A Grassroots Celebration of Food, Flavor & Community — with a New Digital Passport

Contributed Story | Heart of Biddeford

From bánh mì to barbecue, specialty coffee to steak frites, arcade combos to raclette, Biddeford–Saco Restaurant Week returns March 15–22, 2026, inviting residents and visitors to explore the region’s dynamic and ever-growing food scene.

Organized by Saco Main Street, Heart of Biddeford, and the Biddeford Saco Chamber of Commerce, Restaurant Week in Biddeford and Saco has its own personality — distinct from statewide programs that focus primarily on prix-fixe dinners.

“Our Restaurant Week is a little more grassroots,” said Delilah Poupore, executive director of Heart of Biddeford. “Not all of our food businesses are sit-down restaurants. We have breweries, bakeries, sandwich shops, sushi counters, an arcade, coffee roasters — you name it. So we leave room for creativity in how businesses participate.” Saco’s executive director, Angie Presby added, “Honestly, we may need to rename it ‘Foodie Week’ because it’s about restaurants but so much more.”

That flexibility allows each business to design an offering that fits their style, their space, and their customers.

A Taste of This Year’s Offerings

With more than 20 participating businesses, Restaurant Week highlights the full spectrum of the local food scene. Diners can find everything from raclette poured over toasted baguette at Nibblesford to a secret Peruvian Steak Frites special at Magnus on Water, comfort classics like Frito Pie at Ore Nell’s Barbecue, and creative multi-course meals at Jin Sushi and Ramen.

It’s not just restaurants, though. Participants can enjoy bracket-style “Mocha Madness” at Time & Tide Coffee, gameplay-and-dinner combo deals at Rift Arcade, and special deals at Banded Brewing Co. The range reflects what makes Biddeford and Saco unique: a food culture that blends serious culinary talent with creativity, comfort, and fun.

New in 2026: The Brightr Passport

To encourage diners to explore multiple locations, this year introduces the Brightr Restaurant Week Passport — a simple, web-based experience (no app required).

Customers register by scanning a QR code displayed at participating businesses. Once registered, they can view all Restaurant Week offerings and “check in” at each location they visit by scanning that business’ unique QR code. Each day of Restaurant Week, one winner will be randomly selected from that day’s Passport check-ins to receive a $25 gift card, for a total of eight daily winners. At the end of the week, one participant who checked in at three or more businesses will be awarded the $100 grand prize.

Alex MacPhail, the executive director of the Biddeford Saco Chamber explains, “The more places that participants explore, the more chances they have to win — and the more local businesses they support!”

Ticketed Events: Art, Storytelling & Culinary Showdowns

Restaurant Week also features two dynamic ticketed events that bring the community together in creative and unexpected ways.

Food Collider: March 12

An early kick-off to Restaurant Week, the Food Collider transforms Pizza by Alex into a one-night pop-up gallery and storytelling experience. Presented by Art of Biddeford in partnership with Pizza by Alex, the March 12 event blends art, food, and story inside one of Biddeford’s most iconic spaces.

Part art exhibition, part live gathering, each ticket includes pizza nibbles, entry to a curated food-themed gallery, and eight creative “collisions” —  five-minute presentations weaving together storytelling, music, history, and reflections on everything from family tables to farms to the systems that bring food to our plates. Proceeds from ticket sales benefit the Biddeford Food Pantry.

FYOOD Cooking Competition: March 18

The week continues with FYOOD (pronounced “feud”), a high-energy cooking competition hosted at the Biddeford Regional Center of Technology Culinary Program kitchen.

Amateur home chefs team up to face off in two mystery ingredient challenges (one savory, one sweet) with just one hour to create and plate their dishes before a panel of professional chefs, local personalities, and Culinary Program Director Chef Steve.

Audience members enjoy front-row views from the dining room, a live video feed from inside the kitchen, and a made-to-order pasta meal from the culinary students.

Meanwhile, competitors battle for the FYOOD trophy and serious bragging rights. Limited to four teams, the event highlights both the creativity of local home cooks and the real-world experience gained by BRCOT culinary students preparing and serving guests in a fast-paced environment.

Tickets and team registrations for both events are available via Eventbrite.

More Than a Meal

Biddeford–Saco Restaurant Week is about connection as much as cuisine. It’s about supporting small businesses, celebrating creativity, and giving people a reason to explore both downtowns — one check-in, one meal, one shared table at a time.

For the full list of participating businesses and complete details, visit the official Restaurant Week webpage

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Restaurant Week is made possible by generous sponsorship from Saco & Biddeford Savings.

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