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Sizzle Pie, a restaurant group in the Sortis Holdings stable, appears to be losing some of its signature heat.
The landlord for Sizzle Pie’s Concordia neighborhood location on Northeast 33rd Avenue filed a lawsuit in Multnomah County Circuit Court on Jan. 8, alleging that the pizzeria, after signing a seven-year lease that began in July, failed to pay rent for October, November and December, and now owes $22,338. (Sortis Holdings has not yet responded to the lawsuit.)
The Port of Portland also says Sizzle Pie will not be the operator of the Sizzle Pie location scheduled to open in the new main terminal at Portland International Airport in May. In other words, it will carry the Sizzle Pie name, but somebody else will make the pizzas.
Emails WW obtained through a public records request show that airport officials and Sortis Holdings Chief Finanical Officer Ryan Smith were in regular communication throughout much of 2023 about Sizzle Pie opening as part of PDX’s renovation.
On Sept. 18, Smith emailed airport officials notifying them that, after some earlier delays, the company was ready to finalize its tenancy in the new terminal.
“We are excited to move forward with the space at the newly renovated PDX,” Smith wrote. “An exciting time for the airport and Sizzle Pie! I’ll get the lease signed.”
But nearly a month later, Sortis had still not signed.
“Can you please provide an update on your execution of the Sizzle Pie PDX lease?” Abby Carey, PDX restaurant and retail development manager, wrote to Smith in an Oct. 17 email. “We are gearing up for construction commencement but will not be able to proceed without a signed agreement.”
But instead of inking the deal, Sortis backed away, Port of Portland officials said.
“Sortis informed us last fall that they didn’t have financing to move forward and therefore would not be executing the lease,” PDX business director Chris Czarnecki told WW on Jan. 12. “Sizzle Pie is a strong Portland brand and we believe it would be popular with passengers, so we’re helping facilitate an agreement that would bring in a trusted third-party as the owner and operator of the PDX location. Sortis Holdings has agreed to license the brand.”
A Sortis representative declined to comment. WW reported in November that the holding company, which owns such prominent brands as Bamboo Sushi and Water Avenue Coffee, faced several lawsuits.