On Sunday, July 27th, the Montavilla East Tabor Business Association (METBA) will host the 12th annual Street Fair on SE Stark Street. Early that morning, crews will close the road from SE 82nd to 76th Avenues along with segments of side streets to allow the 150 booth operators to set up ahead of the 10 a.m. opening. Vendors will sell a variety of items, including food and drinks, unique artwork, handcrafted goods, and clothing. Mixed in with people selling items, organizations will provide information, and performers will entertain the crowds until 6 p.m. Vehicle traffic will resume on the street later that evening after organizers clear the area. Still, people can stay in the neighborhood to visit the bars and restaurants along SE Stark and NE Glisan Streets. Last year, an estimated 25,000 people visited Montavilla’s historic downtown from around the region, participating in the annual 1,400-foot-long community party.
On Wednesday, July 16th, sign installers placed the banner over SE Stark Street at 80th Avenue, announcing the Street Fair dates to everyone passing by. Although many people in the area have already marked the date on their calendars, raising the banner represents Montavilla’s invitation to the city of Portland. Thousands of visitors attend this annual neighborhood event, driving record sales to local businesses and introducing people to the historic Montavilla downtown area.
Event organizers will feature the big brass sounds of a mini HONK! Fest PDX on SE 80th Avenue. People can also enjoy performances at the SE 79th Avenue Plaza Stage next to the Threshold Brewing beer garden. The main stage will feature a diverse mix of local Portland music and national touring artists. Montavilla Brew Works will sponsor a special stage located across from their brewery at SE Stark Street and 78th Avenue, where they will host one of the four beer gardens, with Tinker Tavern and The Observatory rounding out the beer-centered street fair destinations. Many past fair booth operators are returning, alongside a new crop of makers, food vendors, and organizations. As a bonus, the Montavilla Farmers Market will be open during its regular hours on the 27th, providing attendees with access to more booths and food options at SE 76th Avenue and Stark.
Promotion: Montavilla News will have a booth at the fair this year. We will giving away stickers and sell year subscriptions that will come with a logoed hat or pin, while supplies last.
On July 14th, Beer Bunker reopened after a refresh by its new owners, Rob Allred and Kimberley Hill. The brief closure allowed the new owners to secure their approval from the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission and refresh the tap room with an eye towards improvements that will keep the place looking clean for its loyal patrons. Guests returning to 7918 SE Stark Street will notice the polish but still feel at home, having seen one of the new owners behind the bar for the last five years. Things will change slowly over the coming years as the management invests sweat equity into this 13-year-old staple in Montavilla’s historic downtown.
Co-owner Rob Allred left a career in finance and soon learned of an opportunity to take over the taproom and bottle shop. His partner, Kimberley Hill, has worked at Beer Bunker for half a decade as the manager, helping to drive its success. When Beer Bunker’s founder, Kevin Overby, decided to exit the business, Hill and Allred took a leap together to purchase a place that was special to them. “I’ve met all my greatest friends here. The love of my life, I’ve met here. Yeah, it’s just a great community spot. It almost feels kind of like a clubhouse,” said Hill.
When transitioning ownership, Hill and Allred wanted to pause operations to address issues that would ultimately cause problems in the future and make it harder for the partners to run the shop on their own. The decades-old space required a thorough cleaning, along with the reorganization of inventory storage. Its bathroom needed an overhaul to address long-standing deficiencies that kept it hard to clean and maintain. The pair, with help from friends, also tackled the weathered outdoor picnic tables, sanding and staining the wood. They plan to significantly enhance the outdoor service area behind the shop with more weather coverage, a fire pit, and natural elements to soften the enclosed pea gravel yard, which is popular with the dogs accompanying their humans on a night out. “I want a lot of plants to make it lush and cozy out there,” explained Hill.
The new owners aim to retain much of what made Beer Bunker popular among regulars, while also welcoming new guests. For Hill and Allred, that requires slow updates with deliberate iterations that enhance what Overby built. They are pondering expanding the food options to include items not well represented on SE Stark Street, wanting to supplement the already well-developed menus offered by neighboring businesses. “We want to focus on salty snacks and nachos because there’s not that on the street. It would fill a niche that’s not represented through our partners in the area here,” said Allred.
