Eater PDX is reporting that the very controversial Saffron Colonial restaurant on North Williams is changing its name after a lot of public pressure. The restaurant, which had been accused of glorifying colonialism in a neighborhood that has seen its fair share of gentrification problems, had come under increasing fire from patrons and concerned Portlanders such as those involved with the #BlackLivesMatter movement. A March 19th protest of the restaurant was attended by up to 75 demonstrators, who demanded that owner Sally Krantz change the name and the menu (which offered "plantation-style" drinks). She refused. A second rally followed in which the restaurant offered free meals to anyone who dined at Saffron Colonial during the protest. (Things did not get better when the restaurant's publicist called one protester that terrible word that starts with the letter "c".)
Apparently there is such a thing as too much bad publicity, and according to Eater, owner Sally Krantz is now changing the restaurant's name to BORC—which stands for British Overseas Restaurant Corporation, a wink at former airline BOAC (British Overseas Airways Corporation). Krantz sent an email to Eater announcing the change:
While it would have been nice to keep my branding and have an accurate descriptor of the cuisine, I recognize that this is taking the focus off of what I want to do with food. My mission in opening this restaurant is to celebrate the wonderful multi-cultural aspects of food in a beautiful and multi-cultural part of Portland: my hometown, and a city that I love.
