Grounded Table and The Pub, the two downtown McMinnville dining spots run by Carlton-based hospitality company The Ground, are closing permanently. The company says the restaurant and pub will suspend operations on Friday, November 20, according to the closure reported as occurring on that date.
As reported by Eater Portland, The Ground made the announcement itself, and the decision comes down to the individual businesses’ profitability. Grounded Table opened under the name Humble Spirit in the summer of 2022 and serves as The Ground’s dining arm on Third Street, showcasing meat and produce grown on the company’s own farm. The Pub, which shares a kitchen with Grounded Table, opened in April 2025 and serves a counter-service menu centered on pasture-raised barbecue and side dishes.
A Farm-Driven Menu Built Around Tabula Rasa
The Ground was founded by Brenda Smola-Foti and Frank Foti at Tabula Rasa Farms in Carlton, a 550-acre operation that raises cattle, pigs and other livestock using regenerative agricultural methods. Per Elephants Delicatessen, that same farm produces grass-fed, grass-finished beef, heritage pork, pasture-raised eggs and more than 200 varieties of organically certified vegetables that have long stocked Grounded Table’s kitchen.
Chef Sarah Schafer and Brett Uniss have presented food at Grounded Table for four years, and Schafer was named a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific in 2025. Both will remain employed at The Ground and will provide input on the company’s culinary projects going forward, even as the restaurant and pub they helped build close their doors.
What Happens to the Storefronts
The Ground plans to keep both McMinnville storefronts rather than vacate them, repurposing the spaces as private event venues for ticketed dinners and events. The company has grown well beyond a single restaurant in recent years, now comprising Inn The Ground, two vacation rentals, a pizzeria, The Ground Market and the Stillwater events space, alongside catering and wellness retreats. A 2025 profile from Portland Monthly described the operation as employing 120 staffers across more than 450 acres in Yamhill County.
The Ground's Portland Ambitions
The McMinnville closures land alongside a much bigger move: The Ground has signed a definitive agreement with shareholder Henry Hillman to acquire a majority stake in Elephants Delicatessen, the 46-year-old Portland cafe and catering company, though the deal has not yet closed. Frank Foti, the company’s co-founder and a former CEO of Vigor Industrial, is expected to become Elephants Delicatessen’s new CEO once the transaction closes, with Martin McClanan remaining as president.
Elephants currently operates six locations across the Portland metro area, not counting its former longtime flagship, which was significantly damaged by a fire in March. According to the company’s own announcement, it plans a new Northwest Portland location in the Uptown Shopping Center for 2027 — though the timing has been described two ways: Elephants’ own release points to early 2027, while oregonlive.com reports the roughly 4,700-square-foot restaurant is expected to open in spring 2027. The Ground has sought to enter the Portland market for more than three years.
Foti Says the Two Moves Aren’t Connected
Foti has said the McMinnville closures are not directly tied to the Elephants project, framing the restaurant-and-pub model in its current form as one that has not proven financially sustainable. He has also said The Ground and Elephants complement each other, creating opportunities to grow, reach more customers and expand offerings. The McMinnville closures arrive the same week several other Portland-area restaurants and bars were reported as closing this fall, with oregonlive.com’s dining coverage citing tariffs, rising costs, COVID-19 fallout and retirement among the factors cited industry-wide.
