Three beloved restaurants in Saco, Biddeford, and Kennebunk are all shutting their doors by the end of December. Rising costs and post-pandemic dining changes are largely to blame.

Vic and Whit’s, a local favorite sandwich shop in downtown Saco, announced its Dec. 31 closure via social media earlier this month.

Owners Mark and Beth Johnston moved the business from Beach Street to its current Main Street location in 1975. Since then, the sandwich shop has been a Saco staple as the place to go for a hot sandwich and a bottle of wine.

Naturally, residents are mourning the loss, but are excited for the Johnstons’ next steps.

“What a loss,” Linda Kelly Davis wrote, “I will miss them.”

The Johnstons have both held pivotal roles in Saco government, with Mark Johnston serving three terms as mayor and Beth Johnston serving on the Saco School Board for over 20 years.

Their sons are also active in the Saco community, with one serving on the City Council and the other owning a local business.

Saco Mayor Jodi MacPhail told the Courier/Post that the community is sad to lose a downtown institution like Vic and Whit’s.

“I remember going to Vic and Whit’s as a child,” MacPhail said. “The dedication that both Mark, Beth, and their whole family has shown in serving Saco over the years can not be duplicated.”

The downtown building will continue to be owned by Mark Johnston, and Beth Johnston will move her boutique wine shop into the space.

Lower Village Kennebunk restaurant Via Sophia, owned by the Kennebunkport Resort Collection, will also close its doors in December.

The restaurant opened post-pandemic in 2022, and has since become a favorite spot for locals and visitors.

But General Manager Emily Nelson said that rising costs, post-pandemic dining changes, and staffing challenges have made it impossible to keep the restaurant operational.

“This shift acknowledges the staffing challenges our region faces,” Nelson said. “We need to adapt to ensure we can consistently deliver the exceptional experiences our guests have come to expect.

Other local restaurants, like Dizzy Birds in Biddeford, have also cited staffing challenges among the reasons for closing.

In an interview with the Portland Press Herald this month, Dizzy Birds chef-owner Tom Peacock said he can’t compete with the wages offered by Portland restaurants.

“I don’t want to make excuses,” Peacock said. “There have been restaurants that have been successful. I hate to say we’re not one of them.”

Dizzy Birds announced its Dec. 31 closure via social media early this month, noting that the number of people dining in the restaurant has vastly decreased post-pandemic.

“We play to an empty dining room every night,” Peacock told the Press Herald.

Via Sophia is in a similar boat. Although the dining room may not be empty, it is difficult for the restaurant to serve customers with a dwindling number of wait staff.

The Kennebunkport Resort Collection plans to focus on their seven other restaurants in the area, Nelson said.

Via Sophia also plans to offer job opportunities at its other locations to the employees that have stayed on in recent months.

“We’re incredibly grateful for the support we’ve received from our guests and the local community,” Nelson said.