Hill and Allred will reconfigure the seating to provide more guest space near the windows, presenting people with a pleasing view of Montavilla’s main street and also advertising to passersby that customers are inside enjoying themselves. Kimberley Hill has spent years developing a weekly live music offering at Beer Bunker and intends to keep it thriving with more purpose-built facilities for live performances. They will also collaborate with friends at Ground Kontrol Classic Arcade to feature at least five pinball machines in the tap room, allowing them to host weeknight pinball league tournaments. These old-school games will be in addition to the classic arcade cabinets already in the space.
In addition to amenities, the new owners have also focused their efforts on highlighting the beer selection by launching a new Beer Bunker website, bunkerpdx.com, which accurately displays the complete lineup of 24 beers on tap. They also refreshed the tap board, with new paint and increased lighting for better legibility. The reorganization of the west wall clears a path for people to explore Beer Bunker’s hidden feature: a row of glass-fronted coolers where patrons can purchase an extensive range of packaged beer to go. Allred explained that they want to expand the beer selection to build a reputation for having the harder-to-find brews that people will travel from places outside the neighborhood to find.
Posted message from Kevin Overby announcing the sale to customers
Both Allred and Hill are grateful for Kevin Overby’s “passing of the torch” to them, and they threw him a well-attended retirement party on the 13th anniversary of the tap room’s opening, just before closing for the past few weeks. Beer Bunker is now open from 3 to 11 p.m. daily. The new owners are familiar to most regulars, but they are looking to meet new customers so they can show off the cleaned-up space to those people and their dogs. Look for improvements over time and follow the company’s Instagram page for updates on an official grand opening celebration later this month.
Promotion: Montavilla News is supported by contributions from businesses like Greg Beddor – SEO Specialist, an Oregon based digital marketing consultancy. The company markets customer’s websites and provide SEO services to grow their business. We thank them for their support.
On July 8th, Adventist Health Portland hosted its first weekly produce stand popup of the summer at the healthcare organization’s 10123 SE Market Street complex. The community farm stand will open to the public on Tuesdays from 3 to 6 p.m. through October 28th. The food primarily comes from gardens operated by the project partner, Outgrowing Hunger.
The 2025 produce stand season is the second year Adventist Health Portland has facilitated the sale of fresh foods on its campus. The stand operates outside Adventist Health Portland’s main hospital entrance under some trees lining the driveway, attracting hospital staff and visitors to the shaded display of fruits, vegetables, and honey. Vendors collect most of the items for sale the same day, and Adventist Health representatives explain that the farmers keep all proceeds from the stand.
The medical provider representative noted that sourcing fresh and healthy food in the area is difficult, with few grocery stores within walking distance of the community surrounding the hospital. In 2019, Adventist Health Portland and Outgrowing Hunger collaborated to create a community garden adjacent to the hospital. This new resource helps the Outgrowing Hunger member farmers grow food for their families. Many program participants are immigrants who use the garden space to grow produce familiar to their upbringing, along with crops traditionally well-suited to the Pacific Northwest.
Adventist Health Portland invites anyone interested in fresh produce to shop at the stand on Tuesdays from 3 to 6 p.m. until it wraps up for the season in October. They accept cash and credit cards at the stand and offer a variety of locally produced fruits, vegetables, flowers, and other items from local farmers.
Promotion: Montavilla News is supported by contributions from businesses like Otter Wax, a neighborhood producer of small-batch specialty goods handcrafted in Portland. Using only natural ingredients, they make modern care products that are steeped in tradition. We thank them for their support.
The operators of a Wendy’s restaurant at 232 NE 82nd Avenue have recently closed the location’s dining room for renovations, while maintaining drive-through access for customers. Upgrades underway include modifications of interior walls along with the installation of new equipment and fixtures. Exterior work involves rearranging this location’s Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) parking spaces, adding bike parking, and installing new exterior lighting mounted on poles.
Signs of construction are apparent as crews have removed one front window from the building and covered it with plywood. Guests on foot are greeted with a typewritten note on the restaurant’s door from Wendy’s management, stating that the dining room is closed for renovations. The sign provides no reopening date, but the work detailed in building permits is substantial, and it will likely take months to complete. Wendy’s placed a portable restroom trailer in the parking lot for staff to use during the interior renovations that will impact the location’s bathroom access.
Typewritten note on the restaurant’s door from Wendy’s management that the dinning[sic] room is closed for renovations
This 1981-era dine-in and drive-through building features the brand’s classic stylings and has outgrown its current configuration. Previous remodels included the creation of an exterior detached cooler that crews demolished as part of this round of enhancements. Building permits list the planned addition of an attached cold food storage room to accommodate future kitchen capacity and replace the old detached unit. Electricians will replace lights in the dining area and soffit, in addition to installing a new menu board. Plumbers intend to relocate two toilets and one hand sink as part of the interior reconfiguration.
