One of downtown Portland’s most storied dining rooms is officially on the market. Greg Higgins, the James Beard-winning chef whose namesake restaurant has anchored the city center for more than 30 years, says he plans to sell Higgins and retire.
The 68-year-old chef told a reporter this week that after decades on the line, he is ready to step back, but only if he can find a buyer who respects the restaurant’s identity. The decision signals a major turning point for a landmark farm-to-table spot that helped define how Portland eats.
“This puzzle is mostly complete. It just needs a little maintenance,” Higgins said in an interview, adding that he hopes a future buyer will keep him on during a transition to smooth the handoff. As reported by The Oregonian/OregonLive, he plans to put the business up for sale rather than shut it down outright, a move he sees as the best way to preserve the restaurant’s work and recipes while bringing in new energy.
Higgins Helped Define Portland’s Farm-To-Table Era
Higgins opened his downtown restaurant in 1994 and quickly became a leading voice for sourcing from regional farms and producers. In 2002 he earned the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Northwest, cementing both his reputation and the restaurant’s place in the local dining landscape.
The restaurant’s history and ongoing focus on local ingredients are widely documented, and city guides routinely place Higgins in the heart of Portland’s culinary canon. For more on the chef’s awards and the restaurant’s role in town, see Travel Portland.
Loss That Reshaped Plans
Co-owner Paul Mallory died in November 2025. Family, staff and local outlets described him as “the quiet force behind so much of what made Higgins what it is.” Mallory’s passing came during a period of tight finances for the business, a combination that changed the burdens and decisions facing the restaurant’s leadership.
That context helps explain why Higgins is now looking for a steward rather than trying to push through another long season alone. The task ahead is not just about keeping a kitchen running, but about carrying forward a three-decade collaboration between chef, staff and farms.
Portlanders Briefly Rallied To Keep It Afloat
Before the sale decision, Higgins had already gone public about financial strain, asking the community for support when business slowed. The plea worked, at least in the short term. The restaurant saw a sharp rise in reservations that helped keep the doors open, according to OPB.
The surge showed just how much longtime customers value the place. But owners said the broader headwinds facing downtown, including high office vacancy and reduced tourism, made long-term operations uncertain even with a dining room full of loyal regulars.
Who Will Take Over, And Who Is Running Things Now
Higgins told The Oregonian/OregonLive that he hopes to find a buyer who will preserve the restaurant’s farm-forward identity and that he is willing to stay involved to guide a transition.
For now, the existing leadership team is keeping service steady. Manager Dylan Schmitt, wine buyer Josh Austin and chef de cuisine Patrick Strong remain on the floor and in the kitchen while owners consider offers. Strong’s role has previously been highlighted in coverage of the restaurant’s anniversary collaborations, including features at Brewpublic.
There is no public timetable for a sale, and Higgins says he is taking a cautious approach to finding a buyer who will honor the restaurant’s recipes and long-standing relationships with local farms. For now, the dining room remains open, regulars are already trading stories about what the next chapter might look like, and owners say they will share formal sale information and updates through the restaurant’s usual channels as talks move forward.
