Old Port bar Cuties to open next week

Inside Cuties at 46 Market St., which launches Tuesday, April 8. Photo by Nate Davis/Davis Digital Old Port bar Cuties plans to open this month in the Market Street space of the former Petite Jacqueline.

Conceived as an all-day bar, Cuties will launch on April 8 with evening hours only, then switch to a full-day format starting May 11. Co-owner Arvid Brown said the phased rollout is meant to give staff a chance to get up to speed. The Cuties ownership team also includes Nick Coffin, Garrett Lenderman, Ryan Nielsen and Bryce Summers.



Brown said he and his partners wanted the interior aesthetic to be “eclectic and colorful” so it would echo the bar’s “bright, juicy and refreshing” beverage program. Local draft technician Alex Stevens set up a custom draft system that allows the bar to produce kegged and carbonated versions of classic cocktails like palomas and painkillers, as well as a nitro espresso martini with a frothy head and creamy mouthfeel. The bar also features a frozen cocktail machine for drinks like their twist on a Cadillac margarita, with a mango-infused Grand Marnier floater.

The draft system has lines for house wines from Broc Cellars, a natural winery in California, while the wine list includes offerings by the glass or bottle of non-vintage wines meant to be enjoyed young. “I don’t think there’s another beverage program in Portland that has much in common with what we’re doing,” Brown said. “We wanted it to be a unique space, where people could walk in and feel a little transported.

” Nielsen, who is also Cuties’ chef, designed a seafood-focused “snacks for dinner” menu ($5-$18), including aguachile with Maine bluefin tuna and Jimmy Nardello peppers, smoked bluefish dip and a trio of shrimp dishes — coconut shrimp toast with pineapple sweet chili sauce, Nashville spiced popcorn shrimp and shrimp cocktail with michelada cocktail sauce — bundled as “Ménage à Prawn” for $30. Cuties will be open Tuesday through Sunday from 5 p.m.

to midnight for its first month. Starting May 11, it will be open from 8 a.m.

to midnight. Daytime offerings include pastries from Bread & Friends and a breakfast sandwich, a full line of coffee and espresso beverages from Bucklyn Coffee in Blue Hill, wines by the glass and some lower-ABV beverages like a Garibaldi — fresh-squeezed orange juice and Campari — and a spritz with cucumber, strawberry and Morphos pét-nat from Warren. Brown and his partners hope customers come to use Cuties during the day as a co-working venue or somewhere to take meetings.

“I think the all-hours thing seems really daunting, which I suppose is the reason not a lot of people do it,” Brown said. “But I spend so much time in the Old Port, and there’s just a shortage of places you can inhabit during the day — if you’re not having a meal — for a quick snack or drink or to bust out a computer.” These 11 Greater Portland restaurants and bars are slated to open in 2025 We believe it’s important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers.

At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It’s a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others. Read more.

.. We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.

For those stories that we do enable discussion, our system may hold up comments pending the approval of a moderator for several reasons, including possible violation of our guidelines. As the Maine Trust’s digital team reviews these comments, we ask for patience. Comments are managed by our staff during regular business hours Monday through Friday and limited hours on Saturday and Sunday.

Comments held for moderation outside of those hours may take longer to approve. By joining the conversation, you are agreeing to our commenting policy and terms of use . More information is found on our FAQs .

You can modify your screen name here . Show less Please sign into your Press Herald account to participate in conversations below. If you do not have an account, you can register or subscribe .

Questions? Please see our FAQs . Your commenting screen name has been updated. Send questions/comments to the editors.

« Previous.