On July 22nd, Mixteca Restaurant announced on the company’s Instagram account that they plan to cease operations at their restaurant and bar, refocusing on the original business model of catering and farmers’ market food service. Staff will offer the final dinner service at 2320 SE 82nd Avenue on July 23rd from 4 to 9 p.m. This closure concludes a three-year effort to provide cuisine from Oaxaca, Mexico, at SE 82nd Avenue and Division Street.
Doña Paula Asunción was born in Oaxaca, Mexico, and brought her lifetime of cooking experience with her to Portland when she began working in the food industry in 1994. With training and support from Hacienda CDC’s Micro Merchant program, she began selling tamales and mole sauces at the St. John’s Farmers’ Market in 2012, eventually forming Mixteca Catering LLC in 2013. By 2016, they had a space at the Portland Mercado and the Cartlandia food cart pod (now called Springwater Cart Park). Those successful operations led to the expansion into a full restaurant in 2019.
Mixteca took over the former Buckley’s Catch Sports Pub on SE 82nd Avenue and transformed it into a space with outdoor seating and a welcoming exterior. As work began upgrading the new restaurant, the pandemic set in. Their first year open faced shutdowns and seating limits, followed by years of diminished business and vandalism. The official closing message on social media references those hardships and explains other reasons for the change in business operations.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the closing of Mixteca Restaurant. Our last last day at our location is tomorrow. These past three years have been incredibly challenging and rewarding. We opened at the onset of the pandemic and the experience has taught us a lot, however, the recent break ins and slow business made us rethink how to best move forward post pandemic. We want to thank all of our wonderful guests and employees for supporting us over these past years. What began as a dream venture grew into a place that had welcomed guests from all over Oregon and beyond who were looking for a small piece of Oaxacan food. We are extremely humbled that so many embraced our restaurant and that we were able to succeed as long as we had, in a very challenging time. For a restaurant to survive and thrive in such unprecedented times is an accomplishment of which we can all be proud. And we could not have done it without all of you. Please continue to follow our page, visit us at the local farmer’s markets and if you have upcoming events, please think of us for catering. We would love to be a part of your special events! Thank you all.” – Mixteca Restaurant’s Instagram account
People wanting to experience Mixteca Restaurant one last time can dine at 2320 SE 82nd Avenue on July 23rd from 4 to 9 p.m. Otherwise, visit their booth at the Montavilla Farmers Market at 7700 SE Stark Street on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
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