Great News: Lewiston’s DaVinci’s is Reopening Monday After Closing for 9 Days

It's been a crazy nine days for one of Lewiston's best restaurants.

DaVinci's Eatery on Mill Street has been closed since Saturday, January 6. They didn't say much in their initial Facebook post, but did follow up with full transparency.

This was because of a cockroach.

Now in their latest Facebook post, they have the great news that they are reopening! But it was a difficult, gut-wrenching, and embarrassing closing. They first had the exciting news that they will be back on Monday, January 15, at 11am! They aren't a new flash-in-the-pan restaurant, as they have been part of Lewiston's culinary scene for almost 30 years.

They pride themselves on their compliance with all health standards, and strive to go above and beyond. They are a huge operation in the Bates Mill complex, and serve over 12,000 guests every month. Because they are that busy, they get hundreds of cases of food and supplies from more than a dozen vendors every week. Because of that, they have regular treatments for pest control. But on January 6, the city's health inspector saw one live and one dead cockroach (behind the dishwasher). They were asked to close, and did so immediately.

This left DaVinci's in shock, and questioning how one cockroach can shut a place down. Does this same standard apply to schools, hospitals, and grocery stores in Lewiston or anywhere in Maine? Owners and management of DaVinci's asked around and could find no other instance where this happened. But they put their feelings aside and complied. It put them in a terrible situation. They said on Facebook,

DaVinci’s made several difficult calls that Saturday afternoon and for the next few days. We had made commitments to host people for after funeral gatherings, military going away parties, anniversaries, birthdays, and other important moments. Calling the people who were counting on us and telling them we were closing left us feeling distressed and deeply embarrassed. We have worked hard over the years to earn this community’s trust and it broke our hearts to betray that trust.

But DaVinci's didn't hide from what happened to them, and put it all out on the line. People responded with support and loyalty, and I wouldn't be surprised if there is a line to get in when they reopen their doors. They are working hard to earn back anyone's trust they lost, because they plan on being in Lewiston for generations to come. We got your back, DaVinici's!