Ed Stebbins, owner of Gritty McDuff’s, shared with Tim Cebula of the Portland Press Herald on Monday that the Freeport location will permanently close its doors on November 30. The decision wasn’t due to a decline in business but rather the end of their 30-year land lease, initially signed when the location opened in 1994 at 187 Main Street.
While the ownership team had ambitious plans for the property, they were ultimately unable to purchase it, and they chose not to pursue a shorter lease. Gritty McDuff’s will continue serving customers at its Portland and Auburn locations, which remain unaffected. The Portland location, Gritty’s first, opened in 1988, and the Auburn location followed in 2006.
Stebbins informed employees of the closure with 30 days’ notice, offering them positions at the Portland and Auburn locations or help in finding new employment.
