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The iconic Maine Diner in Wells has avoided foreclosure auction, for now.
That comes after Jim and Karen MacNeill filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Wednesday, a day before the auction was scheduled, according to the Portland Press Herald.
Eight years ago, Jim and Karen MacNeill took over the establishment, where Jim MacNeill has worked for 30 years.
Despite weathering the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to the federal Paycheck Protection Program, MacNeill has struggled to find enough staff, forcing him to cut back on the diner’s hours.
That problem was compounded, in part, by the decline in Canadian tourism last year because of President Donald Trump’s trade war and musings about making Canada the 51st state.
The foreclosure auction is, for now, postponed, though it could be rescheduled or canceled altogether, a representative of the auction company told the Press Herald.
The Post Road diner, which is jointly owned with the Remember the Maine Gift Shop next door, remains open for business.
“There’s no relaxing yet, but I feel like the hard part is over,” Karen MacNeill told the Portland newspaper. “We’re going to work very, very hard all summer.”