To keep the outdoor patio that has become part of its identity, Flying Fish Co. in East Portland must tear into it and rebuild it as a permanent structure that satisfies city code, at an estimated cost of $150,000. The business began as a food truck in 2010 and has been at its East Burnside location since 2020. Its owner is now asking the public to help cover roughly half that bill through a crowdfunding campaign while the patio faces a temporary closure this November for renovations.
The trouble traces back to a code-violation complaint concerning the patio and a fire marshal's response in fall 2025, according to KGW.
Flying Fish's patio project also faces neighborhood design requirements. The station's report notes the proposed patio measures more than 900 square feet, which means it does not qualify for an exemption from design review. The current design also fails several objective standards, including minimum window-area requirements along street-facing facades.
A $150,000 Price Tag and a Six-Figure Fundraiser
Rather than fight the requirement, owner Lyf Gildersleeve is moving to comply. Gildersleeve can apply for design review and a modification of design standards.
Gildersleeve estimates the full project at more than $150,000. As reported by the Portland Business Journal, the owner is raising money to help cover that six-figure cost, and the campaign's minimum goal is $50,000. The campaign also allocates 15% of proceeds to support staff while the patio is closed.
This isn't the first time Gildersleeve has invested in the space. The restaurant already spent $20,000 on its covered patio and treated its cedar walls, according to KGW's reporting.
Owner Questions Whether the Overhaul Changes Anything
Gildersleeve has said priorities remain focused on staff, including employee health care and a 401(k) match, even as the patio bill looms.
Gildersleeve summed up the broader frustration by saying Portland remains a difficult place to do business, a sentiment that echoes the years-long shift in how the city treats outdoor dining setups born during the pandemic. According to reporting from KPTV, the Portland Bureau of Transportation had already proposed swapping the old temporary Healthy Business Permit for a permanent Outdoor Dining Program, a change that came with higher fees. PBOT noted at the time that businesses were often spending $10,000 to $20,000 or more on larger outdoor-dining installations and said it wanted clearer permanent rules and safety guidance to match.
Those fee increases were significant on paper: a 40-linear-foot sidewalk cafe permit that cost $360 in 2024 was set to jump to a $710 renewal fee or a $1,160 fee for new applicants in 2025, per KPTV's report. A covered Street Seats setup taking up two parking spaces climbed from $2,000 to a $2,350 renewal fee, or $3,100 for first-time applicants that year. Separately, the Portland Bureau of Transportation has noted that requesting an exception to its Outdoor Dining Program Design Guidelines adds a $150 fee to an application.
KGW reported that Steve Novick and Angelita Morillo did not respond to requests for comment, and that Koyama-Lane declined to comment. For now, Flying Fish is left to navigate the design-review process it triggered on Sept. 15 while asking East Portland regulars to help foot a bill the owner says won't make the patio any safer or more profitable, just legal.
