LISTEN TO THIS, ASHLEY.
GOING THE OTHER WAY.
OREGON’S GOVERNOR, KATIE
BROWN, IS IT SHUTTING
DOWN INDOOR DINING FOR
RESTAURANTS AND BARS
AGAIN PICK THE ORDER
WILL AFFECT 15 COUNTIES
INCLUDING PORTLAND.
A PORTLAND RESTAURANT
OWNER KURT HOFFMAN JOINS
US NOW.
KURT, WITH THE RIOTS IN
THESE NEW CLOSURES, HOW
BAD IS IT FOR YOU GUYS?
>> WELL, WE ARE EASILY
THE WORST MARKET IN THE
COUNTRY TO OPERATE A
RESTAURANT, SO THERE IS
KIND OF A TRIPLE THREAT
WE ARE DEALING WITH,
COVID, EVERY CITY IS
DEALING WITH THAT.
THEN WE HAVE A HUGE
HOMELESS PROBLEM IN
PORTLAND THAT WE HAVE
BEEN STRUGGLING WITH FOR
YEARS AND THEN THE
PROTESTS ALTHOUGH, DAY
TO DAY YOU DON’T REALLY
SEE OR HEAR THEM.
YOU READ ABOUT THEM IN
THE MORNING AND IT IS
ONE OF THOSE HEAD
SLAVERS IN YOUR LIKE
GOD, WHY ARE THEY
ATTACKING THE BOYS AND
GIRLS CLUB, BUT WHEN
IT’S DONE IS DEVASTATED
THE IMAGE IN THE
REPUTATION OF PORTLAND
AND AS A RESULT THAT’S
THE THIRD OF OUR DINING
POPULATION IN DOWNTOWN
PORTLAND IS TOURISTS, SO
WHEN IT KILLS THAT IT
REALLY HURTS US.
STUART: HAVE YOU CONSIDERED I
MEAN SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED
LEAVING?
>> NOW-- NO, THIS IS MY
HOMETOWN AND I’M
COMMITTED.
IN THE NEXT AS SEVEN
PROJECTS WE ARE OPENING
ARE NOT IN PORTLAND.
THEY WILL BE IN
SURROUNDING AREAS JUST
BECAUSE THEY DON’T HAVE
SHUTTERED BUSINESSES.
THEY DON’T HAVE PLYWOOD
ON THE WINDOWS.
THEY DON’T HAVE THE
HOMELESS PROBLEM SO WE
WILL BE FOCUSING OUR
GROWTH EFFORTS ELSEWHERE
, BUT THIS IS
WHERE I’M FROM, SO I’M
LOYAL TO THE CAUSE IT’S
JUST THAT SUPER
FRUSTRATING BECAUSE IT’S
SUCH AN AWESOME TOWN AND
RIGHT NOW REPUTATION
ONLY, IT’S JUST
EMBARRASSING.
STUART: HAS THE CITY OR THE FEDS
OR THE STATE GIVEN YOU ENOUGH
MONEY TO KEEP GOING, THOSE
RESTAURANTS IN PORTLAND?
>> WELL, TODAY IS THE
APPLICATION START TIME
FOR THE RESTAURANT
REVITALIZATION FUND SO
THAT’S ANOTHER
$28 BILLION THE FEDS ARE
GIVING OUT.
THE STATE DOESN’T REALLY
HAVE DEEP POCKETS TO
MAKE AN IMPACT.
THEY HAVE ALLOCATED
PROBABLY 30 OR
$40 MILLION IN TOTAL FOR
AN INDUSTRY THAT’S BEEN
DEVASTATED LIKE OURS
THAT’S A DROP IN THE
BUCKET, BUT THE
COMBINATION OF PPP,
LOANS AND THESE GRANT
MONIES, WE ARE SURVIVING
, BUT ONE OF
THE BIGGER GROUPS OUT
HERE AND SO I REALLY
WORRY ABOUT THE SMALLER
INDEPENDENT THAT JUST
DON’T HAVE THE RESOURCES
TO SURVIVE.
STUART: SO, YOU OPERATE SEVERAL
RESTAURANTS.
HAVE YOU HAD TO CLOSE
ANY OF THEM PERMANENTLY?
>> YES, TWO OF THEM WE
HAD TO, YEAH.
STUART: WILL NEVER REOPEN NO
MATTER WHAT, THEY ARE DONE?
>> CORRECT.
WE ACTUALLY FARED BETTER
I THINK THAN ANYONE IN
THIS TOWN, SO THE
CLOSURE RATES HERE ARE
AMAZING.
ANYONE THAT HAS MOVED
AWAY FROM PORTLAND WHEN
THEY LOOK BACK THEY JUST
DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY THE
DEVASTATION IS SO
POIGNANT HERE WHEREAS
IT’S REALLY NOT AS BAD
IN OTHER MARKETS.
THAT’S JUST BECAUSE
AGAIN THIS TRIPLE THREAT
WE ARE DEALING WITH,
WHICH HAS TO DO WITH A
LOT OF OUR INABILITY TO
KIND OF BRING OUR
POLITICS AND OUR
ASPIRATIONS TO TERMS
WITH MANAGEMENT ISSUES
LIKE HOMELESSNESS AND
RIOTS, SO WE ARE JUST AS
STYMIED HERE UNABLE TO
KIND OF LIVE UP TO THE
MOMENT.
STUART: DO YOU THINK THERE WILL
BE A CHANGE IN POLITICAL
LEADERSHIP IN OREGON PORTLAND?
>> I CAN TELL YOU THIS
HAS MOVED IN THE NEEDLE
MORE TOWARDS KIND OF
CONSERVATIVE
INCLINATIONS THAN ANY
TIME I CAN REMEMBER.
PEOPLE ARE FED UP.
PEOPLE ARE FED UP WITH
THESE KNUCKLEHEADS
BREAKING THINGS EACH
NIGHT WITH NO
JUSTIFIABLE REASON.
PEOPLE ARE FED UP WITH
HOMELESSNESS.
I THINK THERE’S A
SENTIMENT THAT I HAVE
NOT FELT MY ENTIRE LIFE
AND I’VE LIVED HERE MY
ENTIRE LIFE, JUST SAYING
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH LIKE WE
HAVE TO CLEAN UP THE
STREETS.
WE HAVE TO CONDUCT
OURSELVES WITH A LITTLE
BIT MORE DIGNITY DAY
TODAY AND SO I DO
BELIEVE IT WILL BE
MARGINAL.
THIS IS STILL PORTLAND,
OREGON, BUT I THINK
THERE WILL BE A TINY
CHANGES.
STUART: WELL SAID, KURT HOFFMAN
FROM PORTLAND, OREGON.