EXCLUSIVE
Portland’s hard-won identity as a food city is here to stay
An abundance of local food, eager diners and ambitious chefs built the city's restaurant scene, and they're not going anywhere.
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Creativity and customer support, along with government aid, helped Portland restaurants stay in business at a higher rate than other parts of the country, but dozens have yet to reopen their doors and almost all have losses to recoup.
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A microcosm of the Portland food scene, the block of restaurants made bold decisions and banded together to stay in business.
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From farmers to printers, an array of suppliers that rely on Portland's booming food scene have had to rethink how they operate.
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After a year of double-digit declines in business that saw some restaurant workers leave for good, owners are having trouble finding summer staff, particularly for 'back of the house' jobs like sous chef and dishwasher.
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Becky's Diner is an example of the resilience of the Portland restaurant community, where so many establishments have struggled during the pandemic – but are hanging on.
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