The chain of Shari's Cafe & Pies, a longstanding staple for family dining in Oregon, has closed its doors forever. According to reporting by OregonLive, establishments in Beaverton, Gresham, Hillsboro, Oregon City, and Portland shuttered on Sunday, marking the end of the chain's presence in Oregon.
Closures elsewhere in Oregon had been trickling over the past several weeks, gradually ending a dynasty founded in Hermiston in 1978. While the lights remained on and tables set as though prepared for diners to return, an eerie quiet settled over the once-bustling restaurants. The KOIN 6 News discovered through visits to six former 17 locations that all were firmly closed, leaving behind stocked fridges and locked doors.
Employees were caught off-guard by this abrupt operational halt. Tiffany Johnson, a general manager at the Farmington location with six years of tenure, was notified of the closure via text. "I get there's issues that you can't fix. I get that. But giving us some sort of notice, or at least informing the employees, would be awesome," Johnson said, as per KOIN 6 News. The sentiment echoed among workers was disappointment over the lack of communication from the company's leadership.
Shari's was known for its 24/7 service model, serving more than 48,000 eggs and 50,000 slices of bread annually. Headquartered in Beaverton, Shari's once boasted 95 locations across the western United States. This closure not only signifies an end to a local legacy but also brings about a wave of unemployment for the many individuals who kept the restaurants running. Mike Wells, the Oregon Lottery director, expressed his melancholy in witnessing such an established entity fall in a message to staff. He noted the "sadness of seeing such a longstanding company like Shari's shut down," as reported by OPB. Yet, as of yesterday afternoon, attempts to garner comments from Gather Holdings, Shari’s parent company, have remained fruitless.
