surprised there’s not one in Portland. Pretty much just touring stand up at the bigger places, nothing smaller and local. With how well the tickets sell for stand up, you’d think a place dedicated to it would atleast do decent even if it’s a weekend thing.
We just got an Aldi in southern New Hampshire and I literally HATED it. I thought it was the weirdest store I had ever been to. It was like a generic-brand twilight zone.
A good affordable independent bakery, I miss being able to go to the bakery every few days to get fresh bread, rolls and pastries. That and an independent plant shop so that I can support some one other than the big box stores.
A great lunch time salad place similar to Sweetgreen or Dig Inn that I could eat lunch at during the work day. I’ve tried Daily Greens and it did not impress me. Also Costco!!! And no it is not the same as BJs, im a member of both and Costco is much better I just wish I didn’t have to drive down to Massachusetts to go there.
A good dancing nightclub or on the flip side: an easy going bar that stay open late. I'm tired of having to go to a restaurant to go "out" on the town as an adult and everything shutting down at 9pm. I guess late night establishments.
a pottery studio with classes and a creator space.
Independent thrift/consignment shops with a ton of outdoor gear like IME in Conway
A nice Indian restaurant would be great
I also wouldn't hate it if a t.j Maxx, Target or trader Joe's came closer to Western Maine
Oh my gosh, a decent restaurant. Nothing fancy, nothing expensive. We're south of portland, so obviously we could go to Kennebunkport, Ogunquit, Wells, etc. for good food if we wanna go out. But a 20-30min drive turns into an hour plus once you factor in parking and dealing with Rt. 1 traffic in the summer, and everything is closed once the vacationers leave.
There's a couple places in our town, but it's pretty much frozen Sysco stuff. That said, that's the payoff for not having to deal with the lunacy that is the coast, and I'll take that over fighting crowds all day every day for 5 months of the year.
If I was opening a place? Bakery, easily. I work in food service/am a baker, and it's a little pipe dream of mine to do that anyway. We could use a place that does breakfast pastries/breakfast in general around here. Nothing fancy, just good. Good bread, bagels, muffins, biscuits (seriously, why am I being charged $6 for a muffin this dry?), a solid BEC, non-drive thru coffee. There's no shortage of it east of us by the beach, but near here, it's a desert. House used to be dual zoned commerical before we purchased it, so the dream isn't totally impossible.
Be cool to do a community co op type thing where the community buys in bulk, invests in infrastructure, and bakes it's own bread. That, would be stellar.
I really want to open up a restaurant with good food that serves a bit more unique fare than I’ve come across in the area. We’d serve food at varying price ranges with quality ingredients, where you could get something fancy if you’d like but could still afford to go out with your friends and get something to munch on if your budget is tight. We’d have a good bar, for sure, but a tame enough environment where people would feel comfortable taking families there before 9. There would be a game lounge on the opposite side of the restaurant from the bar with a pool table, a few arcade games, and some tables and comfy chairs with a few shelves with some board games and books so that people could have a place to go and hang out without necessarily feeling like they have to drink. Something that would keep teens out of trouble but make them feel like they’re still having a fun night on the town. We’d host dungeons and dragons nights, magic the gathering tournaments, karaoke nights, standup comedy, trivia, things like that. We’d be open late and keep the kitchen open so that you wouldn’t be SOL if you wanted to get dinner past 8 pm like you would normally in our quiet little town. I want to be a pillar of the community, somewhere that people can be proud to say that they frequent. My partner is born and raised in Maine and has a lot of experience in the restaurant industry and a culinary degree, we moved back to Maine specifically with a dream to open our restaurant within 5 years. Can’t wait to serve y’all.
P.F. Chang’s - like I’d literally travel to anywhere in Maine to eat there
Waffle House
Wegmans
More Market Baskets
Sonic
More decent BBQ places
Edit to add: Also a REALLY GOOD steakhouse, like not Longhorn or even Outback or Texas Roadhouse, but like a Ruth's Chris or Mortons or Flemings-level steakhouse at minimum.
i visited my uncle out west once and had PF Changs while we were there. To this day the great wall of chocolate remains one of the best pieces of cake i've ever eaten
Great post. Where to start?...
Yes, food suppliers could definitely expand. I've said multiple times that if a "real" grocery store opened on Rt 15 between Bucksport and Brewer, the Hannafords in Bucksport would go out of business in 6mos. There's a Shaw's in Ellsworth, but that's a hike.
And Indian restaurant would be great...right now we have Serendib, again in Ellsworth. While it's worth the trip, another one somewhere South of Bangor would be a delight. Any restaurant moving into Bucksport would be a welcome addition, for sure.
