UPDATE 11:44 am: Not only is Besaw’s closing and moving, but as the Portland Business Journal reports, there’s a battle brewing between owner Cana Flug and the landlords (C.E. John Co.) over who actually owns the “Besaw’s” name. From PBJ:
Thompson said C.E. John feels strongly that the company has documentation supporting its contention that the Besaw’s name rightfully belongs with the property.
“Besaw’s has been there for 100 years and the name belongs with the building,” he said, adding that the naming issue was the main sticking point between C.E. John and Flug. “I think most people with agree with that, and we feel strongly that we have documentation supporting that. Our lease agreement with Ms. Flug is clear that we own the name and that the name belongs with the building.”
Read the rest here. Original story below.
The beloved Northwest brunch spot Besaw’s—which is located on the corner of NW 23rd and Savier, and has been in business for over 100 years (!!)—will be closing it’s doors at the end of May. According to the Portland Business Journal, the restaurant was unable to come to an agreement with its landlords (Vancouver’s C.E. John Co.), and could not get its lease renewed. However, owner Cana Flug says she’s actively looking for new space in the neighborhood and hopes to have Besaw’s back in business by the end of summer. So what’s going to happen to the current Besaw’s space? From the Portland Business Journal:
[Boardmember Jeff] Thompson said C.E. John is planning a mixed-use project for the block where Besaw’s is located. But he also noted that the restaurant building will not be torn down as part of the new project. Several buildings surrounding Besaw’s will likely come down to make way for apartments and retail, but the restaurant building will remain in place.
“We are seeking new operators for the space,” Thompson said, adding that the new apartment project will likely get going in the next six to nine months.
Fun Fact: The Mercury‘s original office space was in a house across the road from Besaw’s way back when it was still a legitimate industrial area (with the smell of bakery goods and paint thinner constantly in the air). It looks very different today, and if this story is any indication, we can expect even more density at far end of 23rd in the near future.
UPDATE: After the jump, Cana’s letter to her customers explaining more about the restaurant’s future.
Our Dearest Besaw’s Customers,
As we’ve come to know each other over the last ten years, many of you have become aware of the lease negotiations ever-looming on the horizon at Besaw’s. You are a big part of what makes Besaw’s special, and it is important to us to let you, our family and friends, know the big news directly that Besaw’s, in its current form, will be closing its doors at the end of service on Friday, May 29th. Due to factors beyond our control, the property owners have refused to renew our lease.
In its current iteration alone, Besaw’s has played host to weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, memorials, marriage proposals, and countless other cherished memories and celebrations that have burned an indelible imprint into our little pocket of Northwest Portland. We have been repeatedly humbled at the loyalty, generosity and passion of our fiercely diehard customers, and we are continually amazed and delighted to welcome new faces through our doors. Whether you’ve braved the rain and sleet for forty-five minutes to get a table at Sunday brunch, or sipped a quiet cocktail at the bar on a Tuesday evening, you are, have always been and always will be the reason for our existence.
We love the rich history of Besaw’s as a neighborhood gathering place, and if it were up to us we would stay in this building for another 112 years. We don’t know what the property owner has in mind for this space; at this point we can only control certain things, one of which is our commitment to staying in the neighborhood.
Which brings us to the silver lining! We are already in negotiations on a location nearby, and we expect to reopen by the end of summer. Though bittersweet, the truth is we’ve far outgrown this space, as well as the many duct-tape challenges that come with such an old building: its antiquated electrical system and 250-square foot kitchen (!) along with many other quirks and kinks.
Executive Chef Michael Uhnak and the rest of the management team will be staying on to open our new location, and we are working with other restaurateurs in town to find temporary employment for our 50-plus employees.
We won’t lose what makes Besaw’s special – the food, the people, fresh ingredients, our commitment to local, organic and sustainable farmers, and our passion for social causes and the community. Without you, we are nothing but old wood and paint. With you, we are a strong and boundless community. To our customers, vendors, neighbors, family and friends, we say: THANK YOU. We hope you’ll join us as we take this ol’ lady out for a celebratory spin. Come see us for a meal and a cocktail before we close this chapter on May 29th – the best is yet to come!
Share your favorite Besaw’s memories with us at contact@besaws.com, and join us as we count down to #besawssummerbreak via @besaws on Instagram, twitter & Facebook!
Much Love,
Cana & The Besaw’s Team
Matt, Angela, Beth, Kate, Sam, Cheffy & Sauer
Brasserie Montmartre is closing April 30.
This is getting real goddamn old.
She has only been the operator for 10 of the 112 years, and doesn’t own the name. Sounds like there will be a brunch spot there going forward named besaws…
Except I’m not sure that’s how the law works on this one. The company that owns the property owns the building, not the (trademarked) name of the business that occupies it.
Gonna be interesting to see how that one shakes out.
If the name was leased with the building, then the lease on the name ends with the end of the lease on the building. If she bought the name with the business, then it’s hers. Next.