08/23/2026
A Little Grace for the Restaurants You Love
This week, I watched a few more Maine restaurants close their doors. Others announced that their final days are coming. Some change hands after only a few years in operations.
When I see those announcements, I don’t just see a business closing. I see the entire journey that brought someone to that painful decision.
I see the dream they once had. I see the risk they took, the hours they gave, and the moments they missed with their families. I see an owner working 60 or 70 hours a week, trying to fill positions while help-wanted signs hang in windows throughout our community. I see someone carrying the weight of a business, unsure where to turn for help.
And then I see a dream ending sadly. I see a community losing another option for dining and gathering.
People often ask me, “How have you and Dan done this for 13 years?”
I usually laugh and say, “We simply do not quit.”
My resilience is a gift—but please do not mistake resilience for a lack of emotion. At times the personal battle is real.
Restaurant owners feel every difficult shift, every public criticism, every rising bill, every empty seat, and every fear about what tomorrow may bring. We also feel every act of kindness, every full dining room, every guest who returns, and every person who tells a friend, “Trust me—this place is great.”
Operating a restaurant requires constant decisions that guests may never see. Owners must protect food costs, labor costs, the guest experience, the future of the business, and the ability of servers and bartenders to earn excellent money. Profit margins are often around 10% and continue to shrink as costs rise. (that's 10 cents of every dollar spent) There is no perfect staffing formula. Each owner must make the decisions their restaurant needs to keep its doors open.
When you see a server moving quickly through a busy dining room, please don’t immediately assume that something is wrong. That server may be doing exactly what they love—taking care of many happy guests, working with confidence, and earning the kind of money they came into this industry to make.
A single observation does not always tell the whole story.
If your food and service are great, please say thank you.
If something needs improvement, please tell managers/owners respectfully and privately. Give us the opportunity to listen, respond, and make it right.
If you want independent restaurants to remain part of your community, please support them while they are still here. Fill a seat at the bar. Invite your senior group to lunch. Check in online. Share your positive experience. Thank the server who is moving nonstop. Give the new employee time to learn. Give the owner a little grace.
Most people do not open restaurants because they dream of managing schedules, controlling costs, and navigating dozens of different personalities. They open them because they love food, hospitality, and creating a place where people can come together. Even through the stress and uncertainty, they continue creating, serving, and believing in the dream.
To everyone who chooses Legends: thank you.
Thank you for your kindness when we come up short. Thank you for your shout-outs when we exceed your expectations. Thank you for respecting our privacy while we work through difficult situations. Thank you for checking in, sharing your experiences, bringing your friends, and proudly saying, “Legends is my home.”
I feel incredibly blessed. Each day, I learn to handle the unexpected and carry the stress a little better because I am surrounded by an incredible team.
My team and I love where we are headed. One employee reached out to me today and said "I should probably have my head examined but I love working the dish room!" Each day we see more and more employee's loving this journey we are on.
Yes, you will see servers running around—and loving every minute of it. You will see new faces learning. You will see new menus, new ideas, and continued growth. Because Legends fans share their experiences and bring others through our doors, we will continue welcoming new faces into our community.
Behind every independent restaurant is a person who is still trying, still believing, and still refusing to quit.
Please don’t wait until the doors close to tell them how much their restaurant meant to you.
**Happy Sunday from Legends!**
Today’s lineup is packed with guest favorites:
🎱 **Sunday Pool Day Rate:** Spend at least $15 on food or beverages and enjoy unlimited pool from opening until 3 p.m. for just $15!
🍺 **Talls for Smalls** on every draft line
🍗 **75¢ boneless wings**—dine-in only
🍴 **Half-price appetizers from 2–5 p.m.**
Our half-price appetizers are available for August only as part of Guest Appreciation Month—our way of saying **thank you for choosing Legends!**
Come hungry, bring your friends, and spend your Sunday with us!
