The 11 Hottest Restaurants in Maine Right Now (Eater, February 4, 2020)
Featuring Magnus on Water.  After undergoing the ambitious renovation of a gift shop and the adjacent public park, this Biddeford cocktail bar opened to crowds in late January…..Read More

Baked in Biddeford (Eat Drink Lucky Portland, February 3, 2020)
Part & Parcel is an bright and cheerful spot in Biddeford that’s part gourmet grocery with loads of local goods, part beverage shop and part sandwich spot……Read More

The Massive Fried Chicken Sandwich At Palace Diner In Maine Belongs On Your Dining Bucket List (onlyinyourstate.com, January 25, 2020)
One of the first things we think about after waking up is the weather. And mere seconds after that we’re on to determining what we’ll be eating for the day. Some days it’s pretty typical. But on our favorite kind of days, we’re planning a trip to this spot for the best fried chicken sandwich we’ve ever had. Move over Popeye’s! No matter how much new covered your version gets, we’re always going to opt for the local one……Read More

Biddeford mill’s transformation part of city’s rebirth (WMTW8, January 15, 2020)
A Maine mill that once employed hundreds of textile workers will soon be home to hundreds of residents. The old Lincoln Mill is just part of the rebirth of downtown Biddeford. “All of a sudden 2020 and everything is starting to pull together, and like I said it’s a paradigm shift the old mill town that Biddeford had been stereotyped as being just no longer exists. We just blew it away,” Mayor Alan Casavant said….. Read More 

Amazing technology from Volk Packaging. There is some amazing things happening in our industrial parks! FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 10, 2020
Volk Packaging Corporation, Biddeford, Maine to become “Showroom” for First JS Machine Flexo Folder-Gluer in the United States
Biddeford, ME – Volk Packaging Corporation, a 53-year-old third generation family owned and operated sheet plant, announces the acquisition of a JS Machine flexo folder-gluer.
Working in conjunction with JS Machine, Volk Packaging Corporation will be the first company in the United States to have a flexo folder-gluer produced by the Chinese company. Once the machine has been installed, Volk will become JS Machine’s “North American Showroom.” After the Volk team traveled to China to see the manufacturing facilities of JS Machine, owner Derek Volk agreed to open his plant to approved visitors interested in seeing JS Machine’s cutting-edge technology. “We were blown away by the impressive productivity advancements that the JS Machine engineers presented to us. They have been amazing to work with and we are confident our new flexo will take our company, which just completed our 11th straight year of growth, to new heights.” JS Machine’s United States representative, Evan Clary said, “We are thrilled to have a new partner in America. Volk Packaging has proven their unwavering commitment to this significant project from day one. We couldn’t be happier to have teamed up with Derek Volk and his incredible associates.” In addition to the new flexo, Volk Packaging will be installing an entirely new high-speed, ultra-efficient production line designed by Inspire Automation, Plover, Wisconsin, that will include conveyors, transfer carts, robotics, bundlers, unitizers, a bundle breaker, a stretch wrapper and much more. To contact Inspire call Shari Saeger at (715) 204-0288.
The purchase will be installed and operational in the early spring. The quick set-up 1228 JS Machine flexo will be 47” x 110” with 4 color printing capability, a bundle breaker and a die-cutter. For more information about JS Machine, or to visit the Volk Packaging/JS showroom, contact Evan Clary at (443) 388-7153.

Portland, Maine Food and Coffee Worth Seeking (Food GPS, December 2019)
Article lists several eateries, including Biddeford’s Palace Diner (#8) and Time & Tide Coffee (#13)……Read the article

Mechanical Hub ‘Person of the Year’: Jim Godbout (MechanicalHub.com, 2019)
Integrity, work ethic, dedication, community. These are the values identified when selecting Mechanical Hub’s inaugural “Person of the Year.” Please help us in saluting Jim Godbout, Jim Godbout Plumbing & Heating, Inc. and Provencher Fuels in Biddeford, Maine for this prestigious nomination. Godbout certainly represents the industry with true professionalism and class…..Read More