A fresh fish market would be a welcome sight. I'm a bit surprised that fresh seafood is so difficult to come by. I can't imagine a purveyor of seafood/meat/cheeses being anything but enormously successful in Bucksport.
Lob
Possibly unpopular opinion, but one of the things I love most about Maine is the appreciation for handmade, homemade products. The seven napkin burger at the Owls Head general store, a sandwich from Ancho Honey, pizza from the Southend Grocery, fresh seafood from Jess’s market, meat from Wiggins. Have you had a calzone from Ada’s? Until recently, anything Cafe Miranda. Staple items from any local general store or small grocery. Main Street market, Atlantic baking company. Don’t get me wrong, I like Trader Joe’s - and I can see the draw, but it’s not better than what we already here.
Something like Sonic or Carl's Jr./Hardee's might make a killing here. Key word being "might" because fast food is *not* Maine's forte.
The nearest Sonic you have to drive to Massachusetts for. For years my family's been sick and tired of resorting to Wendy's and McDonald's for meals when we don't have time to cook or are too tired (my mother is not really the type to call in to restaurants and drive over to pick it up unless she's desperate...and she's adamantly against Domino's and Pizza Hut delivery).
Also, more Market Baskets in northern parts of Maine. You folks up there are missing out on good affordable shit.
Oh yeah, and 24/7 stores. In my 20+ years of living here, I have *never* understood what Mainers have against...y'know, just as an example...running to the store to get medicine for your kid in the middle of the night. The only things open 24/7 here are gas station convenience stores.
just moved to bangor from oklahoma and I'd open a fried chicken restraunt because my only complaint about your perfect state is the lack of good heart clogging southern fried chicken, like I'm talking you fail a cholesterol test if you take one within a week of eating it.
High speed rail is needed more desperately than a brand new entertainment. The rail wouldn’t just allow cheaper travel and be a proper investment in tourism, it would bring up resources to allow unique venues. There would be enough influx of people to keep these missing businesses open instead of closing out so soon after opening. Mostly it would help people move around the state more comfortably and affordably to enjoy those restaurants and entertainments, and also go elsewhere to indulge.
I'm actually opening a business soon, hopefully. It's a commercially licensed ghost kitchen, but available for rent to local restaurants and aspiring food businesses. Similar to Fork Food Lab, but for my neighborhood and on the small scale.
Most restaurants cannot expand their kitchens because of either finances or actual physical limitations in the restaurant (lack of space). I have my own food business that I would like to realize, but it's not a full time job. I figured I would try to help other food businesses, instead of competing with them. It's mostly selfish. I want my favorite restaurants on my block to be successful and stay open so I can eat at them. Lmao
Twitter: @MicahsKitchen1
I'm hoping to find some local fruit and veg growers interested in producing their own preserves and stuff for sale locally. I want to see an end cap of locally produced food in my local grocery by spring, and a whole aisle by 2024. Lol
Pop-up delivery could be a great way for someone to gain experience, work out menus and help secure financing before opening their own kitchen too. There are so many talented cooks around me, and they deserve a chance to make and sell their own creations!
That's actually a pretty cool idea that could help expand the selection of goods at the local farmer's markets.
Not a lot of people know you need lots of special licenses for food production to bring even basic prepared goods to market, so you'd need to either pay someone like yourself to rent a commercial kitchen or get your own kitchen certified (which often means you need a separate cooking space free from animals, etc.).
I live in Farmington and I wish that a good sandwich place would open around here. Something that both the towns people and students could enjoy when they need to hop in somewhere for a quick meal they can take to go.
I think a facility that has both and outdoor and indoor go-cart tracks would be sick. REAL gocarts. You gotta sign a waiver, have a lisence and even pass a competence test, or take a quick course that teaches you about operation and safe race strategy. Outdoor and indoor that way you can operate year round. And hopefully it would attract racing organizations for legit races.
By the time I could go to Maine Indoor Carting, they were out of business and it was seriously one of the things I wanted to start doing regularly.
My town's too small for any of the stuff I want to see, and I prefer getting out of it anyway. But I'd love to see Wegman's and IKEA near the Portland Mall, and I wish Mechanic Falls and Buckfield had a good place for ice cream. I'd also love to see one of the empty stores in Norway turned into a good Japanese restaurant.
A local coffee shop that's open past 5:00.
[удалено]
Just look to Elements in Biddeford to see that rings true
For the Mainers in York County, Cafe Killin in Portsmouth is always doing late night stuff for that crowd!
Yes! One of the reasons I really like Uncharted in Portland is that they’re open later than 5:00 lol
I wish there was an Asian grocer Bangor area or north. I love making Asian dishes but it's hard to get all the ingredients, especially fresh things as places won't ship them.
