After 40 years of business in downtown Orono, Margarita Mexican Restaurant closed the doors to its Mill Street location in January of 2025. The building was listed for sale for $515,400 shortly thereafter.

Read More: 40 Years After It Opened, Margaritas In Orono Has Closed For Good

While there have been many inquiries about the space, according to Orono Town Manager Clint Deschene, the property has remained for sale. It did look like a sale was in the works at one point in April, but nothing came to fruition.

But that has now changed.

According to the Penobscot County Registry of Deeds, that location was sold, as of Tuesday, October 28th, to 15 Mill Realty, LLC, with a location of Hillside Drive in Veazie, the same as Z & S Realty Estate Inc, who owns Green Tea Restaurant in Bangor.

There was talk, a few years back, of Green Tea moving from its current location at 11 Bangor Mall Blvd to a different space, right down the road.

In 2022, the owners, Z&S Realty Estate Inc…out of Hillside Drive in Veazie, purchased the old Arby’s building at 52 Bangor Mall Blvd, after the sandwich shop closed down following a 32-year run in 2015, and the property stood vacant.

Bangor’s Code Enforcement Officer at the time, Jeff Wallace, said the original plan for the Arby’s building, according to the new owners, was to move Green Tea’s operation over to the old Arby’s building once some renovations to the building had been completed.

Read More: Green Tea Restaurant To Operate In Old Arby’s, Once Renovated

However, no apparent renovations have ever been made, and the building still stands vacant. It appears there are “For Lease” or “For Sale” signs in the windows if you drive by.

In December 2024, the Green Tea came under scrutiny for what state officials tallied as nearly 2,000 violations of labor laws, mostly to do with the employment of minors, appropriate payment of wages, and earned benefits like time off and vacations.

According to WABI, owner Joyce Lin, signed a $100,000 settlement with the Maine Department of Labor later that month.

Read More: Bangor Japanese Restaurant In Hot Water For 1700 Violations

With the dust settled, it now appears that the owners of Green Tea have shifted their attention to another project, having purchased the old Margarita’s restaurant location.

There’s no word yet on whether the owners plan to move their operation from Bangor to Orono, or if the Mill Street space would serve as a second location for the restaurant.

But it’s good to know that there’s hopefully some new life planned for that old corner space on Mill Street.

We’ll have to see what they have in store.