Restaurant owner ditches the city for the suburbs

By Haley Rush

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    PORTLAND, Oregon (KPTV) — It’s the city that doesn’t work, if you ask Jaime Soltero Jr., owner of the small restaurant chain Tamale Boy.

“I mean I get broken into there, two, three times a year,” said Soltero. “We get dumped with like trash and stuff, that we end up paying for constantly.”

“Illegal dumping happening,” he continued. “Vandalism.”

Soltero said he’s tried to stick it out these past couple of years, but after seeing no change at all, he’s planning to move his headquarters on N. Russell Street to the suburbs. The Russell St. location is where all his production happens.

He also has a Tamale Boy location on N. Dekum St. in Portland, which will be staying put. He has a location in Happy Valley, too.

“I’ve talked to a bunch of people and those of us that have moved a couple of our operations outside the city, we’ve been really well received,” said Soltero.

At Mother’s Bistro downtown, Chef and Owner Lisa Schroeder boarded up another window after she said someone tried to smash it Tuesday. Just a week and a half ago, she said the same thing happened to a different window.

“The one that got broken yesterday is about twice as big, so it’s about a difference of $1,600 versus $6,000, so it’s a very big expense,” she said. “For restaurant owners like me, it’s a very tough time.”

But Schroeder said she’s staying put in her downtown location.

“Mother’s [Bistro] is like having a baby,” she said. “You don’t give it back.”

“It’s yours forever, so I’m gonna work my tush off to keep Mother’s alive and keep us going,” continued Schroeder.

Schroder believes it will take everyone coming together to fix problems in the city.

“We just all have to work together,” said Schroeder. “From the homeless, to the business owners, to the politicians, to the cart owners, we all have to get together in a room and figure out what we can do to return Portland to the sweet place that she once was.”

Soltero believes the city can come back as well, just not in the time he needs to run a successful business.

“I think there’s going to be hope for it,” said Soltero. “I just can’t continue on this path.”

“Something had to change and that’s the only reason I would even consider and now doing this,” he continued.

Soltero said city response time is another reason for moving his headquarters. When it comes to permits or any questions at all, he said it takes months to get a response.

He said his experience has been completely different, and positive, working with cities like Beaverton and Tigard.

Fox 12 did reach out to the Mayor’s Office. A spokesperson said they would try and provide a response Thursday.

Soltero is still deciding exactly where in the suburbs he will move to.

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