Friday Food Insider: A Mediterranean restaurant opens its doors in Falmouth

Photo / Alexis Wells Jaffa Mediterranean Grill opened on Sept. 1. The restaurant is located at 269 U.S. Route 1 in Falmouth.

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By Alexis Wells

In recent months, the town of Falmouth has welcomed several new restaurants to its food scene, including Jaffa Mediterranean Grill, an outpost of a South Portland-based restaurant.

Jaffa opened Sept. 1 at 269 U.S. Route 1 in Falmouth. Co-owner Tareq Zayed told Mainebiz that he and his business partner had wanted another location even before opening the original eatery inside the Maine Mall.

“Compass Commercial Brokers reached out to us. They were trying to sell us a couple of places and we were looking for a place that wasn’t in a huge, dense city — a place that is in a comfortable spot around a nice community,” said Zayed.

“We weren't looking to be in a downtown, specifically. We are local and count on volume when it comes to making our money. We have very thin margins to compete with chains and keep food affordable.

“Compass Commercial Brokers offered us this space ... It was a chance to design something from scratch and make our dream spot,” he continued.

“We let everyone customize their bowls and pitas and make it right before them," said Zayed. "This was our concept from day one. We have five different kinds of protein and a vegetarian and vegan option. We prep a large selection of daily toppings, veggies and fresh sauces we make in-house. We make our hummus in-house every single day.”

Zayed told Mainebiz that Jaffa works with the Portland Sea Dogs and Maine Celtics, making pre-game meals for the players.

“Every day is busier than the day before. People in the community have been welcoming us and everyone is loving the food. We didn't expect to get that much business initially, but we have skyrocketed from the first day to now," he said.

Jaffa Mediterranean Grill is open Monday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Business openings and closings around the state

Mindy's Munchies, a New Jersey-based, family-owned company that offers a variety of chocolate-covered desserts, is set to open its first franchise store in Maine on Sept. 21.

The chocolate shop is at the Falmouth Shopping Center, 251 U.S. Route 1 in Falmouth.

Photo / Alexis Wells

Mindy's Munchies is opening in Falmouth with chocolates, gourmet snacks and much more.

"With our first franchise store opening in Falmouth, Maine, we're excited to bring the Mindy's Munchies experience to a new community," said Mindy Mosca, founder and CEO of the company.

"We've spent over 20 years perfecting our business model, and we're confident that this is just the beginning of a new era for our brand. We're excited to share our success with franchisees who are as passionate about delicious desserts and community-centric business practices as we are."

Mindy's is known for its chocolate-covered strawberries, pretzels, cookies, fudge and more. Mosca, a former stay-at-home mom with a passion for creating sweet treats, has grown from a small kitchen operation into business with storefronts in Norwood, N.J., and Boca Raton, Fla.

Spots in transition

Ohno Cafe, at 87 Brackett St. in Portland, will soon be closing. The breakfast-and-lunch spot made the announcement on social media this week, and plans to shutter before Thanksgiving for personal reasons.

“As many of you know, this year is Ohno’s 20th anniversary,” the restaurant's owners said in their post. “Today, we must announce it will be the last. Years of caring for ill and aging parents while trying to cobble together a staff in the post-pandemic world have left us tapped out. Our favorite part of the business has always been the community we’ve built with our customers. We’d love to see you all before we go. If any of you love the Ohno as much as we do and think you’d like to take it on, we are open to proposals.”

Chocolate Drop Candy Shop, at 35 Main St. in Belfast, is also closing. The shop's social media post on Sept. 4 said, “We want to thank all of our loyal employees over the years, you wore our silly soda jerk hats and made our customers feel welcome. We also want to thank those who led the crews in the role of manager, who taught many young adults work ethic and service with a smile, Joan Crabiel, James Brassbridge and the late Dawn Desmarais. You took our crazy ideas, added some brilliant ones, and made them all reality.

“And last but not least, thank you to our customers,” the owners continued. “We truly loved serving you, you brought us great ideas, gave us gentle corrections when needed and hopefully enjoyed some delicious treats. If you have your picture on our wall, let us know and we would be honored if you would take it home.”

Joshua’s Restaurant & Tavern, at 123 Maine St. in Brunswick, announced on Aug. 28 that it will not renew its lease after over three decades. The final day of business will be Sept. 28.

“We knew this day would come, but until you say it out loud, it just doesn’t quite seem like reality,” said the post. “Joshua’s has had an incredible run, spanning 3-plus decades and many embodiments. But we’ve made no secret that our time as the stewards of this particular adventure was coming to an end.”

What fun events will you be attending this fall? The Mainebiz Food Insider wants to hear from you! Contact Alexis Wells at awells@mainebiz.biz.

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