Sizzle Pie is closing its spot next to the Hollywood Theatre after Saturday, October 17, leaving the once-sprawling Portland pizza chain with just two locations standing. The closure ends Sizzle Pie's run as the operator of The Pie Hole, the pizza vendor window tucked alongside the lobby of the historic Northeast Portland theater, and it marks the latest contraction for a brand that once had about half a dozen locations spread across Portland and Beaverton.
The Hollywood Theatre, which serves as landlord for the space, confirmed the departure plainly: “Sizzle Pie has ended their tenancy with us,” the theater told Bridgetown Bites. The theater says it has already chosen a successor to take over pizza duty at The Pie Hole but has not yet announced who that will be, and in the meantime the window may be open only sporadically, with Bridgetown Bites reporting it could be unexpectedly closed at points during the transition. That leaves Sizzle Pie with its downtown restaurant at 949 SW Oak St., located on the same block as Quality Bar, and its slice shop inside Portland International Airport, according to Willamette Week.
A Brand That Once Spanned the Country
Sizzle Pie built its name as a late-night, vegan-friendly pizza destination after founders Matt Jacobson and Mikey McKennedy opened the original shop at 634 E. Burnside St. in 2011, per The Oregonian. The chain expanded fast, opening a second West Burnside location in 2012 before pushing outward to New York, Seattle, Reno and Eugene. Every one of those out-of-town outposts has since closed, the paper notes, leaving the Portland area as the only place Sizzle Pie still operates.
The Hollywood Theatre closure follows the shutdown of Sizzle Pie's original East Burnside Street pizzeria, which came down on Feb. 23, 2025 — 45 days after workers at that Central Eastside shop voted unanimously to unionize with Restaurant Workers United on Jan. 9, the same Oregonian report states. Ava Brenneke, marketing manager for Sustainable Restaurant Group, a part of Sizzle Pie owner SoHi Brands, told the outlet the timing was coincidental, saying the pizzeria wasn't closing due to the union efforts but rather an inability to reach a lease agreement with the landlord.
Ownership Under Financial Pressure
Sizzle Pie is owned by SoHi Brands, formerly known as Sortis Holdings, a company whose portfolio also includes Rudy's Barbershop, See See Motor Coffee Co., Bamboo Sushi, Ava Gene's and Submarine Hospitality. The company has weathered its share of financial turbulence: as OPB reported, landlords filed lawsuits over unpaid rent at multiple locations, including a newly opened Sizzle Pie and Rudy's in Beaverton, by the summer of 2022. The Oregonian reported in February 2025 that Sortis Holdings later reached a tentative settlement with four creditors to avoid a bankruptcy that could have forced it to liquidate.
The Oregonian's reporting also details other financial strain on the brand: Sizzle Pie received two federal loans totaling $3.7 million in 2020 and 2021, both of which were forgiven by July 2022, and a Sizzle Pie subsidiary was ordered to pay more than $28,000 in a default judgment after a landlord at 5440 N.E. 33rd Ave. sued over an alleged breach of contract. SoHi Brands did not respond to multiple phone and email requests for comment on the Hollywood Theatre closure, Willamette Week reported.
Part of a Broader Wave of Portland Closures
Sizzle Pie's retreat lands amid a string of Portland restaurant and bar closures this fall. Several establishments are shutting down citing tariffs, rising costs, COVID-19 fallout and retirement, according to OregonLive. Oakshire announced it is closing its Eugene, Springfield and Portland taprooms, with owners pointing to increasing costs, competition and the lasting fallout of the pandemic.
Other recent Portland pizza closures include Vincenzo's Pizza in Rose City Park, which served its final pies on Sept. 26 after four years in business, as reported by the Portland Tribune. Pearl District pizzeria and cocktail bar Oven and Shaker also plans to close after service on Oct. 30, ending a run of nearly 15 years. Also closing on the same date as Sizzle Pie's Hollywood location, Oct. 17, are a wood-fired Italian steakhouse led by former Top Chef contestant Gabriel Pascuzzi and Southeast Portland bistro OK Omens, both cited by OregonLive.
