A sign in the window Monday at the former Holy Donut at 848 Minot Ave., Auburn, says that a Subway restaurant will be opening there. Christopher Wheelock/Sun Journal

Move over Holy Donut, make room for Subway

Maybe the third time’s a charm for the former Holy Donut location at 848 Minot Ave. The Buzz has confirmed a Subway is planned for the spot, which was a Tim Hortons before Holy Donut set up shop in January 2021. The company announced in February that it was closing the store after revenue didn’t meet expectations, which the company said was COVID-19 related.

Subway franchise owner Devin Bergeron says this new Subway is a replacement for the one in the Roopers complex at 545 Minot Ave., which is less than one mile from the former Holy Donut. Bergeron says employees will move down the road to the new store once it’s ready and they’ll be hiring an additional 8-10 people to service the bigger Subway, which will have a drive-thru, making it only the third Subway in Maine with one.

Bergeron says the former Holy Donut will be renovated in the coming months and that they hope to be open by late January, barring any significant delays.

Bergeron and his partners, Angie Bergeron and David Grendell, operate five Subway franchises in the Lewiston and Auburn area — three in Auburn and two in Lewiston.

A third Fresenius dialysis clinic coming to Lewiston

The city’s planning & code enforcement office has approved a permit for the construction of a one-story, wood-framed building for a dialysis clinic at 42 Mollison Way, which is currently a vacant lot adjacent to the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles office. Construction of the building alone is estimated to cost just under $1.5 million, with another permit under revue.

This brings a third dialysis clinic to the area, with two operated by Fresenius Medical Care, and the Buzz can now confirm this one will also be operated by the same company. Fresenius Kidney Care will open a new clinic in Lewiston, according to an email statement. The company says the clinic will have state-of-the-art equipment, as part of the world’s leading innovator of dialysis technology. The clinic will offer in-center hemodialysis and home therapy services.

The company’s website says Fresenius Kidney Care is the worldwide leader in the treatment of renal disease and an innovative leader in kidney disease research, serving over 190,000 patients in over 2,400 facilities nationwide. The company’s global headquarters is in Bad Homburg, Germany.

Fresenius operates Fresenius Kidney Care Lewiston at 710 Maine St., and Fresenius Kidney Care Androscoggin at 1100 Minot Ave. in Auburn.

The company says the clinic is expected to open late 2023 or early 2024.

Wicked Fast Chicken is cooking

The Wicked Fast Chicken restaurant at the corner of Blake and Birch Streets in Lewiston on Monday afternoon. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

Wicked Fast Chicken is a new, quick-service restaurant now open at 210 Blake St., in Lewiston, cooking up fried chicken, fish, gyros and halal offerings. The store has been creating quite a buzz on social media since it’s Oct. 1 opening.

Mohamed Omar, one of the owners at Wicked Fast Chicken, sits at a table Tuesday afternoon at the downtown Lewiston restaurant while waiting for customers. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

Business hours are from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily and the prices are competitive. Every day specials include 2-piece chicken with fries and a drink for $7.99, 4-piece wings with fries and a drink for $8.99, or a 2-piece tilapia with fries and a drink for $9.99. Sandwiches range from burgers and chicken to beef, chicken, fish and lamb gyros. Salads are also on the menu as are wraps and shawarmas.

Mazz Ullah, a Southern Maine Community College graduate and one of the owners, said he chose the name to make it easy for both locals and people who speak English as a second language to understand.

Quick hits about business comings, goings and happenings. Have a Buzzable tip? Contact staff writer Christopher Wheelock at 689-2844 or cwheelock@sunjournal.com