Portland's popular Bamboo Sushi spots hit a snag over the weekend, with two locations shutting doors due to a company-wide payroll glitch. The error delayed payment for numerous employees, prompting a notable number to bail on their shifts, sparking temporary closures. According to The Oregonian/OregonLive, Sortis Holdings, Bamboo Sushi's parent company, has been financially limping recently, though remaining optimistic about future prospects.
Replacing the void left by missing employees, both locations, one in Southeast and another in Northwest Portland, posted apologies to patrons for the inconvenience. The Southeast joint missed its Friday dinner service, bouncing back Saturday, while the Northwest outpost locked up during Sunday's lunch rush, leaving the dinner service's fate in the air. Notably, the financial squeeze did not extend to other Sortis brands, such as Sizzle Pie or Rudy's Barbershop, per details from a BNN Breaking News report.
Sortis Holdings, sensing the urgency, announced cash advances to their employee base, struggling with the payment delay. Adam Shearer, a spokesperson for the company, said Bamboo Sushi "proactively alerted" employees about the payroll hiccup caused by a third-party processor, as told by The Oregonian/OregonLive. Shearer assured that those usually paid by check remained unaffected.
Pathing its way through financial troubles, Sortis had previously reported a strategic refinement of its operations. "We are refocusing our energy and resources on our core brands including Bamboo Sushi, Sizzle Pie, and Rudy's Barbershops," the company had expressed in November, aiming to secure its position in the competitive Northwest market. In the backdrop of these operational challenges, Sortis’ Executive Chairman Paul Brenneke, in a previous interview with the Portland Business Journal, imparted a hopeful tone — "We've got great brands and great people," he asserted, "We plan on surviving and thriving."
