Several people are exploring the Oxford Hills area for establishing restaurants.

Rick Lockwood of Gorham, who recently bought the Odd Fellows Hall on Main Street, said he has a handshake deal with a man who wants to open an Italian restaurant in the basement of the building overlooking the stream.

“He’s going to run breakfast, lunch and dinner and on the Italian line,” Lockwood said, adding it will be upscale.

Lockwood also added that Maine Made & More will move into the first two floors of the historic building, and he’s hoping to lure an art gallery to the third floor with a discounted rent.

And Taste of Eden owners Sonya Sciortino and Michael Tardis said they have been looking into whether they should relocate their vegan restaurant to this area from Bethel.

“It just seemed like there’s a lot more year-round population than in Bethel,” Sciortino said Tuesday. “It’s very seasonal up here, and the last few seasons have been quite poor as in snow and weather.”

Plus, she said she’s met more people in the Oxford Hills area who are interested in “healthy eating.”

Trolley House closing doors

NORWAY – The Trolley House owners will be serving their last meal Thursday, citing the economy as the major factor in closing. Thomas “Herb” and Judy Hills of Bethel are leaving the red-bricked restaurant on Main Street after running it a little more than two years.

The building is owned by John and Judy Allen of Paris. She said, “Plans are in the works” for the space, but she said she would wait to consult with her husband, who is away, before releasing more information.

Allen said they bought the Trolley House in 1995 and converted it into a restaurant. Its name comes from the days when the building was used as a garage to store local trolleys.

Judy Hills said Tuesday, “We’re sad that we’re closing… We thank everyone for making it a pleasurable experience and we will honor gift certificates.”

She told people to send their certificates, with their name and address to P.O. Box 794 in Bethel.

The couple lives in Bethel, and Hills said she would look for work in the food business. Her husband works in that industry at Loon Mountain in New Hampshire.