PORTLAND, Ore. — One of Portland's oldest food cart chains is closing down. Fuego announced it's shutting down all six locations at the end of this year.
Known for their burritos, Fuego has been operating throughout Portland for 30 years. The co-owner says they never quite recovered from the pandemic.
"Hard times following the pandemic have made it impossible to keep the fire burning," Fuego owners said of its closure.
At its peak, the food cart, which first opened in 1994, had 10 carts across Portland. Now, it has six locations, four of which are in the downtown Portland area.
To people who have been here for decades, the Rose City is no longer as bustling as it once was, especially downtown.
Tomas Karwowski, co-owner of Fuego, said, "Downtown was booming, and we were really booming. It was super busy."
After the pandemic, many people chose to work from home or not come to the city center as much, leaving food carts like Fuego on edge, wondering if business would ever be the same.
"Things are changing, I have to say. Things are getting better, but for our business, unfortunately, it's not enough," Karwowski said.
"It's sad for our employees. Most of our employees were with us for over 10 years, some of them 15 to 20 years. So it's sad for everybody. I was hoping we would make it a little longer, but it is what it is," Karwowski continued.
They wanted to be transparent with their customers who fell in love with their healthy burritos and bowls, like Ginger Damron, who discovered Fuego five years ago.
"I come here about once a week, so that's a sad thing. I'll have to find another food spot," Damron said.
Fuego's food carts will remain open until the end of the year.
"The final date hasn't been determined yet, but I'm thinking mid- to-late November," said Karwowski.
Content with the imprint they left but praying other small businesses don't have to take their same path, Karwowski added, "I don't see downtown Portland coming back any time soon."
Karwowski said they would welcome hearing from potential buyers or investors.