Historic clock tower gets one step closer to restoration (AP News, January 4, 2019)
A Maine city’s historic clock tower is one step closer to its long-awaited restoration. The 140-year-old Biddeford Mills Clock Tower was moved to a new location on Friday where it can be restored, the Portland Press Herald reported. The octagonal clock tower once sat atop the Lincoln Mill when it was removed about 13 years ago. It remained on the ground next to the mill for the next seven years. A group of volunteers called the Friends of the Historic Lincoln Mill Clock Tower have been working to restore the structure and install it as a part of the city’s new RiverWalk project. The group estimates it will need to raise about $275,000 to make that plan a reality….. Read More

There’s a list of reasons to visit LaundrYup! in Biddeford (Portland Press Herald, January 6, 2019)
Once again, Biddeford has proven itself to be one of my favorite places. The latest example is a spot that opened in October where you can enjoy breakfast, lunch, coffee drinks, mocktails, gelato, all-day snacks and, yes, coin-op laundry. LaundrYup! has every right to include an exclamation point as part of its name because it’s a wonderful, unique business on the corner of Hill and Pool streets that makes a strata that’s so good, I told the chef he could be charging more for it….. Read More

Biddeford nonprofit to open winter warming center (WMTW 8, December 30, 2019)
Next month, Seeds of Hope in Biddeford will open an overnight warming center for the winter months. Hosts at the shelter say they find it heartbreaking when they have to close for the day and send people back into the cold. This is why they have decided to create the overnight center…..Read More

Cowbell Burger Bar In Maine Has Over 25 Different Burgers To Choose From (onlyinyourstate.com, December 24, 2019)
There’s nothing better than an American classic burger meal with french fries and a cold brew, but sometimes you get bored of the same old cheeseburger. If you’re looking to try a new burger, head over to Cowbell Burger Bar in Biddeford and pick one of their 25 unique specialty burgers. Pair that burger with tots or fries and a craft beer from their massive beer list, and you’ve got one of the best burger meals in Maine…..Read More

Dine Out Maine: The Best of 2019 (Portland Press Herald, December 22, 2019)
In 2019, it felt like Maine restaurants were holding their breath. The tsunami of visitors from last year’s Bon Appetit Restaurant City of the Year hubbub has finally receded, but tourists keep coming, arriving ever later into the autumn – our off-season now abbreviated to more of a chilly fortnight. What, everyone seems to be wondering, comes next?……Read More

Here are the 10 best cities for jobs in 2020 (CNBC.com, December 17, 2019)
The new year is often the beginning of many fresh starts. For those considering another job, 2020 looks promising.  January, in fact, is poised to be a particularly good time to jump-start a career change. That’s thanks to an unemployment rate that’s currently down to 3.5%, the lowest in nearly half a century, and U.S. companies adding many more jobs than expected, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Every indicator we have still sees a robust and healthy job market barreling into 2020,” said Ian Siegel, the CEO of jobs marketplace ZipRecruiter….. Read More

Shopping locally makes a difference, SBA regional chief says (Portland Press Herald, December 5, 2019)
Briana Campbell and Jon Phillips were vacationing in Saco one summer a couple of years ago when, on a cold rainy weekday, they decided to explore downtown Biddeford. “We saw a lot of cool things happening,” said Campbell. So, she said, they walked into City Hall and approached the Planning Office about starting a business. Now, the couple own and operate Time & Tide Coffee, with a cafe on Main Street and coffee roaster in one of the buildings in the mill district — a business that encompasses both the retail and wholesale markets. Time & Tide Coffee has been open for about a year….. Read More

Yeto’s combines Italian and Southern cuisines for ultimate comfort food (Portland Press Herald, November 25, 2019)
It was a cold and rainy October afternoon, so I was hankering for a lunch that was soft, warm and comforting. I didn’t have to search the menu at Yeto’s in Biddeford very long before I found dishes with exactly those characteristics. I started with a cup of Yeto’s Superb Soup – that’s what it is actually called – for $3….. Read More

New museum preserves history of Biddeford’s textile mills (WMTW, November 25, 2019)
As work continues to renovate Biddeford’s historic textile mills, a new museum has opened to preserve that history for generations to come…..Watch Video

