Fork Food Lab 'working around the clock' to restructure
File photo / Courtesy of Fork Food Lab
Fork Food Lab, a nonprofit food-business incubator and shared commercial kitchen in South Portland, said it is "working around the clock" to restructure and put a sustainable financial plan in place.
Fork Food Lab, a nonprofit food-business incubator and shared commercial kitchen, said it is taking steps to restructure and shore up its finances amid reports that its South Portland base is facing foreclosure.
“We are working around the clock to restructure our organization and put a sustainable financial plan in place that will allow us to continue serving our members and the broader community,” Fork Food Lab said in an emailed statement on Wednesday.
The statement follows a report earlier this week in the Portland Press Herald that the organization's hub at 95-97 Darling Ave. near the Maine Mall could be sold at auction by the end of January.
The newspaper reported that Norway Savings Bank holds the mortgage on the property.
Fork Food Lab, previously based out of 75 Parris St. in Portland's Bayside neighborhood, moved to the larger location in 2023. The purchase was funded in part by a $3.6 million loan backed by the Finance Authority of Maine, Mainebiz reported in 2022.
Fork Food Lab is led by Executive Director Bill Seretta, who was honored as a Mainebiz Business Leader of the Year in 2024.
Seretta led the purchase of Fork Food Lab in 2018 from New York-based Pilotworks, the same month that Pilotworks unexpectedly went under. Seretta steered it through the pandemic and has spearheaded its expansion and move to the much bigger space after outgrowing its old home.
'Sensitive matter'
In Wednesday's statement, Fork Food Lab described the current situation as a “sensitive matter involving many stakeholders” and said it is in discussions with lenders to reach an agreement in the near term.
“Above all, our top priority is to ensure there is no interruption to services for the dozens of members who rely on this space to support their entrepreneurial endeavors," it said.
Citing an independent analysis, Fork Food Lab said that its 85 members have created 246 jobs, had sales of $18.6 million and an economic impact of $33.4 million in the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025. Consumer packaged goods producers make up 35% of members, while mobile units represent 25%, food service businesses 19% and other businesses the remaining 21%.
It is also asking for donations “during this uncertain time."
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