Poppy Café & Market in Burlington’s Old North End has landed a $50,000 grant from a program that aims to help small, independent restaurants across the U.S. renovate their buildings and grow their business.
To apply for the American Express and National Trust for Historic Preservation “Backing Historic Small Restaurants” grant, Poppy owner Abby Portman consulted local historian Bob Blanchard for the chronology of the century-old building at 88 Oak Street, a former corner market. Despite that background, she thought her application was “a long shot,” said Portman, 31. “We’re not a historic restaurant yet.”
Portman opened the sandwich shop in November 2020 with her sister Emily, who has since moved away. They originally shared the space with Café Mamajuana, which closed in 2023 and reopened in Colchester in January. The owners of the two eateries and Matt Cropp of the Vermont Employee Ownership Center established the Oak Street Cooperative in 2020 and purchased the building with about 70 co-op members.
Currently, Poppy serves its roster of creative sandwiches during the day, and chef Paul Trombly’s Fancy’s restaurant offers an innovative, veg-forward menu in the evenings. All Souls Tortilleria rents part of the space to produce its flour tortillas.
Portman credited Burlington’s “incredible” Community and Economic Development Office with bringing the grant to her attention. She said the money will be used mostly for much-needed structural and exterior improvements, such as fixing siding and window seals, upgrading outdoor seating, installing an awning, and creating a vestibule to minimize cold air flow in the winter. She does not anticipate closing the shop to complete the work.
This article appears in 30th Birthday Issue.
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