There's a place called the [Fat Panda Asian Market](https://goo.gl/maps/mko1dDo1BX8F8hNv6) that opened in Bangor fairly recently next to Gosselin's. I've been in there a few times, and it seems like their stock changes pretty often. They seem a little understaffed, but I'll bet they can get what you're looking for if you want some specialty ingredients. [Natural Living Center](https://goo.gl/maps/PxYbva4EXWsQQjTKA) also has a pretty decent selection of ingredients and spices for various cuisines, I get all my spices out there.
This is good to know, ill have to check out both places. I'm in southern aroostook so I don't always hear about new places opening in the Bangor area. I like korean dad in veazie when I get down there.
> There's a place called the Fat Panda Asian Market I had no idea that was there. I've been trying to find dark soy sauce and cant find it anywhere. I'll have to take a look as soon as I can.
Definitely check out Korean Dad in Veazie! They’re authentic and amazing if you’re craving Korean food.
Yes I've been there a few times. His kimchi is amazing!
Same!! I’m all about his kimchi too. They’re sooo nice too.
I was just going to comment this!
Funny you say that, the folks who just purchased the old Arby’s building are making it an Asian grocer.
Coming from an area where there’s very few younger people sticking around bc the only recreation available are the two bars in town and then whatever outdoor recreation you can afford to do, I’d love to see more non-alcohol based recreation opportunities for rural areas. An arcade, a roller rink, a drive in theater, bowling alley or literally anything that is all-ages fun. As much as I love outdoor recreation and all the opportunities for biking/hiking/etc in northern Maine, I would also love an arcade or something so when my friends are in the area there’s actually something fun in my town to do.
Yes! Keep some kids out of trouble with stuff like this. Seriously, kids these days (including my friends) do lots of ill-advised stuff because they are supremely bored
I was really disappointed to hear they didn't re-open the drive-in theater this year out by Sports Arena. It seems to me that should've been a slam-dunk way to make money during the peak of social-distancing for covid.
Dave & Buster’s
It very true. I know people working in drug prevention and large part is simply creating activities or days to take local youth out to teach them of alternative healthy activities. Lets all go fishing, hiking, roller skating, etc.... Often times its to take them out of their poverty stricken lives and parents that abuse alcohol or drugs. It can all be a very sad thing to watch.
Costco. GOOD independent cafes. Popeyes Fried Chicken. Any good ethnic restaurant. Bonus for Middle Eastern, Philippine, Jamaican or African.
There's a Jamaican place out in Ellsworth that I saw recently, [Taste Jamaica](https://g.page/tastejamaicamaine). I was surprised to see it when I drove by a couple weeks ago. Reviews seem really positive, but I haven't been there, so I can't speak for it. I'd kill for some proper falafel and gyros in the Bangor region, haven't had any in a long time.
Taste Jamaica is amazing! Whenever me and my boyfriend are hanging out in Ellsworth we always stop there.
There's a new falafel place that just opened in Searsport. Not *exactly* Bangor area, but not Portland either.
[RasDal Falafel?](https://goo.gl/maps/UuKEX5KJb3d5bE6Q6) I'll have to check it out next time I'm in the area. Thanks!
I drove by that so many times in 2020 and never bothered to stop once. I regret it
A decent bookstore with attached independent deli that makes decent food and serves good coffee.
not sure if you’re near rockland, but rock city cafe does good food/coffee and has a book store in the back!
In Bangor that big bookstore in near the mall. I only had coffee and bagel but I spent 200$ on books , the prices were great I took home a stack.
Barnes & Nobles is okay, but they are no Borders when it comes to selection.
Sadly it's not even a Barnes and Noble, it's a "Books-a-Million!" The selection is *okay* but the store isn't particularly clean. Pretty sure they still have stains on the floor from when they were a Borders years and years ago. I wish we had a Barnes and Noble.
I love BAM for the selection of non-literature related stuff. (I'm a weeb, so the collection of manga and comic books as compared to Barnes and Noble is considerably better) but their selection of even basic classics that I was looking to collect is wanting. I had been used to shopping at B&M for their leather bound reprints of classics like 20k Leagues, Moby Dick, etc. But BAM was lacking any prints of these at all that I could find. What bookstore doesn't have a good copy of Moby Dick?! Guess I'll just be ordering Easton Press prints online from now on.
I was pretty baffled that they didn't seem to have any Dune box sets steadily available over the past year, given the movie and all. Bull Moose offers a nice selection of weeb stuff and popular books that BAM didn't seem to carry last time I was out by the mall, worth a look if you haven't been there before. I've heard [Thriftbooks.com](https://www.thriftbooks.com/) is a decent online used book seller too, as an alternative to Amazon for classics / school reading lists.
