AUGUSTA — With the snip of a ceremonial ribbon, Asian Noodle Bowl opened its doorways a couple of days earlier than Thanksgiving on the Market at Augusta.

The quick informal restaurant is the newest eatery to open at Augusta’s open-air retail heart, and will probably be joined by Jersey Mike’s Subs, a sandwich store franchise chain primarily based in Manasquan, New Jersey, which is predicted to open in March.

Each eating places are extensions of already-existing operations.

The house owners of Asian Café at 53 Bay St. in Winslow opened the restaurant in Augusta in November, specializing in the delicacies of East and Southeast Asia.

Anima Nikonthet, who refers to herself as the girl behind the scenes, mentioned she opened the restaurant along with her enterprise associate, Sourasay Senesombath, who she mentioned excels at operations and whose father has run Thai eating places throughout Maine and in Vermont, together with Thai Star 2 on the Augusta State Airport, earlier than opening Asian Café.

Nikonthet mentioned the property supervisor on the Market at Augusta had contacted her years in the past about opening a restaurant there, however the timing was not proper. However when the area that had been occupied by Elevation Burger got here accessible, it was the best time.

Nikonthet, whose relations function almost a dozen Thai eating places all through Maine, mentioned the recipes the restaurant makes use of are well-honored recipes from her boyfriend’s household, who ran a well-liked restaurant in Saigon, now often called Ho Chi Minh Metropolis, the biggest metropolis in Vietnam, however they’re tailored to the tastes of central Maine.

Nikonthet mentioned the reception to the restaurant has been sturdy, drawing prospects from workplaces and medical amenities throughout Augusta.

And whereas Asian Noodle Bowl is a quick informal restaurant, Nikonthet mentioned dishes are ready to order and it isn’t the identical as a fast-food restaurant.

“The soup we serve, we now have to organize it at present to have the ability to serve tomorrow,” Nikonthet mentioned. “It takes eight hours. So after we run out, we can not promote it till the subsequent day.”

Because the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic proceed to wane, residents throughout Maine proceed to renew regular actions, together with eating out.

Matt Lewis, president and chief government officer of Hospitality Maine in Augusta, the state’s solely nonprofit commerce group representing the hospitality trade, mentioned investments in these and different new eating places is a optimistic signal.

“We’re thrilled to see the brand new eating places coming in,” Lewis mentioned.

Maine residents wish to attempt new eating places, he mentioned, and they don’t thoughts touring to attempt them.

“Surveys from the Nationwide Restaurant Affiliation nonetheless present that folks very a lot get pleasure from going out, whether or not it’s themselves or their households or their buddies,” Lewis mentioned. “I feel that bodes nicely.”

However that doesn’t rule out restaurant closures within the coming yr, he mentioned.

The COVID-19 pandemic was onerous on the restaurant trade, with closures and limits imposed on the variety of prospects allowed to be served to protect social distancing suggestions or necessities.

“I don’t know if will probably be many or a couple of,” Lewis mentioned, “however we’ll see eating places shut that might be upsetting to us to see as a result of, in some circumstances, they are going to have been profitable for a few years in Maine.”

Jersey Mike’s Subs is predicted to open in March subsequent to former web site of Chipotle Mexican Grill on the Market at Augusta. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

Chris Brown owns the Jersey Mike’s Subs franchises in Maine and New Hampshire, together with the one in Scarborough that his New Hampshire-based firm, Century Eating places, acquired final week and the one scheduled to open on the Market at Augusta.

“We begin development subsequent week (in Augusta),” Brown mentioned Thursday. “A March opening is greater than affordable.”

Brown additionally has eating places in Auburn, Bangor, Brunswick and Windham. Different retailers are underneath development in Topsham and Saco, and plans are within the works for a store in Thomaston.

He mentioned he’s additionally contemplating different places in southern and western Maine.

Brown, a transplant from Savannah, Georgia, mentioned he received concerned with Jersey Mike’s Subs as a result of he believes within the product — a choice of subs created from freshly sliced elements and grilled choices made to order

“I’ve been doing this for 15 years,” he mentioned, “and I’m not bored with it but.”

Following the corporate’s philosophy of giving again, Brown mentioned his Augusta store will associate with an area faculty and can donate 100% of the primary day’s gross sales.

“We actually wish to proceed to assist the group,” he mentioned, “and bridge the gaps the place wanted.”

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