Summary: Portland Restaurant Openings and Closings, 2024

Over the years, Bridgetown Bites has published numerous stories about Portland restaurant openings and closings. But what’s different about this year, is that I kept a simple list of those we covered, in reverse-chronological order. I thought it would be fun to look back on that list, and make a few observations.

Some Terminology

First, when I say “restaurants,” that includes a variety of eating and drinking establishments: restaurants, bars, cafes, food carts and their pods. And when I say “Portland,” it means the metro area, including Milwaukie, Gresham, Troutdale, Beaverton, Hillsboro, and Vancouver WA.

“Openings” can mean re-openings in a new location or after a hiatus. “Closings” means the end of a restaurant’s run but it also might mean the beginning of a hiatus until they figure out what is next.

Additionally, I did not write about every single opening and closing in the metro area … but bringing attention to over 180 establishments isn’t too shabby.

The List, and a Map

Here is the list of Portland restaurant openings and closings in 2024. As of the writing of this article, I covered 94 openings and 61 closings during 2024. The list also contains 19 projected openings for 2025. Not to mention 11 I am keeping “on watch” until I learn more.

Here is a map of the openings and closings I covered in 2024. Blue markers are openings, red are closings, and yellow are places I wished I had covered.

As you can see, our coverage is mostly on the east side, within the boundaries of Killingsworth to the north, Powell Blvd to the south, I-205 to the east, and the Willamette River to the west. Outside of that, there’s a little bit of concentrated coverage of NW Portland, and stragglers elsewhere.

So why is that? One reason is that there is simply a lot going in this kind of central section of Portland. Last year my wish was to cover more on the west side, and I believe our coverage there has improved since 2023. East Portland, which I love, is not well-represented. I hope to bring more attention to that part of town in the coming year.

On a personal note, I will also tell you that my natural introversion has caused some hesitancy in covering certain openings/closings in Portland. But I have worked on this throughout 2024 and am in a much better place as far as that goes. So, to all my fellow introvert journalists—I see you; I know what it’s like. Reach out if you want to connect.

Places I Wish I’d Covered, But Didn’t

There were a handful of spots that opened in 2024 that, unfortunately, I did not cover. The reasons are twofold: Some were simply off my radar. Others suffered from communication issues. Below are the places that opened in 2024 that I wish I had been able to cover directly:

And if I’ve missed any that you think I should have covered, shoot me an email.

Any Openings Favorites?

While I wouldn’t call them “favorites,” per se, there are some places I covered that I consider particularly notable that opened in 2024:

• Tréla (North Tabor). This Greek restaurant was (at least) four years in the making and has brought solid taverna-style Greek food to Portland.
• The Wine Spa (Irvington). This is the the first dedicated wine spa in the U.S.
• Spella Caffè (Irvington). Woodblock Chocolate Manufactory shut down their cafe during the COVID pandemic four years ago; Spella brought it back to life.
• Devilishly Delicious Delights (Roseway). Offering up chimney cakes, a popular pastry in Eastern Europe, this food cart in an Airstream trailer may be the only place to get them in Portland.
• The Lime Stand (Vernon). Here you’ll find hand-smashed lime drinks, which are popular in China. This is the only place you can find them in Portland.
• How Convenient (North Tabor). This little convenience store sells a delightful array of products, including ketchup-flavored potato chips, a personal fave. As far as I know, this is the only place to find them (and All Dressed).
• Steam Rice Roll King (Hazelwood). Portland finally has a place that focuses on this dim sum classic.
• The Mule Bar (Cully). Stanich’s, which was deemed having the best burger in the U.S., closed and there was much speculation as to what was going on in there. The Mule Bar finally opened and continues to make the famed Stanich Burger.
• Sandy Jug (Roseway). Set in a building that is shaped like a giant jug that has a lot of history behind it, this bar revitalized a dank strip bar into a popular neighborhood watering hole.

And About Those Closings

As for notable closings … how to choose? While many of them feel significant, the closings of 3 Doors Down (est. 1994) and Crush Bar (est. 2001) are particularly important because of their longevity and long-established presence in Portland. Recently, Axios lent some insight into closures in Portland (and I contributed a quote to the article).

I’ll continue to keep track of Portland restaurant openings and closings in 2025 here on Bridgetown Bites. I look forward to covering the city’s restaurant scene for another year on this independent, woman-owned-and-operated, homegrown food news outlet.

And as always, if you have any restaurant news to share, reach out! Tipsters remain anonymous on this site (unless they request otherwise) and are an important part of the Bridgetown Bites ecosystem. Thank you, friends—I couldn’t do it without you.

Thank you so much for reading. See you in 2025!

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Meg Cotner

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Bridgetown Bites is edited and published by Meg Cotner in Portland, Oregon. She loves avocados, fresh produce, NA drinks, and cats.

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