The Wendy’s fast food chain did not respond to requests for details regarding this remodel. However, the company has recently embraced its Global Next Gen design strategy for new and refreshed stores. This concept prioritizes higher order volume with streamlined buildings supporting increased digital orders and delivery customers. The square-patty burger maker says their modern restaurants can significantly upscale production compared to previous designs, increasing kitchen output capacity by nearly 50%. However, it is not certain that this location will embrace the new store design and may retain its classic appearance, with most renovation efforts focused on the interior and some parking lot reconfiguration.
Image from 82nd Avenue Glisan and Davis May 2024 Draft Design. Courtesy PBOT
Work at this location will complement the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s plans to widen the sidewalk in front of this restaurant to 12 feet, adding room for possible street trees or a planting strip in the furnishing zone between the curb and sidewalk. The pedestrian zone widening is part of the 82nd Avenue Glisan and Davis Signal Improvements project developed in 2024, with an expected groundbreaking in 2025.
Wendy’s south parking lot show with a trash dumpster and construction storage shipping containers
Visitors to the Wendy’s restaurant on NE 82nd Avenue should anticipate using the drive-through window during much of the ongoing construction and exercise caution when traversing the south parking lot, which serves as a staging area for construction storage and equipment.
Update July 19, 2025: As crews peel away the layers of parapet cladding for the Wendy’s restaurant, passersby can see the outlines of the chain’s past branding designs. In the 1980s, the old-fashioned hamburger company decorated the top band of its buildings with diagonally aligned siding with raised rectangular trim featuring scooped corners. Later updates featured the base painted bright yellow and the raised detail in red. Contemporary stores use flat and box-ribbed metal panels in dark colors to decorate the top section of the restaurants.
Update August 23, 2025: Crews installed the new front parapet cladding and modern sign. Visitors can now see the old mansard roof style next to the contemporary design.
Dollhouse Espresso recently reopened its Bikini Coffee stand in the Taboo Video parking lot at 2330 SE 82nd Avenue. Earlier this year, the coffee cart vacated its previous location at 1133 SE 82nd Avenue to find a more supportive host business and is now featuring an expanded shop with a new menu in the parking lot of the adult entertainment store. Montavilla News spoke to owner Jessica Cody in April 2024 about her latest venture, and the following is an updated version of that article.
Jessica Cody purchased the original Dollhouse Espresso cart with donations from supporters who were interested in seeing a woman-owned stand that would create a safe space for the people working there. Although barista attire is a theme of the cart, Cody and her staff strive to deliver well-made coffee, tasty food, and friendly service to all customers.
Dollhouse Espresso’s original cart in 2024
Cody has worked as a dancer and bartender for several years. She continues to do that work to help support the growing business, sometimes working from 6 a.m. to 3 a.m. the next day. However, it was her work abroad that sparked a genuine passion for coffee service. “I used to live in Australia before the pandemic on a working visa. I lived there for about two years, and I managed a really great coffee shop in Perth. That’s where I learned how to make good, authentic coffee,” Cody recalled.
Bikini coffee has a varied history in the Pacific Northwest, and Jessica Cody was an early employee in that industry before moving to Australia. Through that tumultuous experience, she developed her idea for a respectful woman-run business. “I had a very bad experience working at a bikini coffee stand when I first did it years ago. It was called Dream Girls,” recalled Cody. The former owner of Dream Girls now faces charges of sexual abuse and rape, along with other crimes reportedly committed against some of his employees. Cody felt that Dollhouse Espresso presented an opportunity to return to bikini coffee work while creating a safe space for this type of service. Many of the people working there are her friends, and she operates the stand in a similar manner to an employee-run shop.
Dollhouse Espresso’s new larger cart at its current location
Part of Cody’s vision for Dollhouse Espresso is to make people feel respected inside and outside the cart. “I feel like we are friendly and welcoming enough for everybody, any part of the community. I try to hire women of all different shapes, sizes, and colors,” said Cody. The organization is LGBTQ-friendly, and Cody says families come through often. “I try to make it exciting for everybody,” explained Cody.