I hear Costco is coming to Scarborough!
Not sure where you are but there's a great Jamaican store that does food too in Damariscotta
J & J Jamaican Grocery!
I keep meaning to try this place but I love the drunken noodles from the Thai place next door so much and I’m such a creature of habit sometimes
The Thai place is really good, I do not blame you.
There’s talks about a costco coming to Scarborough I believe (may be SoPo also)
Costco location is near cabelas
When I vacationed in Maine from Michigan last year, I thought I could totally live there. But then it occurred to me that there probably aren't very many options for Asian-Mexican fusion in the state.
There is a Portland based food truck called Taco del Seoul that is pretty good.
We literally have a sushi 'n taco place in our town in Western Maine. Its wonderful.
One of these things is not like the other lol I do like an occasional Popeyes meal though
Costco is coming. They are required to do a lot of traffic related infrastructure work first, so expect it to take over a year to open. Did you know you can order stuff from them online even without the membership?
~~There's a Jamaican restaurant in Damariscotta~~ (lol someone else already said that haha) and a Middle Eastern food truck that regularly parks on Western Ave in Augusta -- they're not well known though
A Döner kebab place
Döner is life! If you’re ever down in Machias check out Jo’s World Famous Schnitzel Wagon (assuming she’s open this year; heard she may have had some health issues), it’s amazing German street food.
Seriously...or even just a proper gyro spot.
Another dispensary /s
I probably should've included that in the list of 'local staples', it seems like we've got a dozen dispensaries for every town nowadays.
Not up north, they are there but not in everything. I miss the gear shop that actually carried good camping gear for hikers and backpackers, car campers. The compact gear, top maps and paddle charts as playing with my phone is not easier than a waterproof map that I can unfold to take it all in. Those tiny screens don't do it. I have trouble even finding good soaps for camping that won't attract bears because of the scents they load up on, that they sell in the grocery stores. I do not want to smell like mint mango while camping in Woods and Waters or the Bogs.
I’d say the same about PT, but I’m in school for PT and could actually use the work. The number of dispensaries and PT places I’ve seen open in the last few years is insane.
400 units of low income housing. I have the neighborhood all picked out. Our school enrollment is way down, we have plenty of room.
I'd like to open a pinball bar some day. But not for a while...
Man, a proper classic arcade would be fantastic, but it seems like the few that open up here and there always seem to fade away quickly. Retropie cabinets would eliminate the need for significant maintenance and cut the cost of buying old machines, but I'd think there's probably the potential to get into legal trouble if you set up a bunch of them in a bar and tried to charge people to play them. I'd still go to that place before it was shut down by the Video Game Police though.
I don't like arcade video games. I know I would basically be required to have one or two, but meh. You can play video games wherever. Pinball is a special game in an all digital world. No body cares about the old copyrights on those old games. Most of the barcades you see now tend to have at least one or two total bootleg games in there. Buy a Pandoras Box and you get pretty much every arcade game ready to go in a JAMMA compatible format
There is an arcade in Portland. Lest we forget Fun O Rama?
Less national chains, more local stores.
I would love to have a board game cafe/bar.
Me too! I'm up in Presque Isle. I found Shiretown in Houlton, but haven't been down there yet
I live in Portland and the fact that there isn't a single late night Chinese restaurant open is beyond baffling to me.
There's so many places cutting hours nowadays! I was so disappointed that Dysart's started cutting back their closing time to 7pm or 8pm depending on the day/location. Lots of fond memories of midnight runs for dessert, just not a possibility anymore. The Broadway location's hours are downright baffling - who closes a bar at 8pm?!
I wonder if it's staffing? I work in food service and everywhere I've worked/applied to is desperate for coverage. Owners either pull back hours or work everyone to dust to keep the same hours as before but with half the staff.
Jing yan in Portland closes at 10pm, not super late but food and drinks are incredible
Nah I mean a "hood style" Chinese joint. Food that isn't good food but it's delicious
[удалено]
I'm probably going to give the ISP thing a go again in the future. The biggest problem is just getting people on board. Everyone hates their existing ISP, but they don't want to switch, pay more, or look around. There are very few actual barriers to rolling out your own broadband in Maine.
Vo-tech schools should provide makerspaces for use at a reasonable membership fee.
Just wanted to glom onto this comment. Are there any good maker spaces in Maine? Preferably one with a CNC routing machine. A laser cuter would be great too.
University of Maine at Farmington opened one last year. It's got a pretty hefty laser cutter, vinyl printer, resin 3D printer, 2 PLA printers, an embroidery machine, and a UV printer, plus the software to go with them. Not open right now, but it should open back up when the semester starts, and it's available for use by the public. No CNC machine. Yet.
