Oregon restaurants, bars seek state action over financial loss from winter storms

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- Independent restaurants and bars are requesting immediate aid from the State of Oregon to address financial loss brought on by the winter storms impacting the area.

According to a letter by the Independent Restaurant Alliance of Oregon (IRAO) addressed to state leaders, the extended closures of independently-owned restaurants, bars and food carts have been "catastrophic" to their business operations.

Additionally, they say the closures are "putting them at risk of permanent closure without immediate assistance from local and regional governments."

The letter also states the winter storms have left many businesses with average losses of $23,000 per location and an average wage loss of $1,800 for employees.

"To lose six days of income or five days or nearly five days of income, you know, during our slowest season, even in a normal year, is pretty brutal," said Ryan Magarian from Oven and Shaker pizzeria. "But you know, going into what I think could be a pretty tough winter for our staff to lose that much money, it's gnarly."

Bridgide Blackburn, co-owner of Cargo, a small business that sources items made by international artisans, echoed Magarian's sentiment.

"We've missed nearly a full week at what is historically sort of a slow time for us," she said. "But you never want to miss that much time and you never want to give, you know, your entire team, seven days, unpaid days off at a really crucial time for everybody."

Given these circumstances, IRAO is calling for a 90-day suspension of a payroll tax, city and state business taxes and licensing fees for restaurants, bars, and food carts with less than 100 employees. They are also requesting a three-month moratorium on commercial evictions starting after January 18 and the creation of a relief fund.

Carlo Lamanga, chef and owner of Filipino restaurants Magna Kusina and Magna Kubo, hopes for "a chance or an opportunity to suspend payroll taxes for just a brief period for all of us to be able to recover and kind of get our bearings back."

Moreover, the letter includes requests for proper road maintenance during winter storms and improved collaboration with utility companies to reduce power outages and improve emergency response times.

Lamanga said some of his employees didn't have power for 8 days.

"I had employees that are just struggling to make rent now," he said.

Magarian agreed.

"It's tough to kind of try to find the right balance of minding safety and minding the need to make the resources that you need to pay your bills," Magarian said.

But the restaurateurs feel their needs are falling on deaf ears.

"We're just a band of misfits, a band of chefs and food truck owners," Lamanga said. "A bunch of individuals in the food industry just getting together, looking out for each other because it's very obvious that the government is not."