Hip eating, drinking hub grows in former Portland Public Works building (MaineBiz, November 20, 2019)
Biddeford craft beer brewery Banded Brewing is opening a tasting room at 82 Hanover St. in Portland, the latest tenant in a former city Public Works Department space that by this time next year could be a hip eating and drinking hub….. Read More

This small town in Maine should be on every food lover’s bucket list! (Travel & Leisure, October 21, 2019)
Biddeford, a city south of Portland, is having its own culinary renaissance, thanks to a wave of new craft breweries, tasting rooms, and a stellar restaurant……Read More

Tick tock: Biddeford City Hall clock tells time once more (B/S/O Courier, October 17, 2019)
City Hall’s clock tower is telling the correct time once more, which the city of Biddeford celebrated Oct. 11, allowing the public to see the restored piece for themselves. The restoration process was completed by Balzer Family Clock Works, a company based in Freeport, and was funded by a $150,000 grant Biddeford won from American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation through the “Partner in Preservation: Celebrating Diversity on Main Street” campaign in October of 2018….. Read More | See all the Clock Tower Updates

Biotech company bringing jobs to Biddeford (WGME, October 16, 2019)
A biotech company is coming to Maine, bringing more jobs to the Biddeford community. “Prapela” is an award-winning life sciences company focused on infant health. The company is partnering with Saunders Electronics and Volk Packaging to produce a technology, named “baby box,” to help babies exposed to opioids. The company’s move means more jobs for Maine….Read More

50+ places to brunch in Greater Portland (Press Herald, October 14, 2019)
Forget what you think you know about biscuits because the ones from Biscuits & Company could almost be their own food group – and are the foundation for phenomenal breakfast sandwiches. Benedicts and omelets round out the savory side of the menu, while cinnamon swirl biscuits and french toast will satisfy a sweet tooth….. Read More

Five reasons to visit Biddeford, Maine (Boston Globe, October 13, 2019)
“I was running away from here as fast as I could. I couldn’t wait to get out,” says Patrick Doherty. “And now I’m back, and loving it.” Doherty is talking about his hometown of Biddeford, Maine. He left the depressed town about 10 years ago, and returned in 2018 to start up the Nuts & Bolts Brewery, located in the restored Pepperell Mill Campus. “Ten years ago, there were empty store fronts and pawn shops lining Main Street,” Doherty says. “There are still a few, but it’s a lot better.” Locals are calling it “the Biddessance,” the rejuvenation of downtown as young chefs, artists, and entrepreneurs, who can’t afford the rising prices in neighboring towns (Kennebunkport, Portland) relocate here to start businesses and raise families….. Read More

New Teen Center Will Open in Former Biddeford Church (Press Herald, October 6, 2019)
My Place Teen Center, a nonprofit that offers programming and meals for at-risk children in Westbrook, will open a facility in Biddeford next year. My Place Teen Center plans to convert the former St. Andre’s Church into a safe haven for teens and pre-teens, CEO Donna Dwyer announced Tuesday. The Biddeford teen center will be a partnership between My Place Teen Center and Southern Maine Affordable Housing. The Biddeford program will be modeled after My Place Teen Center’s first location in Westbrook, which serves 40 to 70 kids per day, and more than 500 per year…. Read More

The Most Iconic Pizzeria in Your State (MSN Lifestyle, October 1, 2019)
Coletti’s Pizza Factory: This five-star rated restaurant adorns its pies with top-notch ingredients such as wild broccoli, organic onions, and homemade sausage. “Coletti’s is the real deal and the closest thing you will find in Maine to real Italian pizza,” said one reviewer on Yelp. The Primavera appears to stir some conversation and we see why—just look at that picture!….. Read More

Fresh Growth (Maine Magazine, October 2019)
Banded Brewing builds a beer around foraged spruce tips–and gathers a community around local, experimental flavors. Each spring, around the time you’re ready to say out loud that winter is really over, the spruce trees put out their new growth: soft, bright green clusters of needles at the end of each dark and prickly branch. Along with fiddleheads and daffodils, spruce tips herald the new season. They also signal a rite of spring for the staff of Banded Brewing in Biddeford: the annual gathering of hundreds of pounds of spruce tips….. Read More

