Rebecca Roland is an associate editor at Eater LA who covers the evolving landscape of Los Angeles's food scene. Her work delves into how digital culture shapes real-life dining trends, and examines the relationship between food and community as neighborhoods change.
In today's dining landscape, Portland restaurants face challenges like the rising cost of goods, labor shortages, and evolving customer expectations. Unfortunately, everything from longtime city institutions to newer spots unable to find their footing can succumb to a combination of obstacles, making Portland's churn of restaurant closings nearly as frequent as its new openings. This biweekly column keeps track of all the closings you may have missed.
The beloved chain of 24-hour diners suddenly closed all of its Oregon locations on October 20. Deb Melina, a manager at the Shari's on Northeast Airport Way in Portland, told KGW the location has been in "hospice" for the last few months, and a telling Yelp review of a Eugene-area location noted the restaurant was out of pie. The closure leaves a gap in Oregon's late-night dining scene, especially in smaller communities where few around-the-clock restaurants exist.
Award-winning bar the Houston Blacklight closed on November 2 after a year and a half open. The closure was announced in an Instagram post which reads, "The truth is, we love the neighborhood, we love the bar, the team is incredible, but it has never been financially sustainable and we don't have the resources to give it another go." Owners and industry vetarens Mariah and Thomas Pisha-Duffly will continue operating Hollywood neighborhood restaurant Gado Gado and Southeast Division's Oma's Hideaway.
Popular Portland Indian food cart DesiPDX closed its location in the Upright Brewing food cart pod in late October. Owner Deepak Saxena told Eater that sales at the cart were not covering the costs of being open. The Desi cart in the Prost Marketplace pod remains open.
Ryley Eckersley's tasting menu restaurant ÄNIKS closed on October 28 after just five months open. In the closure announcement, the team shared that they are working on opening a new restaurant in the current space.
West Linn Italian restaurant Bugatti's Ristorante closed on November 3 after more than 30 years. Its sister location in Oregon City remains open.
Local coffee chain Jim and Patty's is closing its Portland and Beaverton cafes on November 11 after 22 years in business. The owners announced the closure in a Facebook post, thanking the community for the years of support.