Portland sushi vendor rolls out retail expansion
Photo / Renee Cordes
Rosemont Market & Bakery, whose Cape Elizabeth store is shown here, will carry sushi products made by Mr. Tuna.
Photo / Jim Neuger
The city of Portland is in the process of reviewing the feedback it has received over the course of the Eastern Prom Food Truck Pilot Program.
Mr. Tuna, a Portland-based sushi vendor with food-cart roots, announced the first in a potential series of partnerships as part of a retail expansion.
On Monday, the vendor said it's teaming up with Rosemont Market & Bakery to distribute Mr. Tuna products at the upmarket retailer, which has stores in Falmouth, Yarmouth, Cape Elizabeth, Scarborough and Portland. The Portland stores are on Brighton Avenue, Congress Street on Munjoy Hill, Pine Street on the West End and at Thompson's Point.
"After just celebrating our fifth birthday, I'm excited to be expanding the footprint of Mr. Tuna with Rosemont Markets," said Jordan Rubin, Mr. Tuna's chef-owner. "It's an honor to have our food sold alongside so many great Portland-made brands and companies."
Mr. Tuna is based at the Public Market in Portland. Rubin also co-owns Crispy Gai restaurant in Portland and plans to open the Japanese-inspired Bar Futo this fall in a Fore Street space formerly occupied by Five Guys.
Starting this week, Rosemont Markets will stock Mr. Tuna sushi rolls and sides, made fresh daily by Mr. Tuna at the Public Market House in Portland and delivered to Rosemont Markets for sale. In Scarborough, Rosemont shares space with Harbor Fish Market in the new Firehouse Village.
"As a network of neighborhood markets, we are always looking to support local brands that align with our core values," said Erin Lynch, Rosemont's operations director. "We greatly appreciate how Mr. Tuna uses only the highest quality ingredients as well as recyclable and compostable packaging, Many folks on our team know and love Mr. Tuna's sushi and are excited to share these products with the Rosemont community."
The partnership originated with an approach from Rosemont Market & Bakery, which was looking to add sushi to its shop and floated the idea to Mr. Tuna this spring, a spokesperson for Mr. Tuna told Mainebiz.
The spokesperson added that Mr. Tuna is talking to four other markets and a private school about potential partnerships as well.
The expansion comes five years after Rubin teamed up with Marisa Lewiecki to launch Mr. Tuna as the first sushi food cart on the East Coast.
Today, the business includes three food trucks, a seasonal presence at Portland's Eastern Promenade and a bricks-and-mortar footprint in the Public Market House. The company also does catering and events. Mr. Tuna employs around 20 people.
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