![]() Now Portland chefs, who have generated a ton of money into the hospitality industry and not seen much of it trickle their way, are seeing the industry shift away from fine dining and toward counter- and “fast-casual” service. It’s over that same span that the Maine food scene acquired its clout. Like Bishop, many experienced chefs broke into the industry around the time of the Great Recession, which initiated a period of wealth stagnation from which millennials as a generation haven’t recovered. “Everything has to be perfect for these things to come out right.” The skills required to be successful in a restaurant’s kitchen are also necessary in the boutique edibles market. “There’s a science to making edibles,” said Jules Muzyka, who left her post at French restaurant Marche in Lewiston last year to make medicated artisanal chocolates, gummies and candies with Wind Hill Growers in Manchester. ![]() co-founders Sergio Hernandez (left) and Andrew Pettingill (right) and Pettingill's wife Kristen stand in one of their marijuana grow rooms in Cumberland. “Every caregiver I talk to is hiring staff and the staff is coming directly from the restaurant industry,” said Andy Pettingill, co-founder of Evergreen Cannabis Co., a grow room and caregiver service based in Cumberland.īangor Daily News Evergreen Cannabis Co. Equipped with years of training, cooks are becoming caregivers, bartenders are now “budtenders” and pastry chefs make better livings as specialized cannabis chocolatiers and candymakers. As restaurant owners in Portland and beyond struggle with a back-of-house labor shortage that they say threatens their business model, Bishop and a wave of other cooks responsible for elevating the Maine food scene over the last decade are finding better wages, less stressful work environments and greater opportunities for advancement in cannabis. “I felt like I couldn’t be the only person who is bailing on the restaurant industry.”Īs it turns out, he’s not. “If I could get the same hourly wage to cook with cannabis, it’s much more appealing,” Bishop said. Bishop became a full-time caregiver and launched Candy King, his own cannabis company, making specialty edibles and distillate. for 13 years - seven of those as head chef - but the dream of operating his own restaurant was being packed away for another. The 36-year-old graduate of Southern Maine Community College’s culinary program had worked behind the line at Street and Co. every day except Monday.įor more information, call 356-9377, email or find Highbrow Maine on Facebook and Instagram.PORTLAND, Maine - Weeks after Portland was anointed Restaurant City of the Year by a prominent food national magazine last summer, longtime chef King Bishop left his job at one of the Old Port’s most popular dining spots.For a restaurant industry facing a statewide labor shortage, a move like Bishop’s might be the canary in the coal mine. We want the business to feel more like a gallery than a head shop,” Rossi said. Rossi agreed with his colleague and said the store would avoid becoming crowded. “I said it during the planning board meetings: I want to support local artists and local businesses,” Rosen said.ĭoherty said in the future the gallery may add more displays, but the goal is to keep the floor space open. Rosen said that throughout the construction process and the store’s grand opening, an effort was made to support area businesses, with local mills, carpenters, and garden centers called upon to help transform the space. “We wanted to have a conversational piece, make a boutique-style statement,” Rossi said. Rosen said a large load-bearing pillar in the center of the store created some design issues at first, but ultimately the feature was incorporated into the glass display shelves located throughout the store. The trio also added a new counter, two television screens, and photographs featuring medical marijuana grown by Rosen lining the store’s walls. Rosen said he signed the lease for the space in mid-January, received planning board approval in February, and spent the six weeks after getting the go-ahead from the town working on the space. Rosen described the weeks leading up to the grand opening as a whirlwind experience, involving painting, drywalling, and installing displays. ![]() He said the store also offers CBD pet treats to help animals with pain and anxiety.
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