ORONO — A longtime Orono eatery appears to have closed its doors for good.
The Margaritas Mexican Restaurant in Orono has been a staple of the college town for roughly 40 years.
A sign on the front door now reads "permanently closed” and the restaurant’s phone number is no longer in use.
Locals said the sudden closure came as a shock, and one business owner whose shop sits just across the street from the shuttered dining spot said she’s concerned the loss could impact other shops on Mill Street.
“There are a lot of customers that we share [with Margaritas] that bring that life to downtown Orono, and if businesses start popping off then no one’s going to come to Orono just to buy a cookie from me,” said Roberta Bradson, owner and manager of The Store Ampersand. “They’re going to need other businesses to make the place look lively.”
Bradson said she remembers when the restaurant welcomed its first customers back in 1985.
“My children, who are all grown adults now, they’re devastated. We saw it go from the Salty Dog to Barstan’s and then to Margaritas,” said Bradson. “We’ve been going there ever since. It’s just a staple of the town, I mean, the building itself is an icon.”
Bradson also said she’s hopeful someone else will pick up the mantle.
“Maybe somebody else will pick up the pieces and start over,” she said.
The Mexican restaurant chain is now down to five locations in the state.
According to their website, Margaritas has restaurants in Auburn, Augusta, Brunswick, Ellsworth and Portland. The chain also has more than 20 restaurants across New England and the Mid-Atlantic.
Orono’s Town Manager Clint Deschene said it’s not yet clear why the Orono location closed.
Spectrum News has reached out to the owner of the Orono location for comment.
