PORTLAND, Ore — Most of Pok Pok’s Portland locations will permanently shutter due to the economic strain COVID-19 has put on the restaurant industry.
Pok Pok NW, Whiskey Soda Lounge, Pok Pok Wing NE and SW will all close, owner Andy Ricker announced on social media.
Pok Pok Wing SE remains temporarily closed and it is Ricker’s hope that it will open again in the future. “These closures are necessary so that the original Pok Pok on Division Street may have a chance of reopening when it is safe and financially tenable to do so,” Ricker wrote.
Ricker said that he simply could not afford to reopen for a number of reasons. Some reasons he listed were the lack of testing and tracing COVID-19 cases, no mandatory mask policy and seating restrictions in Oregon’s phases of reopening.
He also said the cost of reopening a restaurant is "huge" and the costs they incur as they wait to reopen are draining what little resources they have.
“Unfortunately, I fear announcements like this will be common in the coming weeks and months," Ricker said.
Many restaurants in Multnomah County told KGW that is will likely take years before Portland's food scene resembles what it once did.