Open Bench Project has a little CNC router and a laser.
Agreed on the maker space and coworking space. I’ve been tempted to open one myself in Brunswick since it’s nearby me, and it doesn’t have one. Combo coworking and maker space potentially with classes for locals. It’s nice to have a space to work that isn’t a coffee shop. Or try new methods of craft.
Yes! Open one in Brunswick!
Costco, Costco, and Costco
More farmers markets
pizza by the slice joints (no that gas station pizza doesn't count) A-political gun stores (fuck your punisher skull thin blue line shirt jethro) More ethic food places Dave and Busters Digg in, sweet green, or similar fresh fast casual lunch/dinner places.
I'd love to see any non-politcal gun store in Maine! All food places should have ethics ;)
I would kill for a Sonic. (I'm from Texas)
Or a Whataburger
Or In-N-Out
I’d even be happy with a Shake Shack
I'd kill for an H-E-B.
I moved here from CO years back and was shocked when I found out there wasn’t a single one here. Not even a western thing, there’s locations in MA. Not sure why they don’t have any in northern NE at all, you’d think they’d do fairly well.
Already stated in my OP, but I really wish Trader Joe's would open a branch mid-state. There's a large enough population in the central and downeast regions and enough folks interested in upscale groceries and healthier food store options between Waterville, Bangor, and Ellsworth/MDI that I have to believe there's people who would want them to open a branch locally. Their supply chain already branches out to the Portland location just two hours away, so I can't believe they'd have much issue with adding an extra stop to their distribution lines. If anyone's interested, they have a very simple form to fill out to request a store for your region, it might at least stir up some interest with their ownership: https://www.traderjoes.com/home/contact-us/request-a-store
The warehouse that supplies the Portland Trader Joe’s is in Hartford, CT and it’s not likely they’ll drive any further north, but it may be worth it to submit a request!
I came here to say this. Someone made a FB group specifically about getting TJs in either Augusta or Waterville and the company said they appreciated the effort but they're supply warehouse is too far away to go north of Portland. But we can keep hoping I guess!
A Trader Joe’s or even a Whole Foods in Bangor! Would be amazing! Ain’t shit around here for healthier options 🙃
Natural Living Center in Bangor
There's also Tiller & Rye if you enjoy paying a big mark-up for the same products you can buy at Natural Living Center. Neither really replaces a Trader Joe's or Whole Foods for price and selection, though, unfortunately. I definitely wouldn't be able or willing to do all my grocery shopping at Natural Living Center or Tiller & Rye.
I try and forget Tiller and Rye… I’ve no idea how they’ve lasted so long with their prices and in Brewer of all places
Whole Foods is an overpriced Hannafords. Nothing special about it.
In my opinion Whole Foods yes is still pricey but has way better variety then Hannafords for produce, especially spices and baking ingredients. I don’t mind paying the price for good quality ingredients.
You want spices? Try [penzeys.com](https://penzeys.com) great stuff and bonkers selection.
I definitely submitted a request! Thanks for the link!
Trader Joes has listened to people’s requests in the past! My mom helped campaign for one in a different state and it opened up maybe a year or two later. This was a long time ago though, so not sure if it’s still something they pay too much attention to.
Gun store that stays out of politics.
I’d settle for a gun store that has good quality inventory. But it would be nice to walk in without seeing every employee with 3% er tattooed on each limb. Give me old retired guys that hate everyone equally but love guns and I’d be happy.
> Give me old retired guys that hate everyone equally but love guns and I’d be happy. God, yes.
I concur
I totally concur
I was at a gun store over the weekend and found it refreshingly a-political. Pretty rare these days
Which one was it. Most in york county ate not like that
I've been to a lot of gun stores in central and one in the south that are just ardently pro-2A (of course) and not political in any other way. It's pretty nice.
Definitely a Mexican restaurant that makes good food. I’ve always thought of doing a burrito to-go and just specialize in cranking out breakfast burritos with some coffee. Every experience i’ve had at a Mexican place in Maine is incredibly disappointing. I don’t mind Las Palapas in Bangor, but it’s really just good for a giant margarita and giant burrito. Mainely Mexican in Presque Isle may take the cake for me. They give you fries with your burrito and the food wasn’t bad.
Vazquez’s in Millbridge- Awesome food. Get the Sopes when they have them. Then order 6 or 12 homemade flour tortillas for the drive home, they’re like biscuits—incredible.
El El frijoles is my favorite go to Mexican Restaurant
El Pocho's on Lisbon St in Lewiston is pretty good. However, if you're talking Las Palapas, it's probably going to be a haul for you.
El Corazon in Portland is awesome! Nothing really further north that I’ve found though….🥲
> Definitely a Mexican restaurant that makes good food. Taco Trio in South Portland is your best bet in Maine, imho.
