A Popular Café in South Portland, ME, Has Sadly Closed Its Doors

It's always tough seeing news about a small business closing its doors. It's especially difficult when it's a place you frequented. This is exactly the situation I'm in when it comes to the latest café to sadly shut down.

The news came out recently that popular South Portland joint Omi's Coffee Shop had shuttered its business. The little cafe opened in 2013, and originally was in Portland's West End. It was most recently operating on Cottage Ave, right in the heart of one of South Portland's best food districts.

According to the Portland Press Herald, a sign was left on the door that partly read,

Due to very difficult circumstances, we have had to permanently close Omi’s...We did not intend to close suddenly and there is another side to this story.

The ominous sign, recent accolades for the coffee shop, and deletion of social media have led to plenty of speculation of what exactly went down. However, fans of the little cafe will probably always be left wondering.

Omi's was a wonderful, little spot, and unquestionably a perfect fit for the community. The café was known for its baked goods, especially the biscuits. There was nothing like getting a breakfast sandwich on an Omi's biscuit. They were a weekend morning delicacy.

Omi's also sold homemade concentrate to make chai tea. As a chai tea connoisseur, I can assure you most concentrate lack serious flavor. However, Omi's was outstanding. It was the perfect combination of sweet and spicy, and matched with any dairy or non-dairy option.

Omi's will be missed considerably by its devoted regulars, South Portlanders, and the Greater Portland community. It stinks to see it go. Hopefully we haven't seen the last of them.