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Ramen Shop Afuri Has Started a Delivery-Only Spinoff Specializing in Japanese-Style Hot Dogs

Afuri, the celebrated Japanese chain that opened its first American restaurant in Southeast Portland four years ago, has started a delivery-only “ghost kitchen” focused on hot dogs.

Federal Judge Rejects Oregon Restaurants’ Bid to Halt the “Freeze” on In-Person Dining

A federal judge today rejected a challenge by the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association to Gov. Kate Brown’s statewide restrictions on indoor and outdoor dining. Last week, the industry lobbying group joined the Restaurant Law Center in asking the U.S. District Court for an injunction that would halt the two-week shutdown. ORLA had said taking legal action was necessary in order to help save its members, which included some 10,000 food and beverage operators prior to the pandemic.

Food Truck Chop Chop Chicken Sundaes Opens Its First Brick-and-Mortar

Chop Chop Chicken Sundaes is one of those businesses. The Portland-area pop-up-turned-food-cart opened a brick-and-mortar last weekend at Bridgeport Village. That permanent location has added “& Salads” to the end of its name to reflect an expanded menu.

Poke Mon Will Not Renew Its Lease Following Nearly a Year of Slow Business Due to the Pandemic

Poke Mon, the restaurant that led Portland’s poke craze when it opened in 2016, will serve its last bowls of ahi and albacore this week. The business on Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard is scheduled to close after one final takeout dinner service on Nov. 25. Eater reported that executive chef Steven Woerdehoff said the lease on the space was up and ownership opted not to renew. The pandemic also caused a drop in business during the past eight months.

Already-Struggling Restaurant Owners Are Now Facing an Added Challenge: Break-Ins and Thefts

Restaurant owners are already struggling to make it through the most recent multi-week “freeze” meant to help quell the spread of COVID-19. But now some find themselves dealing with an additional challenge: break-ins and thefts. The most recent business to fall victim is Flying Fish. Sometime between closing on Saturday, Nov. 21 and opening this morning, Nov. 22, the locks securing heaters used on the patio were cut. Now all six are gone.

The Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association Sues to Halt the Two-Week “Freeze” on In-Person Dining

Today, the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association joined the Restaurant Law Center in asking the U.S. District Court for an injunction that would halt Gov. Kate Brown’s two-week shutdown of indoor and outdoor food service. The not-for-profit organization says taking legal action is necessary in order to help save its members across the state, which include some 10,000 food and beverage establishments and about 2,000 hotels and resorts—although those numbers have now declined due to COVID-19-caused permanent closures.

Trap Kitchen Is Giving Out Free Turkeys to Families in Need This Weekend

“During the current times, the people of our community need as much comfort and support as possible,” the food cart wrote in an announcement, adding on social media: “If you know of a family in need during these holidays, please send them are way.”

New Numbers From the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis Show the Pandemic Is Hitting the Hospitality Industry Harder Than All Others

Today, the agency released its 2020 Economic and Revenue Forecast, which found that revenue for food and beverage establishments is down by more than 50 percent. The state’s entire leisure and hospitality sector will have shed 50,000 jobs this year, far more than any other field.

The Owner of a New Japanese Comfort Food Restaurant Faced Two Challenges When Opening This Year: a Pandemic and Historic Wildfires

David Edwards spent most of 2020 preparing to open his first restaurant during a pandemic. He wasn’t prepared, however, to have to hold a grand opening while Portland was experiencing historically toxic air from wildfires.“It was just a whole other layer,” says Edwards, chef and owner of Nanban on Southeast Water Avenue. “It was a challenge we did not foresee.”

First the Pandemic Halted Tasting-Room Traffic, Then Wildfire Smoke Threatened Their Grapes. Yet Local Winemakers Are Finding New Ways to Serve Flights and Save the 2020 Vintage.

And all of that was before historic wildfires produced an acrid haze that settled over wine country in September. Winemakers in hotter places like Australia and California know all about “smoke taint,” but it’s a new scourge in Oregon due to climate change. The volatile phenols in smoke can permeate grape skins, making the wine taste like an ashtray, or a crayon.

Willamette Week

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