Thoughts On the Big's Chicken Fire in Portland

This afternoon I heard the news of the Big’s Chicken fire, and my heart sank. I’ve been meaning to stop by, telling myself, “Oh, I’ll get around to it soon.” Obviously I’ll have to wait to try their food, but my slight inconvenience is nothing compared to what Ben Dyer, co-owner of Big’s, is forced to deal with.

He told The Oregonian that they’ll be “closed for months.” That’s got to be hard to face. He also said that “everything above Big’s is a total loss.” That means 14 people from six apartment buildings are now homeless. What a heartbreak.

Everyone is OK, thank goodness—Willamette Week reports that two people were rescued by firefighters on ladders, and another jumped out a window. I saw the footage of the jump on KGW’s site; KATU reports, “The Red Cross is providing temporary housing, food, clothing, comfort kits, and other items to those people impacted by the fire.”

In light of this fire at Big’s, I’m reminded of two other restaurant fires that happened in the past year—Reo’s Ribs in May and Pie Spot + Tails & Trotters in February. I’m very sorry that all these restaurants have suffered from fires; I am glad to know Reo plans to rebuild and Pie Spot + Tails & Trotters are now open via food cart.

I hope the rebuilding process for Big’s is swift and easy. And I’ll be there for the chicken and jojos when they reopen.

Big’s Chicken
5663 NE Glisan Street, Portland
bigschicken.com | Instagram | Facebook

Updated October 22, 2024.