Tuscan Brands To Open New Café In Downtown Portsmouth

PORTSMOUTH, NH — The artisan Italian restaurant company Tuscan Brands has announced the upcoming opening of its new café in downtown Portsmouth. The new location is scheduled to open Monday, July 1 in Market Square. Tuscan Brands already owns a restaurant and market on Islington Street, and company officials said they are excited to expand in Portsmouth, "one of New England's crown jewels."

"Opening our market in the center of a charming seaside community like Portsmouth is truly special for us," said Joe Faro, founder and Chief Food Taster at Tuscan Brands. "Market Square is home to an animated and historic culture, and our new location is going to serve as the hub where visitors and residents can enjoy everything that Portsmouth has to offer. We couldn't be more excited to further our commitment to this community."

The new café will be located at 14 Market St. Tuscan Brands also owns a restaurant and market in Salem, and two restaurants in Massachusetts. In Salem, the company is currently embarking on a project to develop a 170-acre Tuscan Village, a mixed use development with apartments, retail, restaurants, entertainment center, offices, hotel, a large medical building and more. The pedestrian-oriented village is being constructed in phases.

In Portsmouth, Tuscan Brands has expand the outdoor seating at 14 Market St. to allow for a 42-seat area outdoors. The new café will have 72 seats total. It will offer made-to-order artisan Italian lunch and dinner, exclusive Tuscan-brewed coffee, fresh-sheeted pasta, freshly baked breads, house-cured salami, imported cheeses, specialty oils, and a dessert section with Italian pastries and hand-spun gelato, company officials said. Take-out will be available. For those dining onsite, it will offer a selection of Italian wines, cordials and local beers.

The Portsmouth downtown Tuscan Market will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. On opening day July 1, Tuscan Brands will donate 10 percent of the cafe's sales to Chase Home for Children in Portsmouth, which offers residential services to at-risk youth and families.