Work begins to turn historic Biddeford mill into apartments and hotel (Press Herald, October 2019)
Work has begun on a long-awaited $50 million redevelopment of Biddeford’s Lincoln Mill that will include 148 luxury apartments and the city’s first downtown hotel. The Lincoln, which was first announced five years ago, is the latest example of a major investment in the city’s revitalization following the closure of a notorious downtown trash incinerator in 2012. The project experienced significant delays as developers Tim Harrington and Eric Chinburg lined up financing that includes historic tax credits, but site work has begun and a formal groundbreaking ceremony is planned for Wednesday…. Read More

Something Wild: Elda in Biddeford is more than just a buzz (Portland Magazine, October 2019)
I hear a wag whisper it as we enter Elda, the bistro at 140 Main Street. “Is Biddeford the new Old Port?” Then the quip: “No, there’s parking.” Even without eavesdropping, the enthusiasm is catching. This place is packed. The exposed brick walls, tin ceilings, and bustling acoustics add to the sensation of discovery. We start with an Elder Fashioned ($12), fun and not too sweet, and a glass of Bhilar Rioja ($14)—spicy and conversation-starting—but they are overshadowed by two glasses of Tascante Nerello Mascalese ($13), grown on the slopes of Mt. Etna, Sicily—balanced, earthy, dreamy, sensational….. Read More

It’s always time for brunch at Biscuits & Co. (Press Herald, September 23, 2019)
It was not lost on me, when I walked into Biscuits & Co., that the song playing was Mazzy Star’s “Fade Into You.” As singer Hope Sandoval repeated the phrase “strange you never knew,” I couldn’t help but make the connection to the fact that that I couldn’t believe I never knew this 5-year-old Biddeford bakery existed….. Read More

Maine women business owners rise to the top (News Center Maine, September 29, 2019)
One Maine woman joins hundreds of women who own their own businesses in Maine. Roxi Suger always wanted to own a clothing business, and nearly 20 years ago, she made it happen. Suger launched Angelrox, a clothing line made out of bamboo. She sews all the pieces together in a mill in Biddeford. “I learned to sew at 8 from two grandmothers. I was committed by high school and never wavered,” said Suger.  According to the 2019 State of Women Owned Business Report, Maine was ranked number one in the country to demonstrate employment vitality. It measures their job growth rate and average number of staff….. Read More

Top 5 Places to Get a Burger in Maine (WHOM 94.9, September 22, 2019)
WHOM celebrated National Cheeseburger Day the other day, so we asked our listeners to tell us where to get the best burgers at local restaurants in Maine…… Read More

A Coffee Date in Biddeford (The Maine Chick, September 13, 2019)
Biddeford, a former mill town with large brick buildings were once powered by the Saco River. Today, the buildings are being revitalized with new businesses, one being Time & Tide Coffee. The coffee shop is one of the hippest places in the Biddeford mill area and has a simple drink menu and a small selection of pastries to satisfy your sugar cravings…… Read More

5 Top Northern New England Diners (AAA, September 11, 2019)
You’ll find one of the area’s warmest welcomes at the Palace Diner, which was manufactured by the Pollard Company in Lowell, Massachusetts. Originally opened for mill workers, it has been operating continuously in the same town since 1927. It was a long-nurtured dream of Greg Mitchell and Chad Conley, who took over the diner in 2014. Just 15 stools line the long counter, so mealtime feels like a big family gathering….Read More

Biddeford Food Scene (Visit Maine, Fall 2019)
Biddesance. You won’t find this word in any online dictionary. But to folks who know the definition, it has all the meaning in the world. Particularly in a special place in Maine near the merging of the Saco River and Atlantic Ocean. Welcome to Biddeford, a designated Main Street Maine city, where the community renaissance is fueled and flavored by a new wave and renewed appreciation of all things food and drink……Read More

Escape the ordinary with live puzzle solving in Biddeford (Press Herald, August 28, 2019)
One of southern Maine’s few escape rooms is ready for anyone who wants to give live puzzle-solving a try. Ingenious Escape Games offers a new interactive challenge for the mind, owner Javi Kalback said.  Kalback has owned Portsmouth Escape Games since 2016 and said that she was approached by Heart of Biddeford to bring an escape room to the area. …..Read More