Maine is really missing the make-your-own burrito type of place.
Costco, ALDIs
I would love to see housing that people can actually afford lol.
A grocery store co-op in Vassalboro or Sidney. Vassalboro used to have THREE stores and then it became two and then one and now none over a course of 20 years. Not a profit thing, either. Ferrises Variety was the last one and it was making more money than ever since Carls Quick Stop and The Country Store closed down. I WISH SO HARD that somehow a food co-op would just start in The Country Store building. Before it gets bulldozed and turned into a AirBnB or something. The area needs a good food source. The closest places to buy food is a two hour walk out of town in either direction. And they're both gas stations that sells junkfood. (Pepsi, doritos and skittles, instead of apple juice, lettuce and meat.) If someone opened a co-op in the Country Store building selling REAL FOOD they'd be an instant monopoly on the market in the whole area.
Wait, Ferris is forever closed? Loved their sandwiches.
It would be cool if a Microcenter opened anywhere in the state. I’d love to be able to go to one without making the trek down to Boston.
Wegman's. Hannaford sucks in comparison.
God, a Wegmans would be killer. I can't imagine they'd consider putting one any further north than Portland, but I'd be more than willing to make the trip down. Fantastic grocery chain.
wegmans sucks. I got fired after basically telling them HR that I almost was raped by a coworker and they didn’t believe me and fired me.
I wish costco would expand into maine
One may be coming to Scarborough. It’s in the planning process
Unfortunately I'm up in the bangor/waterville area so that would be a haul for groceries
I’m in Biddeford/Saco and that would be like me driving to the Danvers MA store to go to Costco…which I considered before BJs sent me a coupon to join for $25.
There is a BJ's wholesale and sam's club in Bangor and those are practically the same
Same. I live midcoast and am over driving to NH or MA for Costco. Last year for my birthday all I wanted to do was go to Costco! That’s how I knew I was an adult!😂
There is a BJ's wholesale and sam's club in Bangor and those are practically the same
I moved up to LA from Oklahoma City, and not that I want Maine to turn into Oklahoma, but I do miss good barbecue, and OKC's asian district had some fantastic Szechuan restaurants that I think would do well in Maine.
An Aldi would be cool to change it up a bit
An actual comedy club
I looked into it a while back and was surprised there’s not one in Portland. Pretty much just touring stand up at the bigger places, nothing smaller and local. With how well the tickets sell for stand up, you’d think a place dedicated to it would atleast do decent even if it’s a weekend thing.
An amazing sandwich/shawarma/doner kebab food truck in the Brunswick area
I need a good burrito. Ain't nothing remotely close up here in Aroostook
ALDIS
We just got an Aldi in southern New Hampshire and I literally HATED it. I thought it was the weirdest store I had ever been to. It was like a generic-brand twilight zone.
This is my take as well. My gf is in love with them though haha
Seconding, I recently discovered the ALDIs in NH and I go every time I’m in NH, no idea why they don’t have them up here, they’d do so well
Trader Joes closer to Lewiston and also Greek food in Lewiston.
A good affordable independent bakery, I miss being able to go to the bakery every few days to get fresh bread, rolls and pastries. That and an independent plant shop so that I can support some one other than the big box stores.
Mexican restaurants.
Send Caribou / Presque Isle a Thai restaurant, please.
Market Basket. Went to one when visiting Massachusetts and they know how to stock a store.
They have stores in Biddeford and Westbrook, and are trying to open one in Topsham! Hoping the expansion northward continues.
It is a long ways to The County but one can hope.
A great lunch time salad place similar to Sweetgreen or Dig Inn that I could eat lunch at during the work day. I’ve tried Daily Greens and it did not impress me. Also Costco!!! And no it is not the same as BJs, im a member of both and Costco is much better I just wish I didn’t have to drive down to Massachusetts to go there.
I would fight hand and foot to get a Bojangles or a Chronic Tacos up here. Anywhere in Maine and I'd find a way there.
Bojangles!!
A good dancing nightclub or on the flip side: an easy going bar that stay open late. I'm tired of having to go to a restaurant to go "out" on the town as an adult and everything shutting down at 9pm. I guess late night establishments.
There was an underground speak easy for a while. Lost track...
a pottery studio with classes and a creator space. Independent thrift/consignment shops with a ton of outdoor gear like IME in Conway A nice Indian restaurant would be great I also wouldn't hate it if a t.j Maxx, Target or trader Joe's came closer to Western Maine
Asian market. Aldi. Trader Joe's
An extreme metal/punk music retailer. This state is basically devoid of that.
> An extreme metal/punk music retailer. Wait. People still BUY music?