The path to opening this new business has not been without issues and false starts. Dollhouse Espresso opened previously in Vancouver, Washington, operating for just three months. Cody said the landlord raised the rent on her with little notice and caused property damage when she did not pay the increase. In 2024, she had to relocate and regroup. Having lived in Montavilla during her youth and worked in some nearby businesses, SE 82nd felt like the ideal spot for the stand’s long-term home. “The demographics seem great for what I’m trying to do here, especially for girls being in bikinis,” said Cody.
The shop is currently open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., but Cody expects to extend the hours soon. She placed the stand near Taboo Video’s north parking lot entrance, close to the building. Walk-ups and bicyclists are welcome to visit the window adjacent to the sidewalk, but people outside a vehicle should use caution, as it serves drive-up customers.
Crews are assembling the refrigerated display cases and product shelving inside East Portland’s first 99 Ranch Market location at 10560 SE Washington Street. The highly anticipated Asian grocery store began hiring for nearly 100 positions at the new location in May, with a Job Fair and postings on job websites. The hiring manager for this location anticipates the store will open in late July or August, with trainees reporting to the Beaverton location as they learn to perform their roles within the organization.
Partially assembled refrigerated display cases and product shelving inside 10560 SE Washington St.
The new store required more effort to open compared to the only other Oregon 99 Ranch location, which took over an existing grocery. Plans for the latest store became public in 2023, with construction starting in 2024. The California-based chain opened its Beaverton store at 8155 SW Hall Boulevard on August 23rd, 2017. Although the two stores are comparable in size, representatives say this new location will feature the company’s modern design updates, and the custom-configured space will better align with the brand’s goals for its store layout.
Beaverton 99 Ranch Market
Beaverton 99 Ranch Market
Beaverton 99 Ranch Market
Beaverton 99 Ranch Market
Beaverton 99 Ranch Market
With over 60 stores nationwide, the company is renowned for offering a wide range of imported products alongside local meats and vegetables. As with most stores in this chain, the new Montavilla adjacent location will offer prepared foods and baked goods made in an onsite kitchen. In addition to grocery items, shoppers will find a hot deli, an extensive meat department, and a seafood area with live seafood tanks. The store will carry a diverse assortment of Asian ingredients and packaged items alongside other grocery staples.
The job poster has a typo, (510) 309-1057 is the correct contact number
Ten Seconds Rice Noodle
The Alley
The Plaza 205 buildout for the 99 Ranch Market created a larger floor plan for the grocer at the back of the space while making room for complementary businesses along the shopping center’s frontage. Ten Seconds Rice Noodle restaurant and The Alley tea shop recently opened next door to the grocery store’s entrance. Foot traffic on the eastern side of Plaza 205 should increase once 99 Ranch Opens later this summer. However, the long-vacant storefronts at this location have encouraged more consumer activity on the Mall 205 adjacent side of the property, making it harder for people to discover the two new businesses in the shopping complex. People can expect to learn more about the official opening date for the SE Washington Street grocery store on the 99 Ranch website or its social media sites, including Instagram and Facebook. Jobs at this location are still available for anyone interested in working at this new location.
Graphic courtesy 99 Ranch Market
Update August 9, 2025: The 99 Ranch Market at 10544 SE Washington Street will officially open on Saturday, August 16th starting at 9 a.m. The store’s Instagram page touts a celebration featuring a lion dance and ribbon cutting event at opening. People can also attend a Bluefin Tuna cutting demonstration at 1 p.m. and the First 100 people in line before 9 a.m. will receive a $10 gift card.
Note: Title image digitally edited by MV News to show 99 Ranch sign as originally proposed in permit drawings. Finale store signage will differ and include FRESH PRODUCE, LIVE SEAFOOD, HOT DELI, and BAKERY under the 99 Ranch Market logo based on LU 24-073292 DZM documents
Promotion: Montavilla News is supported by contributions from businesses like Greg Beddor – SEO Specialist, an Oregon based digital marketing consultancy. The company markets customer’s websites and provide SEO services to grow their business. We thank them for their support.
On Friday, June 20th, the second annual “Hop Dogs” event will greet hungry and thirsty guests from 5 to 8 p.m. in the Montavilla Plaza on SE 79th Avenue at SE Stark Street. Last year’s winner, Ruse Brewing, will compete against Grand Fir Brewing, Gold Dot Beer, Foreland Beer, and Threshold Brewing. The brewers will offer the crowd a custom hot dog with creative toppings designed by the team, which people can pair with one of their hoppiest West Coast IPA beers.
