Ohana Market coming to Kittery: Hawaiian eatery grows from Portsmouth, Exeter into Maine

KITTERY, Maine — Ohana Kitchen is expanding into Maine with a marketplace edition of its Hawaiian-themed concept this summer.

The business boom along Shapleigh Road in Kittery is continuing with the anticipated arrival of Ohana Market, a grab-and-go version of Jay and Stacy Krecklow’s businesses in nearby Portsmouth and Exeter in New Hampshire. Ohana Market will take over the 7 Shapleigh Road space most recently occupied by Toast, a sandwich shop that closed in early April.

The almost eight-year-old business’ venture in Kittery comes as the Krecklows are actively scouting for available commercial spaces in the Dover, New Hampshire, area and the North Shore of Massachusetts to potentially open more locations.

The flagship Ohana Kitchen opened in Portsmouth in December 2017, followed by the Exeter location the next year, and the now-closed Newburyport, Massachusetts location in 2019. The couple, residents of Rye, New Hampshire, hope Ohana Market will draw in beach visitors, people running errands along Shapleigh Road, outlet mall shoppers, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard employees and residents of all ages.

“Expansion was always a part of the plan, and it still is. It’s not necessarily ending anytime soon,” Jay Krecklow said.

“We were busy all at once, and then the pandemic hit. We were still really busy, but the pandemic gave us time to look and regroup, and now we’re focused on growth again,” Stacy Krecklow said.

Ohana's poke bowls will be available for delivery in Kittery

Ohana Market will offer poke bowls — including signatures like the spicy crunchy ahi tuna and miso salmon dishes — in addition to sushi burritos, musubis, crudos and bento boxes. Delivery will be offered.

The food will be made on-site in Kittery, which has parking in front of the building, nearby parking lots and along the busy roadway.

“It’ll be an elevated grab-and-go,” said Stacy Krecklow, a former regional manager for Flatbread Company restaurant. “We want it to be something that we would love to eat. If I can get some beautiful sushi and a really great salad for lunch, I would choose that every day.”

Toast says goodbye for now

Toast, which opened in fall 2021, announced in March it would be closing this spring. The business’ last day of operation was April 6. The business was opened by baker Nina Holland, who stated Toast could reopen in the future under new ownership.

“Thank you for your unwavering love, kindness and support,” her closing message on the business’ Instagram profile reads in part. “Your large scale of love for all things toast truly fueled my passion and made it possible for me to intentionally and thoughtfully fuel you over the years.”

Ohana owners pleased with Kittery location

The Krecklows are grateful to Holland for the ease of their transition into the 7 Shapleigh Road unit after Toast’s recent closing.

“I jumped all over it as soon as I saw this because we’d been talking about doing a market. We knew we needed kind of just a smaller space, and we were like, ‘Oh, this would be absolutely perfect,’” Stacy Krecklow said. “We already have such great community connections, and it just seemed like a perfect fit. It’s very much the tone for us, this whole area.”

The April 18 announcement of Ohana’s expansion into southern Maine came less than a week after the Krecklows closed their Newburyport location.

“It’s hard to put into words our heartfelt gratitude for your support and patronage over the last five years,” the business’ April 2 social media announcement says. “We want to share that our lease in the Port Plaza is coming to an end and we’re going to close our (Newburyport) location on Saturday, April 13th … We love this community and hope to find a more permanent location near you soon!”

How Ohana was born

The former owner of the old Radici Restaurant in downtown Portsmouth, Jay Krecklow sold that business in 2015. Drawing on Stacy Krecklow’s family and work ties to Hawaii, the couple took time after the sale of Radici to craft the Ohana concept and search the area for the right spot to bring their vision to life.

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More than seven years after opening in Portsmouth, the Krecklows are feeding many local residents with their menu of poke bowls and more.

“In Hawaii, everybody, when they’re on the beach, is having poke bowls. They’re picking them up in the morning at the grocery store or the gas station … I was like, if they can do that there, we can have a beautiful, small spot to take this to a quicker level,” Stacy Krecklow said.

Ohana Market is expected to open in Kittery in June. Hours of operation are still being determined.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Ohana Market coming to Kittery: Hawaiian eatery grows from Portsmouth, Exeter into Maine