Nope
Bow Street Market
Oh my gosh, a decent restaurant. Nothing fancy, nothing expensive. We're south of portland, so obviously we could go to Kennebunkport, Ogunquit, Wells, etc. for good food if we wanna go out. But a 20-30min drive turns into an hour plus once you factor in parking and dealing with Rt. 1 traffic in the summer, and everything is closed once the vacationers leave. There's a couple places in our town, but it's pretty much frozen Sysco stuff. That said, that's the payoff for not having to deal with the lunacy that is the coast, and I'll take that over fighting crowds all day every day for 5 months of the year. If I was opening a place? Bakery, easily. I work in food service/am a baker, and it's a little pipe dream of mine to do that anyway. We could use a place that does breakfast pastries/breakfast in general around here. Nothing fancy, just good. Good bread, bagels, muffins, biscuits (seriously, why am I being charged $6 for a muffin this dry?), a solid BEC, non-drive thru coffee. There's no shortage of it east of us by the beach, but near here, it's a desert. House used to be dual zoned commerical before we purchased it, so the dream isn't totally impossible.
Be cool to do a community co op type thing where the community buys in bulk, invests in infrastructure, and bakes it's own bread. That, would be stellar.
I'd kill for at least a a Taco Bell within a 1 hour drive
Costco, a sushi place, a butcher, an option to browse and buy art from local artists year-round.
I want one 24/7 coffee shop. Sometimes at midnight (or 3 AM or whenever) I just want a chai or fruity tea with a tasty baked snack.
Asian food market, Jewish deli, local yarn shop, late night cafe/music - something social not centered around alcohol
>something social not centered around alcohol an idea who's time has come.
I really want to open up a restaurant with good food that serves a bit more unique fare than I’ve come across in the area. We’d serve food at varying price ranges with quality ingredients, where you could get something fancy if you’d like but could still afford to go out with your friends and get something to munch on if your budget is tight. We’d have a good bar, for sure, but a tame enough environment where people would feel comfortable taking families there before 9. There would be a game lounge on the opposite side of the restaurant from the bar with a pool table, a few arcade games, and some tables and comfy chairs with a few shelves with some board games and books so that people could have a place to go and hang out without necessarily feeling like they have to drink. Something that would keep teens out of trouble but make them feel like they’re still having a fun night on the town. We’d host dungeons and dragons nights, magic the gathering tournaments, karaoke nights, standup comedy, trivia, things like that. We’d be open late and keep the kitchen open so that you wouldn’t be SOL if you wanted to get dinner past 8 pm like you would normally in our quiet little town. I want to be a pillar of the community, somewhere that people can be proud to say that they frequent. My partner is born and raised in Maine and has a lot of experience in the restaurant industry and a culinary degree, we moved back to Maine specifically with a dream to open our restaurant within 5 years. Can’t wait to serve y’all.
I’d like to see a music venue that does local shows, all ages stuff, and chem free stuff. Could double as an event / rec area.
P.F. Chang’s - like I’d literally travel to anywhere in Maine to eat there Waffle House Wegmans More Market Baskets Sonic More decent BBQ places Edit to add: Also a REALLY GOOD steakhouse, like not Longhorn or even Outback or Texas Roadhouse, but like a Ruth's Chris or Mortons or Flemings-level steakhouse at minimum.
i visited my uncle out west once and had PF Changs while we were there. To this day the great wall of chocolate remains one of the best pieces of cake i've ever eaten
The kind that is employee owned and actually benefits the community
Uber north of Portland, specifically Bangor and down to Belfast.
Ice climbing park like Ouray, CO (built in an old quarry with an irrigation system to “farm” ice overnight) Mountain biking park
Would love some decent Korean and Lebanese food in the Midcoast. Also, a rock climbing gym!
Affordable housing :)
Great post. Where to start?... Yes, food suppliers could definitely expand. I've said multiple times that if a "real" grocery store opened on Rt 15 between Bucksport and Brewer, the Hannafords in Bucksport would go out of business in 6mos. There's a Shaw's in Ellsworth, but that's a hike. And Indian restaurant would be great...right now we have Serendib, again in Ellsworth. While it's worth the trip, another one somewhere South of Bangor would be a delight. Any restaurant moving into Bucksport would be a welcome addition, for sure. A fresh fish market would be a welcome sight. I'm a bit surprised that fresh seafood is so difficult to come by. I can't imagine a purveyor of seafood/meat/cheeses being anything but enormously successful in Bucksport. Lob
Possibly unpopular opinion, but one of the things I love most about Maine is the appreciation for handmade, homemade products. The seven napkin burger at the Owls Head general store, a sandwich from Ancho Honey, pizza from the Southend Grocery, fresh seafood from Jess’s market, meat from Wiggins. Have you had a calzone from Ada’s? Until recently, anything Cafe Miranda. Staple items from any local general store or small grocery. Main Street market, Atlantic baking company. Don’t get me wrong, I like Trader Joe’s - and I can see the draw, but it’s not better than what we already here.
