GARDINER — When Invoice Rosser opened the Desk Bar earlier this month, the wine store and bar on Water Avenue in downtown Gardiner joined the ranks of eating places, tasting rooms and meals vans gearing up for the summer time season and past.

The unofficial begin of summer time this weekend and what many hope are the later phases of the COVID-19 pandemic are setting the stage for Maine residents and guests to get pleasure from a extra regular summer time season for the primary time in three years.

In central Maine, prospects are more likely to have increasing slates of choices from which to decide on because the restaurant sector continues to evolve.

Some eating places, together with Two Maine Guys at 164 Principal St. in Richmond, are increasing. The eatery, which opened in April 2020, a month after the worldwide pandemic was declared, is opening a second location on Mt. Vernon Avenue in Augusta, on the website of the previous Sandy Level Seafood.

In Gardiner, The Blind Pig Tavern is increasing its footprint at 266 Water St. so as to add a perform area after shopping for the constructing from its prior house owners.

And others, just like the HydeOut on the Wharf, have relocated. The enduring Hallowell bar has moved upriver to 77 Water St. in downtown Augusta.

Throughout the pandemic, a variety of institutions closed for quite a lot of causes, together with staffing challenges. They embody Jokers & Rogues Brewing, a craft brewery and tasting room in Gardiner that’s slated to open later this month beneath new possession on Maine Avenue in Farmingdale.

The Countryside Diner on Jap Avenue in Augusta, the successor to Rebecca’s Place, is one other.

After greater than 40 years in enterprise, Rebecca’s Place closed in January when proprietor Nancy Berg couldn’t discover sufficient staff to maintain it operating.

Cathy Lucas is now planning to open the diner by July.

“We’re not altering the structure a lot, however the whole lot will probably be up to date,” Lucas mentioned final week.

The work is going on whereas Lucas works to safe a liquor license, schedule inspections, finalize the menu of home-cooked consolation meals and get the bakery operating.

Central Maine residents have embraced quite a lot of restaurant choices, as have guests to Maine. These choices vary from formal eating to meals vans that draw prospects wherever they park.

This summer time’s meals vans and carts are anticipated to serve a big selection of choices, from state staples, together with potatoes, to worldwide fare.

The cell operations — some new and a few both increasing their space or staking out a single location — embody Bao & Past, with steamed buns and Asian fusion choices; Shawarma Specific, with Center Jap meals; Kabayan Philippine Meals, with a menu of Filipino dishes; Morning Moose Espresso & Donuts; and The Gourmand Potato, with all issues potato.

This 12 months, Aaron Koss of Yard Canine and Catering of Gardiner mentioned he plans to fireplace up his scorching canine cart in June and produce it to Gardiner, Augusta and Woodbury Pond in Litchfield. He additionally plans to broaden this 12 months into Lewiston, together with at baseball fields.

Matt Lewis, chief government officer of Hospitality Maine, a nonprofit commerce group that represents the pursuits of the state’s hospitality trade, together with eating places, mentioned trade officers are anticipating a powerful summer time season.

Lewis’ evaluation displays among the projections of the Nationwide Restaurant Affiliation. In its State of the Restaurant Business report issued earlier this 12 months, the affiliation initiatives restaurant gross sales might rebound this 12 months to $898 billion, surpassing the pre-pandemic stage of $864 billion.

The elevated gross sales would assist gas an trade that has been reshaped by the pandemic and its lingering affect on quite a lot of components, together with staffing. Eating places have shifted to providing extra outside eating and to-go meals and cocktails. The report additionally notes some menu choices have been modified or restricted attributable to provide chain points, shortages and better costs.

These developments are being performed out on a smaller scale in Maine.

Melanie Baillargeon orders lunch for herself and her son Friday at The Gourmand Potato meals truck on State Avenue in Augusta. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

Lewis mentioned as a tourism vacation spot, Maine continued to attract guests in the course of the pandemic, and is probably going to attract much more this 12 months, thanks partially to the reopening of the United States-Canadian border and regardless of increased gas costs.

However whilst eating places — new, established and cell — roll out the welcome mat, they face some challenges because the pandemic hangs on.

A kind of challenges is staffing.

