The Portland food industry is still licking its wounds after a ruthless winter storm slammed the city in mid-January, causing significant financial losses and ongoing closures for local businesses. Vegan Junk Food, a popular Southeast Portland eatery, has been shuttered since January 14 when a pipe burst, putting the plant-based parlor's future—and the financial stability of its workers—in jeopardy. "We got our first four orders or so, suddenly there was a rushing water sound and water started pouring out of the ceiling through all the light sockets", owner Robert Thomas told KATU. The damage has ravished the establishment, leaving employees like Daniel Ferrell, with a toddler at home, uncertain about how to "keep it all together, make the ends meet."
According to Biz Journals, other Portland businesses such as Bar Norman and The Sports Bra have echoed these tribulations, with losses upwards of $10,000 after forced closures, with brisk business typically slow during this stretch of the year. Adding insult to injury, these establishments, alongside The Sports Bra and Potato Champion, have had to resort to crowdfunding platforms like GoFundMe in desperate bids to support staff suffering from wage loss. Meanwhile, Dana Frank, owner of Bar Norman, expressed frustration with the city's lack of infrastructure to handle such weather, criticizing, "We can’t be a major metro that completely closes down because the city has no way of dealing with weather."
The Independent Restaurant Alliance of Oregon has mounted a coordinated plea for aid, writing a letter to Governor Tina Kotek and other city and state officials calling for a 90-day suspension of payroll taxes for small food businesses and a moratorium on commercial evictions. The needs are stark: the IRAO's recent survey found that over half of the Portland restaurant owners are staring down the possibility of permanent closure without swift governmental intervention, as reported by Eater Portland.
It's not just the immediate loss of revenue that's crippling; the storm has shone a harsh spotlight on the city's lack of preparedness for severe weather conditions. The IRAO has appealed for more deicer, salt trucks and plows for essential road maintenance. Just last October, the Oregon Department of Transportation projected a $720 million deficit by 2027, even as it received a $19 million boost for winter equipment. The agencies' efforts were stifled during the storm, with ODOT recommending that drivers stay off the treacherous roads for several days. With the fragility of the urban canopy leading to widespread power outages, and the resultant spoiled inventory devastating local eateries, calls for better infrastructure investment resonate throughout the industry. "It is long past time for city and state leaders to acknowledge that extreme weather events are not an anomaly", per the letter acquired by Eater Portland.
As local authorities ponder potential remedies, Portland's culinary scene remains in limbo – the scent of uncertainty hanging as thick in the air as the aroma of vegan nachos once did in the now-sodden kitchen of Vegan Junk Food. Mayor Ted Wheeler's office has offered a glimmer of hope, planning to meet with the IRA to discuss potential support, as per an official statement. In the interim, Portlanders watch and wait, hoping the beloved gastronomic tapestry of their city won't dissolve like a sugar cube in the relentless downpour of this relentless winter.
