Reopening rekindles hope after ‘alarming’ number of C.O. restaurant closures

(Update: Adding video, comments from ORLA, restaurant owners, manager)

42 restaurants have closed in Central Oregon since last April

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ ) -- On the day Gov. Kate Brown announced restaurants in Deschutes County will be allowed to reopen indoor dining, at 25% capacity, NewsChannel 21 obtained statistics Tuesday that show the number of restaurants that have closed in Central Oregon and across the state during the pandemic.

Jason Brandt, president and CEO of the Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association, called the numbers "alarming," especially for 2021.

The ORLA data shows that, from 2011 to 2019, there were more restaurant openings than closings in Oregon by an average of 27 restaurants per year.

After a promising start to 2020, the pandemic changed everything. The state finished the year with 770 openings and 1,185 closings, the largest gap of any year on the list.

In 2021, it's only gotten worse.

Less than two months into the new year, 31 restaurants have opened statewide, compared to 232 that have closed.

"It tells us that, even with the Payroll Protection Program dollars, which provide kind of a baseline for support in our industry, even with the relief packages from the state, these are small drops in the bucket," Brandt told NewsChannel 21 Tuesday afternoon.

"They just are not proving to be enough to save the restaurants out there - the mom and pop businesses who truly need more help."

That's why, even at just 25% capacity, some restaurant owners feel the changes announced Tuesday are enough to make a difference.

"We believe that it's worth it to reopen, because we have a lot of employees and co-owners that have been out of work for a long time,” said Tim Casinelli, general manager of Deschutes Brewery’s downtown Bend location.

“Time to bring them back. Time to be able to get some of our guests that want to come join us and drink our great beer and eat our great food - into our restaurant and take care of them the way that we know how to take care of them."

While some restaurants have been fortunate enough to survive, few have been able to open up new locations.

Sage Schiffman, owner of Cabin 22 in Bend, is one of the lucky few. He opened up a new location, Cabin South, in mid-June.

Schiffman told NewsChannel 21 Tuesday he was able to do so thanks to revenue pulled in from Cabin 22, although he admitted doing so has not been easy.

"It's been an extremely hard struggle throughout all of this to open this second bar down here,” Schiffman said. “I think a lot of folks would be shocked to hear that. We're just keeping our heads above water."

Lauren Copelan, a customer at Cabin South on Tuesday, shared a similar sentiment.

She just opened up a restaurant of her own in Sunriver in November, called Fold Kitchen. Copelan said she’s barely been breaking even as well.

That’s why she's excited to have customers back inside on Friday, even if it's only in limited fashion.

"I'm like, 'Wait it's official? Oh my gosh! This is so exciting!” she said. “Now my mind is just going with all the preparations that we need to do for Friday."

Copelan hopes Friday marks the beginning of getting fully back to business.