Porteur Breads Reopens in Brunswick Tontine Mall with Takeout Focus

Porteur Breads opened its doors to the public for the first time on November 12, and owner-baker Kyle Rogers says he wants the shop to restore the mall’s bakery tradition. “This building has [a] history of having bakeries in it, which predates my time here. People are used to having a bakery here, and people still wander in looking for the old bakeries. And we’re here instead,” Rogers told the Bowdoin Orient.

Press Herald reports Porteur is located at 149 Maine St., on the mall’s first floor inside the Tontine Mall near Brickyard Hollow and Eveningstar Cinema. The bakery is operating Wednesday through Sunday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., and will ultimately have about 15 seats in the 1,400-square-foot space, though Press Herald notes most of the interior is devoted to the kitchen and “the tables Rogers ordered haven’t yet arrived.”

The menu mixes classic loaves and bakery staples. A Bowdoin Orient photo caption and feature list honey walnut, sourdough and country rye among the breads, while Press Herald says the venue will offer a selection of breads, pastries and croissants, along with a coffee program featuring coffee and espresso from Tandem Coffee Roasters. Rogers’ retail experience includes weekly pop-ups as The Bread Pedlar at the former Nomad Pizza, Press Herald reports.

Operationally, Porteur is prioritizing takeout as staff complete training and the shop finishes its dining area. Press Herald quotes Rogers saying, “For now, Porteur will be focusing mostly on takeout orders and getting staff get fully trained, Rogers said.” The Press Herald story also emphasizes that while seating is planned, most of the footprint is kitchen space for baking and production.

Sources differ on the site’s recent history: Press Herald reported Porteur opened in the spot that replaced the long-standing gift shop Indrani’s, while Bowdoin Orient frames the mall as the former home of Wild Oats Bakery and Café, which relocated to Brunswick Landing in 2021. Both facts are reported by the respective outlets and reflect the building’s layered commercial past.

Bowdoin’s feature captured the sensory contrast of the opening day: “Honey walnut, sourdough and country rye—the smell of fresh bread is a stark contrast to the snow that raged outside Brunswick’s newest bakery, Porteur Breads, this week.” Rogers told Bowdoin Orient he values local connections: “It is nice to feel like becoming part of the community. That’s what our idea is, and that’s where we’re headed. It’s nice to see Bowdoin students out and about and finding us and discovering us. That keeps me down this road.”

Looking ahead, Press Herald reports Rogers aims to sell goods wholesale to area restaurants as production stabilizes. For now, customers can find Porteur at 149 Maine St. Wednesday–Sunday, 7 a.m.–3 p.m., while the team trains staff and awaits interior tables.