‘We’re not going anywhere:’ Portland businesses committed to staying downtown

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Even though the past two years have been hard on downtown Portland, longstanding family-owned businesses say they’re here to stay.

Companies like Mario’s have been downtown for a half-century, and recently, the clothing store announced that they’re committed to staying in Portland for at least another decade.

“I just had my 30th anniversary and there was quite a few associates that have also been here almost as long,” said Summer Jameson, a manager at Mario’s.

The 10-year lease at Mario’s is just one of several signs that brings a new sense of hope to what downtown Portland can be, and according to the CEO of a Portland property management company, seeing small businesses making commitments to downtown sheds light on the potential for the city.

“Part of being successful at Mario’s is being in downtown Portland, and they are totally committed to it. Mario works as hard as he can to help ensure that the city is healthy. And part of that is making sure he commits to downtown for the long term,” said Vanessa Sturgeon, CEO of TMT Development.

Mario’s isn’t the only family-owned business that tells us KOIN 6 that they plan to stay in downtown Portland for the long haul. Other local favorites, who’ve been around for over a century, explain why they believe in this city’s future too.

Flowers Tommy Luke has been making bouquets in Portland since 1907. Louella Scott, who has owned the store for the past 15 years, says that even though the shop has had multiple opportunities to move, she doesn’t want to leave downtown.

“It’s always been my position that Flowers Tommy Luke is a downtown business,” Scott said. “Our heart is in the city and that’s where we need to be.”

Other family-owned businesses, such as Rich’s Cigar Store– which opened back in the late 1800s — say they’ve had to adapt through the pandemic and protests, but plan to be downtown for years to come.

Collectively, they say they’ll stick together for their faithful patrons in Portland.

“We are here. We’re committed. We’re not going anywhere,” Scott said.