Despite the sudden sale and closure of Portland's once vibrant public market, one pizza parlor owner continues to incur large losses but refuses to shut down.
"In the end, there is pizza.
High-minded ideals -- revitalizing downtown Portland, supporting Maine agriculture --have scattered on the wind to take root elsewhere. Defunct and for sale, the former Portland Public Market building is a lonely shell of concrete, wood and glass.
And pizza.
Walk inside at lunch time. Scan the emptiness.
But wait. In a distant corner, lights blaze. A sign reads "Romeos Express." It's a mini-version of the five-store pizza chain started 18 years ago by a local businessman, Dimitrios Mihos.
Hey, Dimitrios. The market's gone. The building's vacant.
What are you doing, man?
Mihos is the first to admit: 'It's a very unusual scenario.'
This is a story of an entrepreneur who made a long-term investment and refuses to give up, even though he basically has no customers. Smart and stubborn, Mihos hopes that he may yet turn absurdity into opportunity."
Read the full story: Romeos' rebellion
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