PORTLAND -- Pal's Shanty, a working class culinary fixture in Northeast Portland's Hollywood District since the 1960s, will not reopen after fire heavily damaged the restaurant last November.
The announcement was made on the Pal's Shanty Facebook page. The space at Sandy Boulevard and 47th Avenue will reopen as Hot Lips Pizza.
It is with a heavy heart that we announce Pal's Shanty Tavern will not be re-opening. After nearly a year of working towards re-opening, we recently received an unexpected offer from Hot Lips Pizza. Due to the exhausting demands on our time and finances that have been involved in rebuilding and legal expenses, we have made the difficult decision to say goodbye to our family business. We wish Hot Lips Pizza great success in Hollywood and we THANK YOU ALL for your amazing support, love and friendship over the years. The decision was not an easy one... WE WILL MISS YOU ALL!
The posting also shows considerable progress in remodeling the seafood restaurant before the announcement.
A longtime customer who had fond memories of their legendary buckets of steamer clams said this:
...your family fed my family so many wonderful meals & great times .. thank you from the bottom of our hearts .. we will all miss your belly warming chowder fishing for that last clam in the bucket juice & the heartfelt welcomes & come again thank you & good luck .. annnd is that Clam Chowder recipe a secret? ..
Two arrests were made in the weeks following the fire. One of those accused was an employee of Pal's Shanty.
The remaining workers benefited from a fundraising to help them make ends meet until the restaurant could be reopened. The restaurant's Facebook also updated the status of those workers.
For those that have asked where the Pal's people are now: Nakia has moved out of state, Fedra is at The Sting Tavern, Amy is at East Glisan Pizza Lounge, Piney is at The Lion's Eye Tavern, Gregory is at Southland Whiskey Kitchen, Dale is at Sheridan's 52nd Ave Sports Bar and Pete's on 57th & Fremont.
