Krista is the sole owner of both Sur Lie in Portland, Maine and Gather in Yarmouth, Maine. Krista built Sur Lie from the ground up, opening the restaurant in the fall of 2014. When she found out the community-loved restaurant, Gather, was for sale in Yarmouth, she bought it in January of 2022. Gather was very much focused on buying local and giving back to the community, so she felt that the values aligned perfectly between the two restaurants. In 2023, Krista Cole was named a James Beard Award semifinalist for Outstanding Restaurateur and Sur Lie was named a semi-finalist for Outstanding Hospitality.

Raised by a single mom in rural Maine, Krista is no stranger to hard work. She went to university for nursing where she obtained a Bachelor’s of Science in nursing. She then went on to graduate school where she received her master’s degree in management and organization with a certificate in entrepreneurial studies while living in Denver, Colorado. Krista moved back to Maine in 2013.

In the fall of 2014, Krista and her former business partner opened Sur Lie. In 2021, Krista bought her partner out and now independently owns and operates Sur Lie. Several months later, Krista fell in love with Gather in Yarmouth and purchased the restaurant. Since acquiring Gather and taking full ownership of Sur Lie, Krista Cole has focused on breaking down the barriers for women in the industry by providing a plethora of front of house, back of house, and executive leadership opportunities.

When the pandemic hit, Krista worried about the local vendors that she supported through her restaurants. With that in mind, she created farmer baskets, which became a quick success. Similar to a CSA, she sold weekly baskets filled with local vegetables from the small farmers surrounding Portland. This grew into adding baked goods from other family-owned restaurants, seafood and fish from local fishermen, local meats raised in Maine, and much more. Thanks to the community’s unwavering support, she was able to sell over $800,000 worth of local goods during the peak of the pandemic.

Krista’s love of community reaches beyond the work of both restaurants. You can find her sitting on the board of directors for Portland Downtown and the Portland Development Corp for the city of Portland.