'Yes, Chef' finalist Lee Frank to open Mazon in York, Maine

Lee Frank, a 'Yes, Chef' finalist and James Beard semifinalist, plans to open a new restaurant called Mazon in York, Maine. Read what's known so far.

Prajakta Sanjay Warwadkar

Jun 15, 2026 - 12:40

'Yes, Chef' finalist Lee Frank to open Mazon in York, Maine

Chef Lee Frank, a 'Yes, Chef' finalist, who plans to open a new restaurant called Mazon in York, Maine

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YORK, Maine, June 15, 2026 — Chef Lee Frank, a finalist on NBC's "Yes, Chef!" and a two-time James Beard Award semifinalist, plans to open a new restaurant called Mazon in York, Maine. The project marks the latest expansion for the Southern Maine and New Hampshire restaurateur.

Frank has built a regional following through a casual burger brand and a fine-dining tasting-menu spot, and gained a national profile after reaching the final three on a televised cooking competition. Mazon would extend his footprint into York, a coastal town on Maine's southern shore.

Who is Lee Frank?

Lee Frank grew up in Southern California, where he flipped burgers as a teenager, and later cooked at several well-known Southern Maine restaurants, including MC Perkins Cove, Arrows and Anneke Jans. He reached the final three on the first season of "Yes, Chef!", the NBC competition hosted by Jose Andres and Martha Stewart, before Emily Brubaker won the $250,000 prize in 2025.

Frank has also been named a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef: Northeast in consecutive years.

Frank's existing restaurants

Frank owns Lee Frank's, a Southern California-style burger and hot dog concept that opened in South Berwick, Maine, in 2021 and later added a Wells location, with a New Hampshire site planned in Exeter. He also runs Otis in Exeter, a fine-dining restaurant known for a weekly-changing five-course tasting menu.

The two concepts sit at opposite ends of the dining spectrum, from quick counter-service burgers to a multicourse tasting format. More on his burger brand is available on the Lee Frank's website.

What's known about Mazon

Mazon would be Frank's first restaurant in York, adding to a roster that already stretches across Southern Maine and into coastal New Hampshire. The town sits among a cluster of popular dining destinations along Maine's southern coast.

Further details about Mazon, including its concept, menu and opening timeline, are expected to be shared as the opening approaches.