Scoop: Openings, Closings and Gates (not that one) on the Future of Music

1. THE NEXT LITTLE BIG BURGER? Old Spaghetti Factory President Chris Dussin has finally given up hope of reviving Lucier, the glitzy South Waterfront restaurant he opened in April 2008 and closed eight months later. The 7,657-square-foot, 138-seat building, which was designed by the same firm as New York’s Le Cirque and Per Se, is listed for lease with Urban Works Real Estate. No word what rent they’re looking for, but the property is valued by the city at $3.6 million.

1. HORSE SHED SOLD: Two years after it was moved twice and extensively renovated, downtown’s Ladd Carriage House has been purchased for $1 million—less than half its original asking price—by Kathy and Mike Mygrant, owners of a California wholesale auto glass firm. According to The Oregonian, they intend to make it a restaurant.

1. WILL THERE BE MERMAIDS? West Burnside strip club Cabaret, raided by the IRS in April for alleged tax fraud, is no more. In its place rises Poseidon Seafood Bar and Grill, owned by Cabaret proprietor David Kiraz’s brother, Daniel. Kiraz told WW he intends to open the restaurant to the public on Thursday, Oct. 13.

1. FUTURE DRINKING: The Globe, a bar and pizzeria on Southeast Belmont Street, closed this week. It will be replaced by The Conquistador Lounge, a “Spanish/Latin/Mexican” restaurant and bar from Matador co-owner Casey Maxwell. >> A new bar and cafe, The Hazel Room, is set to open in the Dollar Scholar’s old home on Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard. >> Former Original Dinerant chef BJ Smith will soon open a barbecue joint, Smokehouse 21, in the Northwest 21st Avenue space that last housed Tanuki.

1. NO BRISKET FOR TIMBER JOEY: The Timbers craze is no match for a stagnant retail climate, judging by last week’s closure of Towler’s Market and Barbecue, a high-end convenience store opened in 2009 across the street from Jeld-Wen Field in the Civic condo tower. Towler’s advertised in heavy rotation on local sports-talk radio, promoting itself as a shopping destination for Army supplies—Budweiser six-packs and brisket sandwiches. But it closed a week before the final match of the Timbers’ inaugural MLS season. The Civic’s leasing office, PREM Group, refused to comment.

1. COMPUTER MUSIC: Portland ex-Spinane Rebecca Gates is hard at work on a new album (read about it here), but she’s found time to do important work with the Future of Music Coalition, an organization that’s attempting to figure out how musicians are making money these days. What’s that? You’re a musician and you want to stand up and be counted? Go to futureofmusic.org/ars to take the survey. >> On a related note, Portland MC Cloudy October has made the increasingly popular decision to sidestep revenue streams and release his highly anticipated “research-based hip-hop” full-length, The Metal Jerk, for free via his website, cloudyoctober.com. It drops Tuesday, Oct. 18.

WWeek 2015