The all-ages venue allows families to participate in this event, presented as part of Portland Beer Week, a City-Wide yearly celebration running from June 13th to the 22nd in 2025. The Montavilla-hosted cookoff features five West Coast IPA brewers bringing their best hot dog recipes to the public in a friendly competition of flavors and brew craft. Drinking-age adults can select beers and hot dogs in several paired combos ranging from full pints, full dogs, half pints, and shorty dogs. A $7 ticket purchased at the event will allow attendees to pick up either one full-size hot dog or one full-size beer, so people can mix and match as they desire. Curious culinary adventures can also choose to purchase a flight of five shorty dogs to sample the range of flavors for three tickets. The cookoff is an open event, with no need to reserve a spot. However, hotdogs will be available while supplies last, starting at 5 p.m.
Graphic courtesy Portland Beer Week
This returning hot dog and brew event is building momentum as more people enjoy the artful pairing. “Hop Dogs is based on a concept I have been kicking around for a few years. The brewers have a ton of fun and enthusiasm for the hot dogs as well as the beers; they can get really into it, even hand-making the toppings themselves. We worked out the kinks last year, where we had a handful of people making all of the different dogs. Last year, we used a large hot dog roller, but this year, Threshold founder and brewmaster Jarek Szymanski will be grilling them himself,” explained Ezra Johnson-Greenough with Portland Beer Week. “Also, this year, there will be individual brewery reps making each dog; this way, they can really get into the groove of that custom hot dog and put it together to perfection.”
Event organizers will conduct a “people’s choice” vote for Best Dog and also Best West Coast IPA, presenting two awards. People should look over the available hot dog options and come hungry this Friday night.
Threshold Brewing – Tropic Thunder: Good Dog Guava Teriyaki Mustard, Kewpy, Mango, Jalapeño and Pickled Onion Chutney, Fried Wonton Crumble
Gold Dot Brewing – Dan Dan Dog: Cream Cheese, Dan Dan Sauce, Yacai, Roasted Peanuts, Green Onions, Sichuan Peppercorn
Grand Fir Brewing – Farmers Market Dog: Heirloom Tomatoes, Pickled Peppers, Whipped Cheese with Poppy Seeds, Green Garlic Ranch Sauce
In early May, East Glisan Pizza Lounge, located at 8001 NE Glisan Street, reopened after a six-week closure with a new staff and an updated menu that retains many favorites, along with new options focused on continuing the 11-year-old establishment’s legacy in the Montavilla neighborhood. On March 17th, the restaurant and bar closed, posting on its Instagram page that it would temporarily halt service for an unspecified period. During that pause, owners Todd Dennis and Kristen Brown worked with a restaurant coach to rebuild a profitable business while retaining the community-centric environment that had kept the partners interested in working into the next decade of operation.
Fans of the NE Glisan Street pizza location were shocked that their favorite neighborhood spot showed any signs of trouble as it appeared busy with locals and attracted citywide accolades. Behind the scenes, the operators felt consumed by a daily struggle to maintain high food quality and prevent rising costs from inflating their prices beyond reason for their regular customers. “To be frank, we have not been profitable in the last several years,” said Brown. However, raising the prices alone would not solve their problems. Advisers had encouraged the owners to eliminate table service and adopt a counter-only model, similar to many other area pizzerias, along with other changes that would alter the establishment’s character. That advice did not sit well with Brown and Dennis, but they knew something would need to change. “We were talking about different options for a little bit, but there were a couple of events that happened in the last couple of days before we closed,” explained Dennis. “We just said, ‘We’ve got to do it now.'” Brown added the analogy that they had been trying to “fix an airplane midair, and we need to land it, or it’s going to crash.”
Brown and Dennis informed the staff that they had no idea when they would reopen and stated that all employees, except for the front-of-house lead Beth McClintock, had decided to take work elsewhere. That rotation of staff led the owners to reevaluate the business, starting with the question of why they wanted to remain open. They initially discovered the location in Montavilla during a region-wide search and were unfamiliar with the neighborhood when selecting the building. Dennis had worked as a bartender for 15 years in Tualatin, and Brown had some work history at Jake’s Grill and the Heathman but had since developed her career as a mortgage broker. “We both had a lot of front-of-house experience, no back-of-house experience, and very little management experience,” said Dennis. “We did our best, and I think that it went pretty well for quite a long time. It’s one of those things where the more you learn, the more you realize what you don’t know. After 10 years, it wasn’t running behind the scenes the way we wanted it to.” They felt that most guests did not notice the rough edges and appreciated how well their staff took care of customers; however, by the end of 2024, they knew that change was the only option.
