Maine staple closes kitchen

By Ted Cohen

After nearly 30 years, a popular southern-Maine eatery will no longer be.

But fear not - even though Mulligan's is closing down its kitchen its bar will remain open.

"We are changing things up this year - we are closing the restaurant portion, but we are keeping our bar open, and we are serving ready made meals - we have freshly made pizza, Italians and chips," the establishment announced. "Swing by today to grab a drink, say hi to Stacey during the day and Linda and Tano at night!"

On its website, Mulligan's, located on Lincoln Street in Biddeford, called itself "a classic American restaurant."

The "go to spot for delicious American cuisine" is no longer.

"Tough to hear," Old Orchard Beach native Chris Prosser posted on Facebook. "I was the second guy in the building when George opened the doors back in ‘97. Been a regular since then."

"I want to be optimistic here, but I unfortunately can’t see a path forward," said Mike Valletta of Biddeford. "Mulligans is a long staple here in town helping out those that couldn’t afford the high end establishments and you can get a decent meal for a bargain.

"It’s unfortunate, but at this point we will not be returning customers and I do wish you all the best of luck," Valletta added. "There are more than enough bars, and not enough mom and pop sit downs where you feel the warm hug of old family. Mulligans felt that way for me when I first moved here in ‘18. Good old fashioned Cheers vibe."

He said the restaurant should "bring back the vibes, bring back the atmosphere, bring back the value. That’s how you win back longterm customers and keep the generational thing moving forward. Millennials in particular are all about the nostalgia of the 90’s and early 00’s. This location would be the perfect place to embrace that."

"This is the beginning of the end for Mulligan's," said Gail Paquette Lemieux. "There are enough bars around; what attracted folks here was the dining part.

"Oh, yes,some regulars will frequent the bar," she added, "but I'm afraid you will lose half of your customers. It's not bars that attract more people, it's dining. So ladies, we will have to find a different spot for our annual Christmas ornament exchange, we have a year to think about it, but it won't be Mulligan's."

"By the end of the year it will probably be bought and turned into apartments," said Michael Devine. "Big mistake, huge mistake."