08/12/2023
THANK YOU!
As many of you know, the building which houses Lemongrass was sold recently to the Brunswick Hotel. When we first learned of the sale, we knew our time at 212 Maine was limited, and over the past few months, we have wrestled with the options available to us. After many thoughtful and painful conversations, we have decided to close Lemongrass at the end of the month, with our last day being Saturday, August 26.
While we are extremely sad to say goodbye, we ultimately are making the right decision for our family.
When we opened Lemongrass on May 18, 2012, we were "young" and naive, and we quickly learned that operating a restaurant requires a lot of patience, flexibility, and hard work. Every day there was something new to figure out, and the lessons learned (some more painful than others) helped us create a successful restaurant model that worked for us and our customers.
When Lemongrass is buzzing with laughter and conversation, or we are talking to one of our regulars picking up a take-out order, we delight in the sense of community here. Food brings people together, and we have been lucky to experience life moments with many of you––baby showers, wedding anniversaries, graduations, bat mitzvahs, holiday celebrations, first dates, and even a marriage. Sadly, we have also mourned the death of loved customers and employees.
To our current and past employees, most of whom were high school and college students, each of you has been a valuable team player, and we appreciate all you did to help us run the restaurant, Your grace under fire is admirable, and you never let a spring roll get the best of you! We know you will have success in your future endeavors. Thank you.
To our beloved customers, some of whom have been with us since day one, we will miss hearing your voice on the phone, placing an order we know is unique to you, or chatting with you about your family, your house projects, or upcoming vacations, We have met so many wonderful people, too many to name personally, but please know that we will never forget you. Thank you.
Brunswick's vibrant downtown owes much to the BDA, MSMT, and Bowdoin College, whose diverse programming allows small businesses like ours to thrive. Thank you.
Lemongrass has always been a family endeavor. Our daughter, niece, and nephew grew up here, and once they turned 15 started working in the kitchen. Many family members and friends have been a consistent support network, always pitching in to help when asked. Thank you.
Through Lemongrass, we have shared Alan's love of his childhood food with you. While we have not been perfect, we always aimed to serve fresh and flavorful Vietnamese fare. And for us, Lemongrass was a dream fulfilled.
Finally, we hope to end our tenure in celebration rather than in mourning (although we have done a fair share of that this past month). Thank you for eleven years of community.
With love,
Alan, Gillian, and Fiona
