The Black Box Welcomes ISHI ISHI Ramen to the Washington Avenue Neighborhood

PORTLAND, Maine (February 12, 2020) - The Black Box on Washington Avenue, Portland’s first retail incubator and pop-up in repurposed shipping containers, is excited to welcome ISHI ISHI Ramen to its storefront lineup this month. ISHI ISHI is a BYOB ramen shop that offers three types of ramen, along with gluten free and CBD options. 

Now open in the spot formerly occupied by The Cheese Shop of Portland, ISHI ISHI Ramen is co-owned and managed by Matthew De Fio and Andrew Doolittle. De Fio is a culinary school graduate who gained experience at Ramen Tatsu-Ya in Austin. In Maine, De Fio has worked at Trattoria Athena and Enoteca Athena in Brunswick and at Hugo’s, Scales, Tipo and Duckfat in Portland. Doolittle is co-owner of Pot & Pan Kitchen in Portland, which makes CBD and THC edibles.

ISHI ISHI’s three ramen options include chicken broth, tonkatsu pork and mazemen (brothless and vegetarian) – as well as a “pack your own” rice bowl option. ISHI ISHI provides gluten-free noodles and will soon offer to-go ramen, where the restaurant will supply ingredients for customers to cook and assemble at home. 

“The goal of ISHI ISHI is to fill a void in the neighborhood by providing quality ramen in a setting where customers can be present, enjoy a hearty dish and be on their way,” said De Fio. “We’re excited for this opportunity, and we hope to one day expand into more small spaces down the road.”

ISHI ISHI is open Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Follow ISHI ISHI on Instagram for additional opening and menu offering updates. 

The Black Box leases are designed with flexibility in mind to accommodate business owners who want space to test a concept or provide street-front retail space without a long-term commitment. 

Read more about The Black Box concept and its opening last year here. 

About The Black Box

The Black Box offers unique and flexible retail space in Portland, Maine's East End, in the heart of inner Washington Avenue. The single-story structure is built using repurposed shipping containers. Each of the five units is approximately 300 square feet, offering move-in ready space and 8’ wide double glass doors off the sidewalk. For more information, visit www.tbbwashington.com or follow the journey on Instagram or Facebook.