A monthly roundup of new indie businesses in Portland.
April was an unusual month for Portland's business scene. As always, there are plenty of new bars and restaurants, but last month's new business owners are unique because many of them had grand ideas and just went for them, regardless of previous experience. A theater director-actor opened a retail spot dedicated to refurbished and found home decor items. A former software designer with no formal apparel more...
If March was a good month for new business owners—they opened 16 spots, 10 of them restaurants and cafés—it was an even better one for consumers. St. Johns got a bike shop, northwest got a couple of neighborhood pubs, and a new Little Big Burger set up shop in southwest. March also brought with it the opening of several specialty shops, including a wedding boutique where brides-to-be can get fitted more...
February is for baking—at least February 2013 was—as a handful of spots sprung up where you can get fresh-baked bagels, cookies and beignet-style donuts. February also brought with it a downtown spot to get fresh-squeezed juice on the go, as well as a kitchen dedicated to serving cuisine of the Jewish diaspora. We saw a pair of independent yoga instructors find new spaces to teach classes, and two sisters more...
As you might've expected, entrepreneurial Portlanders chose not to take a post-holiday breather in January. Because of their gumption, we now have a few new bars to belly up to, as well as new spaces to get traditional Russian rolls stuffed with all things sweet and savory, small hand pies, sushi and ramen, and bacon-wrapped, deep-fried, late-night hot dogs. You can also make plans to dine on British Isles more...
More than 200 independent and locally operated businesses opened in the last year—at least by our count—peaking with 23 new openings a year ago, last January. Among the entrepreneurs were apparel designers, jewelers, mustache waxers, and ninja trainers. It was also a big year for brewers, urban wineries, bottle shops, coffee shops, and candy shops. And, of course, we swam in an endless stream of more...
In November, Portland welcomed a baker, a brewer, and a trio of jewelers to its business community. New places to get coffee, tea, tap cocktails, cheeseburgers, and Polish beer also sprung up around town. And if you have friends or relatives coming in for the holidays, you can put them up in a luxury rental property, or invite them to tour the city's newest indoor cycling center, where you can start to shed all more...
Budding restaurateurs once again led the way in October, opening more businesses in Portland than entrepreneurs in any other service sector. The doors swung open on French, Italian, Thai, pie, and burger joints, as well as locales serving up Tex-Mex cuisine and Greek-style pizza as several restaurateurs-entrepreneurs looked to expand their brand and businesses' offerings with new storefronts and locations. Still, more...
It's never unusual for new eateries to dominate our monthly list of new businesses—of the 16 that opened in August, 15 of them were bars and restaurants. And while we all love to eat (and drink), it's a pleasant surprise to see retailers gathering some of that entrepreneurial steam. So while September brought us plenty of new culinary treats (tacos, sushi, Korean-style fried chicken wings), it also more...