More Iconic Portland Restaurants to Close?
A ThePortlander Exclusive
Last week ThePortlander reported that Restaurants Unlimited (RUI), the parent company of popular local restaurants such as Stanford’s and Portland City Grill, would be closing 3 stores. Today ThePortlander has learned that RUI may be planning to close 4 more Portland area locations.
A source has shown ThePortlander confidential for-lease documents on 3 local Newport Bay restaurants and Portland’s only Billy Heartbeats. All show these locations as available for-lease and offering “turn-key” restaurants to whomever takes over the space. None of these restaurants were included in last week’s list of closures and if they happen would mean that RUI is closing 7 locations in the Portland area.
The restaurants that may be closing next, according to real estate documents obtained by ThePortlander, are:
- Washington Square Newport Bay (now a Newport Seafood Grill)
- Riverplace Newport Bay (on the Willamette River in downtown)
- Vancouver Newport Bay (off of SR-500)
- Billy Heartbeats (in the Lloyd district)
The closure of these restaurants will likely mean hundreds of newly unemployed Portlanders. RUI was contacted for comment but did not respond to ThePortlander by the time of this writing.
Newport Bay and Billy Heartbeats were both part of Pacific Coast Restaurants, a locally owned company that was sold to RUI in 2007. Pacific Coast Restaurants started some of Portland’s most popular eateries that also included Manzana, Portland Steak & Chop House and Stanford’s. The Washington Square Newport Bay was the very first restaurant owned by Pacific Coast. Company founders took over a struggling restaurant in the mall and turned it around before opening more than two dozen restaurants in the Northwest.
They should have never changed their menu's. They had a great thing when they purchased PCR but lost a lot of business when they changed their steaks and fish. I feel sorry for the previous owner. I'm sure this is not what he wanted to see.
An old PCR customer.
Don't believe everything you read on the internet.
Why would anyone give any creedence to a chuckle-head who writes articles under the byline "Staff Writer"? This joker has his facts wrong, and it's unfortunate that the poor employees of these restaurants have to be subjected to some dimwit's exaggeration of what is really going on. How would he/she like it if someone posted that the Portlander was about to go out of business? Just another example of what's wrong with our electronic "Journalists"… No apparent desire to check facts. – Where is the evidence that this genious contacted the company for it's comments? – Not even an "RUI was contacted, but refused to comment." Lazy & irresponsible.
This story was a team effort by ThePortlander and that is why it was posted under "Staff Writer."
Additionally, the second to last paragraph ends with "RUI was contacted for comment but did not respond to ThePortlander by the time of this writing." It might help if you read the story, in its entirety and without bias before you leave an angry (and anonymous) comment.
Why would anyone give any creedence to a chuckle-head who writes comments under the byline "Nunya Bizness"?
The proof is on the website that posted them for sub-lease. I've seen them for myself and I'm sure our friend "Nunya" works for the company and has also seen the postings. RUI is scrambling to get this quiet and telling the employees that everything is alright. When a lot of people can see what's going on.
From the Portland Business Journal on September 11th, 2009:
"…More closures are inevitable. The most recent round comes courtesy of Restaurants Unlimited Inc. The Seattle-based operator is in the process of closing four Portland restaurants, including two at RiverPlace, on the banks of the Willamette River" (” target=”_blank”>http://portland.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/…
Still think the author if this story was wrong, Nunya?
Sun Capital, in July of 2008, paid an estimated $44 million to acquire a thriving local restaurant business. They made no effort to retain the services of the local men and women who had made the business successful. Instead, Sun turned the management of the company over to RUI, who Sun had previously raised from the ashes of financial ruin. RUI immediately replaced the Pacific Coast Restaurant's vendors, changed the menus, fired all the managers and chefs, and replaced several successful Pacific Coast concepts with RUI concepts that were not so successful. Twelve months later RUI struggles to regain lost customers with a half-baked promotional campaign of discount coupons and flights of "We Heard You"- "Your Favorite Items are Back" radio commercials. They dont understand that the missing ingredient is people. Not just customers, but the people that supplied the restaurants, the chefs that created the menu offerings, and the people that served the customers, managed the restaurants and created the dining experience night, after night, after night. That's what is missing, that's something they can't bring back and that's why the restaurants are closing.
We will expect a full apology from ThePortlander in good time for irresponsible reporting.
Your kidding right !?! The Portland Business Journal just posted on their site that they have confirmed 2 of the businesses are in fact closing. Get YOUR facts straight before demanding an apology . Are you demanding an apology of other news sites ?
Who is "we"?
I WORK A THE NEWPORT SEAFOOD GRILL AT RIVERPLACE AND I NEED TO KNOW:
ARE WE CLOSING ANYTIME SOON AND IF SO, WILL I GET A NEW JOB FROM THE NEW OWNERS OF THE RESTAURANT?????
A CURRENT (sEPT. 14TH, 2009) EMPLOYEE!!!!!
Why don't you ask your manager about why they have listed their restaurant as being for lease? Sorry to be the one to tell you the bad news. The managers need to be more upfront and honest with them employees.
Why don't reporters just report FACTS and not speculate about POTENTIAL closings? A professional article would state….'Palomino's and Stanford's at Riverplace have closed. RUI leaves open the possibility of more closures.' Not difficult, still accurate.
Open,
the article does say that "The restaurants that May be closing next" the keywords in the article are MAY BE CLOSING not WILL BE CLOSING. You have to read the article first before spouting off about inaccuracies
LIKE I SAID….WHY THE SPECULATION? And also look at the line immediately following 'The closure of these restaurants will likely mean hundreds….'
As a former restaurant GM for many years, I would remind you that closing a business is often a difficult (& painful) decision for most involved & impacted by it. It is often neither possible, nor wise from a financial standpoint, to open the possibility of furthering liabilities by announcing possible closing dates very far in advance. Ask your Chef's or Kitchen mgrs what terms you are on with vendors. If net 30 has dropped to net 10 & then C.O.D., your ship has been taking on water. For some, it can be one of the best things that will happen..if you make it so.