What Brown and Dennis discovered is that some dishes were taking too much time to produce, and they were not selling enough pizza each week to cover payroll and material costs. They also felt that they could never take time away from the shop and their success depended on being there every day. “We were kind of becoming exhausted, and there were some staffing issues that were coming up. We decided that if we didn’t shut down on purpose, things would shut down without our control over it,” said Dennis. During that pause time, they removed specific items from the food and bar menus and sought replacement items that would require less labor and utilize more crossover ingredients. Sunday lasagna was a standout to remove from the recurring menu. “It’s very labor intensive. It’s both intensive to prep and labor-intensive to serve. It takes a whole other person during service just to handle that,” recalled Brown. They also changed the gluten-free crust to a Detroit-style instead of a thin rectangular polenta crust. “It was unique, kind of a big loss, but also very labor-intensive,” said Dennis. They removed the Spicy Eggplant and Capicola pizza, making room for a new tavern-style crust that they pre-make in a six-day process. “The tavern-style is a very thin cracker crisp cornmeal dusted pie cut into squares, very shareable,” explained Brown. These crusts keep well during the week, as they have a lower moisture content, making them an ideal option for streamlined preparation. The non-rising dough edge finishes slightly charred, making it crunchy.
They have remained committed to supporting a range of pizza options that cater to various dietary restrictions. “Vegan is something that we’ve expanded a little bit. We now have a Detroit vegan option. We’re using NUMU cheese, which is out of Brooklyn, New York. And we’ve got BE Hive pepperoni and BE Hive sausage,” said Brown. This option replaces the house-made vegan meat options, which required considerable cooking time, with a product that Brown and Dennis feel closely matches the flavor and quality. They have also added fresh pineapple to the menu. “We weren’t snooty about having pineapple,” Brown remarked, noting how a canned ingredient would not work. “But we have set up a process for the pineapple with as little waste as possible. So we roast the pineapple now.”
They also slimmed down the cocktail menu, focusing on bolstering longtime classics like the Old Glisan, Buffy Summers, and Yellow Submarine, but said that in most cases, they can still recreate an off-menu favorite if requested. Many of these changes came from seasoned professionals hired to guide the relaunch of East Glisan Pizza Lounge, including new chef Adam Maxwell, who came to us from Ranch Pizza and other acclaimed eateries. “He’s opened seven restaurants, He’s opened three Ranches, and he’s got a long pizza resume, including Cellarmaker, a Detroit Pizza place in San Francisco,” said Brown. Before hiring strong leadership skills in the kitchen, the owners worked with pizza consultant Alastair Hannmann, who helped with dough recipes and developed the tavern pie.
During May, East Glisan Pizza Lounge operated in a soft-open mode to give the new staff time to perfect their food service and learn to work together. Recently, the restaurant began accepting online orders for pickup and will soon introduce additional online ordering options. This cautious approach to relaunching the business should bring the behind-the-scenes operation up to the standards that Brown and Dennis can be proud of and give them confidence that the place will operate profitably without constant oversight. However, they feel these updates are only necessary to support the true goal of the business, which they only recently verbalized to themselves. “We articulated what we intuitively knew, that our purpose has always been creating a space where people feel welcome as themselves and are seen. A space for people to connect,” explained Brown. Eleven years ago, they made roots in Montavilla, not knowing that the community would be a critical ingredient in their business. However, they can no longer imagine it any other way and feel certain that these recent changes will help them stay open for their customers for years to come.
East Glisan Pizza Lounge is open for dinner Thursday through Monday, starting at 5 p.m. Sundays and Mondays, they close at 9 p.m. Thursdays and Saturdays, they close at 10 p.m., with Friday service extended to 11 p.m. As they ramp up operations, they expect to adjust times and possibly open seven days a week starting in mid-July. They feel ready to start seeing everyone again and look forward to showing customers the updated menu. Prices have risen slightly, and people may need to explore new options, but they are happy to offer the full table service that guests enjoy and return as a valued community place.
