7 Restaurant Chains That Tried and Failed in Maine And 3 We’d Like Back

If you are going to open up a franchise for a chain restaurant in Maine, you're taking a bit of a gamble. If Mainers aren't interested or you move into the territory where a juggernaut of a competitor is, you may not last.

Here are 7 restaurant chains that tried to make it in Maine but failed miserably.

Quizno’s Subs

Quizno's Subs came to Maine with a handful of locations in the southern part of the state. They opened in 2006 and were gone after the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2014.

Red Lobster

Red Lobster? In Maine? Come on! When you have to ship your lobster to your restaurant in Maine from across the country, you're doing it wrong. The location in Auburn didn't last for obvious reasons.

Blimpie

Blimpie sub shops gave it a shot here in Maine but crashed and burned. If you blinked you miss Blimpie. The owner of Cold Stone Creamery bought Blimpie in 2006 and closed franchises around the country.

Tim Hortons

When you bring Tim Horton's across the border from Canada into Maine, you have opened up shop in Dunkin' Land. Dunkin' rules in New England and Tim Horton's just couldn't even come close to competing and they were gone from Southern Maine in the blink of an eye. There are however eight Tim Horton's still in business with three in the Bangor area and the rest kissing the border of Canada in Aroostook County.

READ MORE: These Are the Chain Restaurants That Mainers Love The Most

Krispy Kreme

Two Krispy Kreme stores opened in Maine in 2017; one in Auburn, and one in Saco. On opening day, they were packed with people in line to get those delicious donuts. Both were closed just three years later by the owner with no reason given.
Outback Steakhouse

Chuck E. Cheese

Chuck E Cheese came to Maine and opened in an outbuilding at the Maine Mall. Arcade games, pizza, and fun for the kids. It might have lasted but the owners of Chuck E. Cheese couldn't come to an agreement with the Maine Mall to continue their lease, so Chuck E Cheese went back to his mouse hole.

3 Restaurant Chains We Wish Were Still Here in Maine

These restaurants, unlike the ones above, had long stays in Maine but eventually met their demise either by selling or just going out of business. The three listed here are restaurants we remember and would love to see them return, no matter how unlikely it is.

Deering Ice Cream

Deering Ice Cream was made right here in Maine and was so popular that it had several restaurant locations throughout New England. If you were like me as a kid in the '70s and '80s, you went to Deering restaurants just for the ice cream, but you still had to finish your meal before you could get that.

Cracker Barrel

Cracker Barrel was across the road from the Maine Mall and stayed in business for 15 years. It sounds like it was successful here in Maine, and the food is really good. Unfortunately, it closed in January 2025 after struggling to recover from the decline in customers due to the pandemic.

Denny's

Denny's isn't gone from Maine quite yet, but there are only two that remain in Maine after the Portland Denny's closed in September 2022. Denny's closed 88 locations in 2024 and plans to close another 70 to 90 in 2025. It's not looking good for the two remaining Denny's in Auburn and Bangor. If the Maine restaurants get axed, I will miss those late nights at Denny's.