Business Spotlight: Octagon Cleaning and Restoration

When disaster strikes, it can be a confusing and difficult time trying to figure out how to properly restore your home or commercial property. You can feel confident calling upon Octagon Cleaning and Restoration to be of assistance in turning things around.

The Octagon Cleaning and Restoration Team stands ready 
to help restore your home or commercial property 
following a fire or natural disaster. COURTESY PHOTO

Located at 12 Roosevelt Trail in Windham, Octagon’s team of IICRC-certified and experienced professionals help take the stress, anxiety, and uncertainty of your unfortunate situation and return your life to normal as quickly as possible.

Octagon offers catastrophic storm damage solutions including addressing water damage restoration, mold removal, asbestos abatement, lead removal, fire and smoke damage, and it provides air duct cleaning for commercial properties. The company services Portland, Southern Maine, Western Maine, and Central Maine from its main office in Windham, and also has locations in Fairfield, Maine and in Barrington and Meredith, New Hampshire.

Robert York launched Maine Cleaning Services in 2002 and cleaned floors for local businesses. He quickly realized the need for restoration services as many businesses turned to him for answers when these disasters occurred. He became educated about restoration and remediation services and the company was transformed into Octagon Cleaning and Restoration and now has 50 employees.

York is a Maine-licensed master pesticide applicator for mold and bacterial treatments, an EPA-certified Lead Safe Renovator, certified in applied microbial remediation (mold remediation), water damage restoration, fire and smoke damage, and applied structural drying. He is also board certified for CMRS (Council-certified Microbial Remediation Supervisor) and a CIEC (Council-certified Indoor Environment Consultant).

“We are a locally owned family business. We are not a national chain or franchise,” said Robin Mullins, Marketing & Relationship Manager for Octagon Cleaning and Restoration. “Through our Octagon Gives Back program, we actively support our local communities by sponsoring youth programs and participating in chambers of commerce. We participate in community events like Trunk or Treats and ensure community members in need receive necessary restoration services. We also offer a five-year Workmanship Guarantee on water damage restoration and mold remediation projects, so clients can rest assured we will get the job right the first time.”

Mullins said Octagon’s experienced project managers will come and do a free initial site inspection for all projects and from that they will provide an objective and honest assessment of the scope of work needed.

“The most important thing to remember when disaster occurs is to move quickly to get the work done ASAP,” she said. “This will save both time and money. It's important to know who to call before disaster occurs.”

According to Mullins, Octagon technicians care about protecting the environment in performing their duties and use integrated electric vehicles in their fleet and solar power to offset their energy bills. They also deeply understand that disasters can be bewildering and overwhelming.

“Even though we face disasters every day, we know these events are devastating to our clients. That is why we offer a comprehensive service that puts our client firmly in control of their restoration journey,” she said. “With our swift and efficient response, we are always there to guide, communicate and answer questions throughout the entire process. After remediation, we’ll work with customers to determine what repairs are necessary to restore a property to its pre-damage condition. This could mean partnering with our sister company Octagon Construction & Energy for minor repairs, such as drywall replacement, or major reconstruction. Either way, our goal is to make your home or business look as if the damage never occurred.”

Through the years, Octagon Cleaning and Restoration has earned the trust of property owners, home inspectors, realtors, and a variety of building contractors in Maine and New Hampshire. They are A-plus rated by the Better Business Bureau and have hundreds of 5-Star reviews on Google.

Some of those reviews include:

“Octagon told me what they were going to do and when. They did what they said on time and within the estimated cost. The people were friendly and helpful. I would use Octagon again and have recommended them to my neighbors.” Doug Sax

“We used Octagon a few years back for an asbestos job that we had at our home. They were absolutely wonderful and easy to work with. The quote they gave us was reasonable and they even dealt with a few other areas that were found at no extra cost. We would recommend them to everyone!” Alexandra Carlson

“I had a great experience with Octagon when I was dealing with water damage in my kitchen! They make sure that it is being done correctly all through the process. Would use them again!” Brianna Palmer

The company is open 24 hours a day. Call for immediate assistance at 207-893-0002 or visit them online at https://octagonrestoration.com/. Find them on Facebook under Octagon Cleaning and Restoration. <

Business Spotlight: Backwoods Burger Shack and Pasketti's

Backwoods Burger Shack may be new to the scene, but it won’t remain a secret for very long.

It offers tempting specialty burgers made fresh daily, local potatoes, cheese and produce, southern-style fried chicken tenders, sandwiches, beer, wine and non-alcoholic drinks and milkshakes. There are hand-cut fries, to-die-for onion rings, inventive salads, and more, and it’s all helping Backwoods rapidly develop a loyal and devoted following.

Backwoods Bruger Shack is now home to Pasketti's Family
Style Italian take-out. They are located at the Route 202
and 237 rotary just over the South Windham line in
Gorham. SUBMITTED PHOTO

Located at 680 Gray Road in the former Sweets & Eats location in Gorham, Backwoods Burger Shack is owned and operated by Rick Boyd and his wife Tatiana and strives to provide quality in every bite and at prices everyone can afford.

All sauces are created in-house and the beef for the burgers is ground daily.

“We’re not a chain restaurant,” Boyd said. “We’re able to offer a quality product at a great value and we care about the community and try to be active in the community and make where we live a little better.”

Along with burgers, Boyd also operates a companion business at the Backwoods site called Pasketti’s, and it’s intended for families looking for a healthier, convenient, and affordable meal to take home or have delivered in Gorham, Windham or Westbrook.

“Pasketti’s is a take-out and delivery-only concept we just launched to give people in the area a comforting, fresh, healthy and inexpensive dinner option,” he said. “We offer take-out spaghetti dinners, salads and garlic toast featuring scratch-made marinara and Bolognese sauce. Our goal is to provide our customers with fresh, healthy and affordable dinner. Value is critical, so you can feed a family of six to eight people for $35, and it’s not junk food. Our fast and delicious take-out Italian dinners are exactly what busy families need.”

Boyd opened Backwoods Burger Shack in June but he’s no newcomer to the restaurant business.

“I’ve been in the industry since I was 13, so around 40 years,” he said. “I opened my first restaurant in Boise, Idaho in 2008 and grew that to five and a brewery before selling them to move to Lake Tahoe. We had two restaurants in Lake Tahoe, and with one under construction when COVID and the 2022 wildfires happened. We decided then to sell and move to Maine where it doesn’t catch on fire.”

Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and welcoming.

“Impressive would be an understatement. Camp Smoke burger was top notch and came out in seconds. And the milkshake was hands down the best around. Must Go!” Alex Y.

“What a great new addition to the area. We all had outstanding burgers and tons of fries and cool drinks. Service was super friendly and welcoming. Sat outside at a picnic table and the whole vibe of it was super cool.” Jen L.

“This place is bomb!!! So tasty, and the onion rings were awesome! Try everything, it's from scratch.” Heather R.

What makes Backwoods Burger Shack stand out from the competition is its friendliness, Boyd said.

“We have tremendous respect for the other restaurants in the area, but I would say our attitude sets us apart,” he said. “We try to include everyone in the conversation, so our social media presence is very friendly, and we try to be informative and supportive of everything that is going on around us. We try to make a personal interaction with everyone who stops in. We chose to be a part of this community after leaving Lake Tahoe and moving east. We love living here and we’re doing our best to bring new and exciting things to our new neighbors.”

Backwoods Burger Shack and Pasketti’s are open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays.

To see the menu or order ahead online with a hassle-free user-friendly platform, visit www.backwoodsburger.me or https://www.paskettis.com/ <