“We heard time and time once more final 12 months that companies with 25 full-time employees had been all the way down to 17 or 18,” Lewis mentioned. “However I believe this 12 months, by now, companies have discovered function with much less full-time employees.”

The brand new regular will probably be companies studying run efficiently with fewer staff.

Proprietor Margo Burnett drops baskets of fries into oil Friday in The Gourmand Potato meals truck on State Avenue in Augusta. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

In Winthrop, Melissa Goucher and her three companions are gearing as much as open the Tavern on the Hill 305 by the tip of June, offered they’ll safe approvals for the liquor license and cross inspections.

The Tavern on the Hill 305 would be a part of the White Duck Brew Pub, which opened earlier this 12 months at 2527 Route 202, as Winthrop’s latest eating places.

Goucher, who opened Melissa’s Pub & Grill at 675 Principal St. in Lewiston, had her eye on the area at 357 Principal St. It had been dwelling to Peppers Backyard & Grill, however was snatched up by D.O.N. Soul Meals Kitchen.

When the area opened up once more, Goucher and Bruce Libby, Erin Dunning and James Corgan made their transfer.

“We’re all from Winthrop, and we’re all for the neighborhood of Winthrop,” Goucher mentioned. “We’re fairly excited to convey one thing that’s fairly inexpensive for folks, with a hometown vibe.”

Goucher mentioned staffing is a continual concern, however she expects she and her companions is not going to have an issue.

“We’ve got a whole lot of suggestions from folks locally, and a whole lot of curiosity to work there,” she mentioned. “I believe we’ll be OK.”

Kitchen employees is tougher to seek out than front-of-house employees, resembling waiters and bartenders.

At The Whiskey Kitchen at 228 Water St. in Augusta, Ryan Sutherburg mentioned the restaurant is just not having staffing issues.

The institution, previously The Raging Bull Saloon, modified its focus, administration and identify earlier this 12 months, with a brand new menu, together with greater than 60 whiskeys, scotches and bourbons, and prolonged hours.

Sutherburg mentioned the operation, which is now open for lunch and extra days in the course of the week, has a extra family-friendly ambiance, with sure occasions and choices constructed round youngsters.

Bottles of wine on the market Saturday within the wine store facet of the Desk Bar in downtown Gardiner. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

Even with these adjustments, he mentioned staffing is just not a difficulty at The Whiskey Kitchen.

“We strive to not overstaff,” he mentioned. “What we do as an alternative is myself or my spouse will put in among the hours, so my employees isn’t splitting suggestions seven alternative ways. I’ll simply do the work. I gained’t take suggestions, they usually’ll make more cash.”

Sutherburg’s employees makes more cash, and that will get round inside the trade. Consequently, he mentioned, The Whiskey Kitchen now has a ready listing for employees.

One other problem is provide points or interruptions, which Lewis of Hospitality Maine mentioned are anticipated to persist this summer time.

“We’ve got to spotlight the resilience of Maine and the hospitality trade, and what number of companies have discovered a solution to claw again,” Lewis mentioned.” It’s very spectacular.”

A part of that resilience is the optimism that underlies opening a brand new enterprise.

For Rosser of the Desk Bar, Gardiner has been a type of legendary place for many years.

Rising up outdoors of Baltimore, he mentioned he struck up a lifelong friendship with a child who had moved together with his household to Maryland from Gardiner, and realized all about it. When vacationing in Maine, he would cease in Gardiner. And eight years in the past, his mother-in-law — not realizing his historical past with the world — moved there.

“As quickly as that occurred,” Rosser mentioned, “it grew to become type of a foregone conclusion that I might come to Gardiner.”

When he did, he introduced the expertise he gained within the wine trade — first in New York and later San Francisco — to central Maine, the place together with his spouse, Morgan Peirce, and childhood buddy, Zach Lyons, he has opened the wine bar.

The unique plan had been for a wine store, however then Rosser found he might have each a retail and an off-premises liquor license in Maine, so prospects should purchase wine to take dwelling or have a glass of wine with the number of meats, cheeses and different meals he presents.

“The concept is that it’s very a lot not a standard wine bar feeling,” he mentioned. “It’s rather more approachable and informal than a snooty wine bar.”

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