FOOD & DRINK
and steadier rains move in. Restaurant and bar owners don’t know for sure whether patrons will want to bundle up for beers on a patio, yet many are taking measures to make those settings as cozy as possible, just in case they do. “We’ve all put massive amounts of work into our outdoor spaces. What do we do when it starts raining for six months?” says Hohl, who used the spring lockdown to spruce up an underused patch of dirt and grass next to his taphouse with potted flowers, Adirondack chairs and umbrella-topped picnic tables. His landlord even allowed him to cut a hole in the wall and install a serving window. Hohl is already thinking about winter and ways to keep utilizing the area—such as roofing in the patio and installing heaters—though he probably won’t rely on the yard alone. “We are looking at ways to actually reopen the taproom with social distancing guidelines,” he says, “at least get a few tables inside.” In Portland, Ezra Caraeff closed all his properties—the Old Gold, Paydirt, Tough Luck and the Hi-Top Tavern—out of concern for his employees’ health as soot and ash hung in the air. That loss in earnings means preparations for service in inclement weather have become even more important. “As far as winter goes, I’m hoping a combination of socially distant indoor seating and outdoor tents for people who want to RAISE THE ROOF: Bars like Century—seen here in 2016— drink with a jacket on will work,” he says. “I don’t know. Honestsurvived the summer by moving business outdoors, but ly, no one’s done this before. The one thing we keep finding as we Portland’s rainy months present a new challenge. go along here is that there’s no template for this.” There are three large, heavy-duty tents—“circus grade,” as Caraeff describes them—at three of the bars, and even though he knows not even those shelters can protect from the pinpricks of raindrops blown sideways during a typical December in Oregon, he’s pushing forward and elevating the outdoor venues where he can. Most recently, that meant scrambling to the roof at Old Gold to run power to some new string lighting. “We’re trying,” Caraeff says. “I think that’s kind of our motto right now. We can’t not do anything, but it’s such a slow death. It feels like we’re just getting to pick out our own coffin.” As if restaurant and bar owners needed another obstacle, one more challenge besides the weather awaits. The Portland Bureau of Transportation’s Healthy Business permits, which it rolled left in 2020. He estimates he lost $15,000 to $20,000 by suspendout in May to allow food and beverage operators to turn street ing service during the week Portland experienced dangerous air parking and alleyways into al fresco dining rooms, are set to quality. expire Nov. 1. So far, the agency has not announced an extension “This is the time of year where you try to pay off debts of the but may consider one. winter and maybe get a little bit ahead,” says Bowler. “It’s getting Eric Bowler received one of those permits to take over a to the point where the debt’s gotten bigger and we’re not paying portion of Southeast 10th Avenue near Sandy Boulevard, which any of them off. It’s dire.” gave him the opportunity to move all of Century outdoors. That’s The restaurant association says it’s difficult to gauge how much where he feels safest hosting game day parties and the enthusiof an effect the smoke-related shutastic shouting those events tend to downs will have on the industry, but inspire. If allowed to keep operatit’s a significant setback for businessing in the right of way, he’s consides already ravaged by the pandemic. ered winterizing the space. But he Of the approximately 10,000 food isn’t convinced it will be worth it. service establishments operating “I just don’t see how hospitable across Oregon, at least 1,000 have you can make a tent with heaters gone under since COVID-19 hit—and in terms of being able to cover that number is only expected to your rent and utilities and payroll grow. and insurance,” Bowler says. “The “When this is all said and done, math is really hard to make work.” my estimate is that we’ll see 30% to While the industry outlook 40% permanent closures,” Astley going into fall appears grim, there says. “I have seen a report that are reasons to remain hopeful. says it could be as high as 85% of “No. 1, restaurant operators are independent restaurants that will incredibly innovative and resilpermanently close their doors.” ient,” says Astley. “The other is, as Local restaurateurs are simiOregonians, we tend to do things larly pessimistic. According to an in the rain or we don’t do anything impact survey conducted by the at all. We’re more than willing to National Restaurant Association, have to endure a little weather 89% of Oregon restaurant operhardship in order to support our ators say their total dollar sales local restaurants, brewpubs and volume in August was lower than THE GREAT OUTDOORS: Oregon City’s Coin bars.” it was one year prior. Overall, sales Or, even endure a little smoke. Toss hopes to winterize its new patio. slid by 39% on average, while 62% Last Wednesday, after Portof businesses reported that total operational costs spiked due to landers had been trapped in their homes for a week to avoid supply-chain issues. breathing in the toxic air, Coin Toss’ owner had no shortage of The diminished occupancy, increased expenses and no signs customers who were eager to hang out on the patio, even though that Congress will pass another stimulus package before the end skies still looked—and smelled—like campfire smoke. of the year paint a bleak picture for bars and restaurants. “I think people want a little sense of normalcy and our regAnd now, winter is coming. ulars want to see each other,” Hohl says. “If it helps create some The week of post-Labor Day weekend closures may be somesense of normalcy, then by all means, we’re here.” thing of a preview of the coming months once temperatures fall THOMAS TEAL
FEATURE
Winter Is Coming
Portland restaurants have seen fire. Now, they’re preparing to see rain— and in an already difficult year, the results could be devastating. BY AN D I P R E W I T T
aprewitt@wweek.com
COIN TOSS
All Tim Hohl could do was keep refreshing his computer screen. As the founder of Coin Toss Brewing caught up on work at his Oregon City taproom on Sept. 10, he was simultaneously keeping track of the online Clackamas County wildfire map. Outside, smoke settled in like a thick fog and ash fell to the ground as if it were a light snow. The Riverside Fire had been creeping closer toward town, which was at Level 1: Get Ready evacuation status. Hohl updated the website again. The area that had been highlighted in green that morning was suddenly bright yellow. All of Oregon City, including the industrial park where the brewery is located, was now upgraded to Level 2. At that point, he knew it was time to pack the essentials and go. Two weeks later, Coin Toss is intact, the skies have cleared and customers are back in the beer garden. But between the heightened evacuation level and days of lingering haze that made outdoor drinking hazardous, Hohl still feels the sting of a week of business completely wiped out during a year when a pandemic had already eaten into profits. “It was probably going to be one of our busiest weekends of the year, because the weather is still nice,” Hohl says. “We put a lot of work into our outdoor seating area, and business has been steady until the fires hit. We had a food truck Friday, a food truck Saturday and a special event with a brunch food truck on Sunday that all got canceled.” Coin Toss is among the hundreds—if not thousands—of breweries, bars and restaurants that lost much-needed revenue in the waning days of summer following a series of devastating wildfires that have burned nearly 1 million acres to date. Although no one in Portland was forced to make a dramatic escape, the smokechoked skies forced people to shelter inside, shutting down the outdoor oases many eateries expanded or enhanced to lure guests wary of eating inside. “So many of the restaurants that were previously closed and then could only reopen at reduced capacity found some success with outdoor dining during the summer months,” says Greg Astley, the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association’s director of government affairs. “But, of course, with the smoke being as bad as it is, it’s been a devastating blow.” The timing could not have been worse. Business owners like Eric Bowler, who operates Southeast Portland sports bar Century, along with the Tube nightclub which has been closed since March, have tried to take advantage of every day of good weather
Willamette Week SEPTEMBER 23, 2020 wweek.com
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