Duckling Crossing Causes Adorable Traffic Jam in Maine (Time, August 26, 2019)
Dozens of ducklings have made a bid to create the world’s cutest traffic jam in a Maine city. Even “Make Way for Ducklings” author Robert McCloskey couldn’t have envisioned a scene like the one in Biddeford on Wednesday morning. …..Read More

Explore Biddeford Maine (FED Guide, August 2019)
In our newly released FED Portland guidebook, the Further Afield section highlights nearby areas worth visiting. Travel south just 25 minutes and you’ll find the small town of Biddeford, ME. Located along the Saco River, this former textile mill town is having its own emerging moment and has become Maine’s youngest city, with an average age of 29. Here are a few of places to check out, recommended by local culinary pros.  …… Read More

Biddeford roaster introduces CBD-infused coffee (Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier, August 9, 2019)
Maine Coast Roast, one of Biddeford’s first coffee roasters, introduced its new CBD-infused coffee on Saturday, Aug. 3, offering free samples to visitors. From 9 a.m. to noon, customers could try Maine Coast Roast’s new product and receive information about who uses CBD, or Cannabidiol, which is found in hemp plants and believed by some to have pain-relieving, stress-reducing effects. …..Read More

Top 10 Best Marine Biology Colleges (Biology Explorer, June 20, 2019)
The Department of Marine Sciences at the University of New England (Maine) also garnered a spot in this list. The school boasts its state-of-the-art research facilities and laboratories that will train students not only in the core knowledge in marine science but its conservation as well. According to UNE, the students “don’t just learn marine science – they do marine science“. …..Read More

This Small Town in Maine Should Be on Every Food Lover’s Bucket List (Travel & Leisure, June 2019)
On a recent visit, my family and I followed the slope of Main Street down to the river, on the banks of which lie old textile, lumber, and grain mills. Splayed around a sky-piercing smokestack, these structures are huge — like, medievalfortress huge. The biggest of the Goliaths has been rechristened the Pepperell Mill Campus. …… Read More

Group of residents renews effort to save Biddeford’s clock tower (Press Herald, May 27, 2019)
The Lincoln Mill clock tower, which for years had sat rotting on the ground next to the building it once topped, was saved days before it was due to be chopped up and tossed in a dumpster. Five years later, a group of residents is again trying to save the iconic clock tower that once called thousands of workers to Biddeford’s textile mills. “This is the third wave in the journey to save this clock,” said Louise Merriman, a member of the Biddeford Historical Society leading the charge to save and restore the tower. “We have to do it this time. It’s the last chance we have.” …..Read More

Not your parents’ city anymore: Biddeford is now Maine’s youngest (Press Herald, March 10, 2019)
Patrick Doherty frequently finds himself telling people Biddeford isn’t what it used to be. From behind the bar at his brewery, Nuts & Bolts Brewing, the 27-year-old Biddeford native
serves beer to millennials who live in the city’s former textile mills, recommends restaurants that have opened up downtown and finds ways to collaborate with other small-business owners. …..Read More

Under Construction: Magnus On Water (Portland Food Map, February 2019)
A cocktail bar named Magnus on Water is under construction in Biddeford. Magnus will be headlined by Elda bartender Brian Catapang and the restaurant’s former GM Brittany Saliwanchik, in partnership with Julia Russell and Carmen Harris. Magnus on Water will draw its menu inspiration from locally foraged-ingredients. …..Read More

Elda (Maine, The Magazine, January 2019)
At first glance, Elda seems to be just the kind of hip restaurant you’d expect in up-and-coming Biddeford: open kitchen, dark gray walls, spare, midcentury modern-inspired furnishings and decor. But, combined with chef-owner Bowman Brown’s inventive, soulful cooking and the exceptional service from his well-trained staff, the stylish dining room and bar are not just on trend: they’re inviting backdrops for one of the most memorable restaurant experiences in Maine right now. …..Read More 

