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Friday Food Insider: Portland Arts District to get coffee shop in long-vacant space

Photo / Peter Van Allen The coffee shop Y%F will open at 602 Congress St. in the Schwartz Building, which dates to 1920.
By Alexis Wells

The Schwartz Building, opened in 1920 by David Schwartz, was once a lively office and retail space, a vital and prosperous part of downtown Portland during the city's economic growth. However, the building's prominent corner retail space has been vacant for 15 years (as has the rest of the building).

But that's now changing. 

Y%F, a planned coffee shop owned by Yousif Albadri, has leased the 3,000 square feet of retail space at 602 Congress St. in Portland from 602 Congress LLC. Joe Atwood and Frank O’Connor from the Dunham Group brokered the lease. 

According to the Y%F Instagram profile, Albadri has begun building out the cafe with exterior and interior painting. The shop is slated to open later this fall. 

Ongoing renovations

In 2022, the owner worked to restore the historical elements of the building under the guidance of Shinberg Consulting, a Portland contractor. 

O'Connor, from the Dunham Group, told Mainebiz that the building was shut down due to a number of code violations and that the group has been working on the renovations for 15 years.

It is located on Congress Square, at the highly trafficked intersection of Congress and High Streets overlooking the Portland Art Museum, State Theatre, News Center Maine, the Flatiron Building and many others.

In recent years, the area has been hit hard by a combination of factors. A lot of downtown landscape changed during the pandemic; a once vibrant, highly walkable area fell quiet for months. 

Over the past couple of years, several businesses have closed, with the windows and doors boarded up — leaving an eerie sense of what used to be. Among the closures: Starbucks in the Flatiron Building, Reny's, Soakology, Coffee By Design, Flea For All and Local 188.

In a July Mainebiz print story, "Portland at a crossroads: Downtown safety tensions taking a toll on small businesses, real estate," described the area as plagued by “graffiti, overflowing trash cans, drug paraphernalia,” and noted “several vacant storefronts lying bare, and more recently, also people living on the streets.”

Mainebiz asked O'Connor for his thoughts on whether he believes Congress Street will return to what it once was. He said, "The city's policies have made it hard for a number of Portland restaurants. There is going to have to be more done to help the area."

About the new coffee shop

Despite these challenges, Portland leaders are working to revitalize Congress Street. The FlatIron Coffee Bar has opened in the historic Flatiron building, and the Portland Museum of Art is planning an expansion with a new wing. Meanwhile, another coffee shop is set to open in the Schwartz Building, signaling fresh energy and investment in the area.

The Y%F cafe will have its own in-house coffee roasting operation. In addition to the standard line-up of drip and espresso-based drinks, they’ll be serving some specialty hot and cold drinks, as well as in-house baked goods.

Also moving next door to Y%F at 604 Congress St. is Bold Mags, a magazine shop, that will offer over 200 titles from around the world — covering everything from food and fashion to design, literature, travel and parenting. According to a social media post, plans call for a fall opening. 

Reader Feedback

What new restaurants in other parts of the state should be on our radar? The Mainebiz Food Insider wants to hear from you! Contact Alexis Wells at awells@mainebiz.biz.

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