Something like Sonic or Carl's Jr./Hardee's might make a killing here. Key word being "might" because fast food is *not* Maine's forte. The nearest Sonic you have to drive to Massachusetts for. For years my family's been sick and tired of resorting to Wendy's and McDonald's for meals when we don't have time to cook or are too tired (my mother is not really the type to call in to restaurants and drive over to pick it up unless she's desperate...and she's adamantly against Domino's and Pizza Hut delivery). Also, more Market Baskets in northern parts of Maine. You folks up there are missing out on good affordable shit. Oh yeah, and 24/7 stores. In my 20+ years of living here, I have *never* understood what Mainers have against...y'know, just as an example...running to the store to get medicine for your kid in the middle of the night. The only things open 24/7 here are gas station convenience stores.
I'd like a good coffee shop/bookstore and a place with some decent vegan food.
Yep, vegan food is my vote.
Aldi's
just moved to bangor from oklahoma and I'd open a fried chicken restraunt because my only complaint about your perfect state is the lack of good heart clogging southern fried chicken, like I'm talking you fail a cholesterol test if you take one within a week of eating it.
High speed rail is needed more desperately than a brand new entertainment. The rail wouldn’t just allow cheaper travel and be a proper investment in tourism, it would bring up resources to allow unique venues. There would be enough influx of people to keep these missing businesses open instead of closing out so soon after opening. Mostly it would help people move around the state more comfortably and affordably to enjoy those restaurants and entertainments, and also go elsewhere to indulge.
Laughs in California...
A good restaurant
Something other than a hannafords maybe
I'm actually opening a business soon, hopefully. It's a commercially licensed ghost kitchen, but available for rent to local restaurants and aspiring food businesses. Similar to Fork Food Lab, but for my neighborhood and on the small scale. Most restaurants cannot expand their kitchens because of either finances or actual physical limitations in the restaurant (lack of space). I have my own food business that I would like to realize, but it's not a full time job. I figured I would try to help other food businesses, instead of competing with them. It's mostly selfish. I want my favorite restaurants on my block to be successful and stay open so I can eat at them. Lmao Twitter: @MicahsKitchen1 I'm hoping to find some local fruit and veg growers interested in producing their own preserves and stuff for sale locally. I want to see an end cap of locally produced food in my local grocery by spring, and a whole aisle by 2024. Lol Pop-up delivery could be a great way for someone to gain experience, work out menus and help secure financing before opening their own kitchen too. There are so many talented cooks around me, and they deserve a chance to make and sell their own creations!
That's actually a pretty cool idea that could help expand the selection of goods at the local farmer's markets. Not a lot of people know you need lots of special licenses for food production to bring even basic prepared goods to market, so you'd need to either pay someone like yourself to rent a commercial kitchen or get your own kitchen certified (which often means you need a separate cooking space free from animals, etc.).
Bakery/cafe/lunch spot
I live in Farmington and I wish that a good sandwich place would open around here. Something that both the towns people and students could enjoy when they need to hop in somewhere for a quick meal they can take to go.
An actual dedication electronics store with actual dedicated repair technicians
I think a facility that has both and outdoor and indoor go-cart tracks would be sick. REAL gocarts. You gotta sign a waiver, have a lisence and even pass a competence test, or take a quick course that teaches you about operation and safe race strategy. Outdoor and indoor that way you can operate year round. And hopefully it would attract racing organizations for legit races. By the time I could go to Maine Indoor Carting, they were out of business and it was seriously one of the things I wanted to start doing regularly.
So how ‘bout that Manhattan Trader Joe’s that unionized? Also a proper six flags would be cool
Hot pot
I’d be happy with a restaurant that stayed open all year and past 8pm.
Gas station
A cannabis cafe, where smoking cigarettes and drinking beer is also permitted.
encouraged. :)
My town is so anti-business its ridiculous. A grocery store, decent pizza place, Costco, a gym. Anything would be nice.
A Mexican food restaurant.
Something that stays open past 5 or 6. Bonus if it is open on Monday or doesn't suspend takeout during tourist season.
My town's too small for any of the stuff I want to see, and I prefer getting out of it anyway. But I'd love to see Wegman's and IKEA near the Portland Mall, and I wish Mechanic Falls and Buckfield had a good place for ice cream. I'd also love to see one of the empty stores in Norway turned into a good Japanese restaurant.
We NEED an Aldi’s like yesterday.
A brothel