PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — One of downtown Portland’s iconic establishments will close for good this weekend after nearly 30 years.
The Roxy, which has served hungry diners while “Keeping Portland Weird” since opening in 1994, will shut its doors after a 5 p.m. closing time Sunday. The diner made the announcement in a Facebook post on Wednesday citing lost revenue, complications from the pandemic, staffing issues and action taken by the city.
“We survived Covid, but we can’t survive the City of Portland,” owner Suzanne Hale said in a parallel announcement on the Roxy’s website titled, “Goodbye Friends.”
Hale said the restaurant lost almost a half-year of income after a fire above the restaurant caused water damage and ultimately closed their doors for too long to overcome the subsequent financial hardship.
“We lost that revenue, yet still had to pay rent, and the repairs were astronomical,” the website reads. “We finally reopened at the end of June, and a few months later, the City informed us that they were going to rehab the building and we were permanently evicted.”
According to Hale, The Roxy has received “zero help” from the City of Portland.
“We’ve just been losing money since the pandemic, and the eviction by the City of Portland didn’t help,” a post from the restaurant on Facebook reads. “Staffing is hard enough these days, (for everyone) but with the building rehab looming, it’s nearly impossible.”
Hale described any effort to continue operations as “just not sustainable” due to the ongoing economic effects of the pandemic and “impossible staffing issues.”
“For those of you who have suggested help, (I appreciate that enormously) it would only be a temporary stopgap. Between Covid and the City eviction, it’s just not sustainable. The city is broken, and there isn’t a graveyard market anymore,” Hale said in a comment on the post.
Despite the hardships and “inevitable” closing, Hale said they’re grateful to all the staff and customers.
Hale said they’ve been “hammered with business” since announcing their closure. Several former staff also volunteered to work this final weekend.
“My hope is that all the people that hugged me today and said how much The Roxy meant to them, my hope is that they will take those feelings and pay them forward,” she told KOIN 6 News.
“Honestly, I’m overwhelmed by the beauty and kindness of your souls,” the Facebook post reads. “While I can’t help feeling like I’m letting everyone down, I’m also proud of our 27 years, and all the customers, friends and current and past staff who made us what we are. This has been inevitable for a while, and I tried as long as I could.”
“I’m grateful for the years we had, and I love those who are working to the bitter end. Hope I get a chance to see you between now and Sunday to say goodbye. I’ll miss you. I’m so very sorry.”