One man’s mission to revitalize small-town America (The Christian Science Monitor, January 2019)
Ten years ago, things weren’t looking so good in Biddeford, Maine. Growth was stagnant, particularly because of a controversial municipal waste incinerator – also the town’s largest taxpayer – that occupied some eight acres on the downtown riverfront. There were also infrastructure improvement needs, competing downtown interests, and an image problem.  ….Read More

America’s 38 Essential Restaurants (Eater, December 2018)
In 2014, Chad Conley and Greg Mitchell took over a decades-old, 15-seat restaurant housed in a Pollard train car built in 1927 and turned it into the ideal realization of a daytime Americana diner. Eating here haunts me: …..Read more

Maine has a Restaurant Inspired by Yeto From Twilight Princess (Boston Eater, October 2018 – older article we just learned about!)
Yeto’s (299 Main St.) is now open, serving a blend of Southern and Italian cuisine. The menu features items like the big brisket biscuit sandwich, mac and cheese with an anadama crumb topping, and a version of penne alla vodka made with local gin instead of vodka. The restaurant’s inspiration comes from a love story of a pair of yetis, Yeto and Yeta, whose love was “intense enough to melt the snow on the mountain.” … Read More

In Small-Town Maine, a Restaurant Both Reverent and Innovative (New York Times, September 29, 2018)
Elda, in off-the-summer-tourist-track town of Biddeford, combines many of the markers of modern American restaurants with distinctly Maine touches. ….Read More

No Place I’d Rather Be (Maine Women Magazine, August 2018)
Elizabeth Hussey is the fourth generation of her family—and the first woman—to own and operate Reilly’s Bakery in Biddeford. I’ve loved the bakery since I was little,” says Elizabeth Hussey. “The bakery has always been home. As a child, Hussey would tag along with her father on Sunday mornings when the bakery was closed. While he did paperwork in the office, she would create monsters out of the bakery twine and play with the decorating supplies. Now, at 42, she is the one doing paperwork and the fourth generation to own and operate Reilly’s Bakery.  ….Read More

#FoodieFroomkin: Best of both worlds at Yeto’s in Biddeford (NewsCenter Maine, July 26, 2018)
A new business in York County is offering up the best of both worlds. If you love Italian or Southern cuisine (or both), then Yeto’s is the place for you! Owners Jackie Hardin and Bryan Casale opened the restaurant in February of this year. Bryan’s family is Italian. Jackie adds her Southern roots into many of the dishes. Together, they put their own spin on traditional plates. The results are amazing! …..Read More

Pepperell Mill in Biddeford set to become Maine’s largest private solar project (MaineBiz Magazine, July 2018)
The Pepperell Mill Campus in Biddeford is slated to become Maine’s largest private solar project, with nearly 1,200 panels to be installed on the rooftops of the 1 million-square foot mill complex.  ……Read more

Biscuits & Company (DownEast Magazine, September 2017)
When she opened Biscuits & Company, Stacy Cooper wanted to convey just how much she loved biscuits. So she had a passage by former Gourmetmagazine columnist Laurie Colwin painted high on a wall. “I have come to believe that anyone who walks into a kitchen should know how to make biscuits,” it reads. “Biscuits are always wonderful. . . . There is nothing in this world as useful and delicious as a biscuit.” …..Read More

Roxi Suger (The Maine Magazine, October 2015)
Roxi Suger is a fashion designer and creator of the eco-friendly Angelrox line, which is manufactured in a converted Biddeford textile mill. Raised in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, Suger attended the University of Alabama, and honed her skills in New York, working with designer Vivienne Tam and retailers such as Urban Outfitters and Le Château. Suger’s husband, Julian Schlaver, is co-owner of Angelrox……Read More

The Palace Diner (DownEast Magazine, June 2014)
The Palace Diner in Biddeford is red and low-slung, nestled against a neighboring brick building. The diner, which opened in 1927 and is believed to be Maine’s oldest dining car, is bookended by a one-way street and a narrow, brick-lined city park named for Israel Shevenell, a Franco man who walked from Canada to Biddeford in 1845 to work in the town’s burgeoning textile mills. …..Read More