Yen Ha, the beloved Vietnamese spot on Northeast Sandy, is saying goodbye on October 21. Known for pho, seafood, and karaoke, the restaurant has been operating for 35 years, according to the farewell statement the restaurant posted on Facebook. "It’s been an honor to serve, eat, drink and laugh with you all," Yen Ha's team writes. "Through the years, we have gotten to know the community and the families surrounding us. We’re incredibly grateful to our loyal customers and our amazing staff, thank you for your friendship and support. You guys made it possible for us to share a piece of our culture. In the days leading up to our closing, please come by to say hi and goodbye. A farewell party is being planned so stay tuned for updates."
The Sellwood-Moreland outpost of Laurelwood Brewing just shut its doors over the weekend—its last day was Saturday, September 28. The restaurant and pub was a favorite of families in the area for the past six years. Owner Mike de Kalb told the Oregonian that the closure happened because the landlord raised the rent on the space when Laurelwood's lease expired: “That’s just the economics of it. It didn’t work out anymore for us.” De Kalb also said that Laurelwood is trying to relocate as many of the pub's 25 employees as possible up to the Laurelwood location on Northeast Sandy, where they just added axe throwing lanes. Meanwhile, Laurelwood's location at the Portland Airport is closing on November 13 because the airport likes to switch out breweries every 10 years. Laurelwood may try to return to the airport in a few years.
Earlier this year, Vietnamese Cajun restaurant Tapalaya said they would be closing by the end of the year. Owner/chef Anh Luu, who bought the restaurant two years ago, is returning to New Orleans to grieve the loss of her mother. However, last week Eater reported that Luu had posted to social media saying the restaurant could close as soon as October 1. And in fact, yesterday—September 30—Tapalaya took to Instagram confirming that it was indeed their very last day in business.
Lastly, Henry's Tavern made headlines when it suddenly closed last week, following the announcement that its parent company, Restaurants Unlimited, had filed for bankruptcy. The chain restaurant was an anchor of the Pearl District and featured 100 beers on tap. It closed for good after last call early in the morning of Saturday, September 28. Staff were only given a few hours' notification. Restaurants Unlimited filed for bankruptcy in July 2019 and was subsequently bought by Houston-based company Landry's, which also owns Morton's The Steakhouse, Joe's Crab Shack, Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, and dozens of other properties, including the Golden Nugget casinos. The fallout from the sale has been felt across the Northwest, with Seattle outposts of Henry's also shutting down and two Portland locations of Stanford's closing as well. The Oregonian reported yesterday that the Stanford's at the Lloyd Center Mall and at the airport also closed on September 28. Other Portland-area locations of Stanford's are still open, although one assumes the clock is ticking.
