Progress continues on new Yamas Bar and Grill in Orono

ORONO — Patrons of Yamas Bar and Grill will have to wait 8-12 weeks until the restaurant’s new location at 19 Mill St. will officially open following months of renovations said owner Alexandra Rondo. 

This is the second Yamas restaurant Rondo and her husband John are opening, joining the original location on Main Street in Old Town. The Old Town restaurant was significantly damaged in the fire that swept through downtown buildings on Sept. 21. Rondo said the inside will have to be completely rebuilt from the basement to the third floor due to significant fire and water damage, but the building will not be demolished. 

Renovations on the new space started in May or June. The building previously housed the Blues Cafe, Sports Cafe,The Roost which closed in January, and The Slice Bar which opened a couple weeks later and eventually closed as well. Rondo said that the restaurant layout will be completely different and declined to have photos taken so they could do a big reveal when it opens. 

The Old Town location was so successful that they sometimes had to turn customers away if there was an overflow, said Tiffany King, general manager at Yamas. The Orono location will allow more customers to come to their establishment, but in a nearby town. 

 “It’s an opportunity for us to come to a town that’s close to the base,” said Rondo. 

 Rondo said that the new restaurant will have the exact same menu as the Old Town Yamas and will include the same staff as well. She said that the opening will give Orono residents another restaurant to go to and will provide some more variety to the current restaurant scene. 

 Rondo said once they get the Orono location up and running, they will start renovations on the Old Town location. She estimated the reopening date to be in May or June of 2020.