On Monday, June 23rd, Portland Parks & Recreation’s (PP&R) Free Lunch + Play program returns to Montavilla Park on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with free lunch from noon to 1:30 p.m. for youth 18 years or younger. For many children, school offers activities and services that extend beyond education. Some students rely on school as their only structured playtime with peers and depend on the free lunch program for a midday meal. Thanks to funds provided by the 2020 voter-approved Parks Local Option Levy, the Free Lunch + Play program offers children weekday activities without registration or cost. From June 23rd to August 22nd, kids can visit 22 parks citywide for recreational activities and a nutritious lunch.
Portland Public Schools close for summer on June 12th, and over half the city’s school-age children qualify for free or reduced-price meals during the school year, making PP&R’s Free Lunch + Play program a critical tool in keeping young people fed during the summer break. However, the free lunches are available to anyone meeting the age requirements, regardless of enrollment in a school district’s free lunch program. Adults bringing 10 or more youth to a location to receive free lunch should contact 503-729-0332 at least five business days in advance so parks staff can accommodate the group. USDA Federal guidelines require recipients to eat their meals on-site in the designated area, and youth are limited to one serving per day. Locations will have a No Thank You Table offering unwanted items from lunches that youth can take to supplement their meal during the designated lunch hours.
Portland Public Schools, Centennial School District, Parkrose School District, and David Douglas School District provide all the meal packs that adhere to the USDA Federal Lunch Program regulations. Youth must attend in person to receive meals and eat all the food on-site. Foodservice occurs only during stated mealtimes. For Montavilla Park, that is from noon to 1:30 p.m. At Lents Park, food is available from 11:30 a.m. through 1 p.m. Gateway Discovery Park has a shorter mealtime window of 11 to 11:45 a.m. Staff will require everyone to wash their hands before receiving food.
Free Lunch + Play is part of Portland Parks & Recreation’s (PP&R) Summer Free For All program, offering more than 40 events for all ages, including multicultural festivals, free outdoor movies, and concerts across the city. It also includes activities at PP&R outdoor pools, opening on June 20th. Six outdoor pools will host a weekly free swim session in addition to its fee-based swim lessons, open play swims, and water fitness. Montavilla’s pool offers free swim sessions on Tuesdays from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. People will find a complete list of Summer Free For All’s inclusive and family-friendly activities on the PP&R website.
On May 30th, APANO launched its online archive titled Behind the Wok: A Tribute to Iconic Chinese American Restaurants in Portland’s Jade District. This digital collection documents the shift in Chinese American dining toward East Portland. This online repository focuses on six restaurants that represent the phases of Portland’s Asian community’s eastward move from Old Town Chinatown. The work preserves stories from the families behind some of 82nd Avenue’s most iconic restaurants, attempting to create a record of these community cornerstones that are often missing from traditional archives.
Behind the Wok promotional items including tote bag, matches, pins, and coaster
The inaugural cohort of restaurants includes Hung Far Low, Canton Grill, Chinese Village, New Cathay, Legin, and Wong’s King. However, the project aims to expand the digital archive over time, documenting the history of these foundational restaurants and their enduring cultural impact on the East Portland Chinese American community. The early evening launch party included several family representatives who came of age in and around the restaurants preserved in the archive. Their recollection and photos of these gathering places represent some of the only records of what they symbolized to the region beyond their decades of food service.
Guide map, copyright 1933 by Terry Tebault Inc. with Behind the Wok notations Courtesy APANO
Conversations following the presentation continued to reveal more history and a deeper understanding of the role these Chinese American staples represented for the community, supporting the need for such an archive. Without the historical seedwork released last month, these accounts would fade, and other untold stories would remain unknown to a community built on that history. The group working on Behind the Wok noted how difficult it was to obtain information, partially because news articles often failed to document changes that impacted this community and how people’s cultural humility kept them from lauding their accomplishments. However, in terms of storytelling and praising others, participants and attendees expanded the group’s understanding of their shared history.
Behind the Wok promotional pin commemorating the launch date
That night’s brief open conversation revealed how many more details could end up in the digital archive. APANO is working to preserve the memory of the Chinese American restaurant as a community meeting place and support system for immigrants settling in Portland. The nonprofit purchased the Canton Grill property in 2022 for future housing development and named one of its other housing projects after Legin restaurant as a way to enshrine those shuttered establishments in the community’s consciousness. The project team invites people to visit the Behind the Wok digital archive regularly for in-depth information about their contributions to East Portland. APANO will host a celebration of the Canton Grill on June 27th from 4 to 9 p.m. at 8188 SE Division Street. That event will focus on the Canton Grill Memorial Project and further inform the cultural preservation efforts.
