BANGOR, Maine — The restaurant on the first floor of the hotel in the works next door to the Cross Insurance Center will pay tribute to Bangor’s rich history in the lumber industry, according to developer Ocean Properties.
The 150-seat restaurant will be called Timber Kitchen and Bar.
“The new restaurant will offer a ‘loose-tie’ atmosphere encouraging guests to relax and unwind after a long day of either work or play,” Ocean Properties said in a Friday news release. “The decor will couple both texture and warmth from various timber ‘species’ mixed with softer design elements for an overall inviting and energizing dining experience.”
For much of the 19th century, when hundreds of lumber mills lined the Penobscot River and Kenduskeag Stream, the Bangor was known as the lumber capital of the world. A seemingly endless supply of logs flowed through the city on its way from dense northern forests to ships bound across the world. Mythical lumberjack Paul Bunyan is fabled to have been born here, though at least five other towns in the country make the same claim.
Ocean Properties didn’t say what sort of food the restaurant would serve but said the venue would have indoor and outdoor seating, “a handcrafted bar and lounge area with a large communal table, a chef’s table overlooking a wood-burning oven and private rooms for parties and small gatherings.”
The restaurant’s host hotel, a 124-room, five-story Residence Inn by Marriott, is the sixth built in Bangor since 2006.
“The new hotel is located near the highway, casino and Waterfront Concerts, and is directly next to the Cross Insurance Center, which will make it a very busy and popular property,” Ocean Properties stated in a Friday news release.
Ocean Properties operates 1,400 hotel rooms across Maine, as well as golf courses, marinas and whale-watching excursions. Nationwide, the developer oversees more than 100 hotels and 17,000 guest rooms.
The company is planning a hard-hat event for early 2015 to highlight final plans for the project and show off its progress. Company officials have said the restaurant and hotel should be ready for a late spring or early summer opening.
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