A popular chain restaurant is the latest to exit Portland, Oregon.
Cr--ker Barrel announced recently it was permanently closing its remaining restaurants in the city. Locations in Beaverton and Tualatin , Oregon will be closing, as will the Bend location that’s about a 3.5 hour drive from Portland.
A spokesperson for the chain attributed the closures to the ongoing impact from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are saddened that we have been unable to overcome the impact the pandemic had on our business and have made the difficult decision to close the Beaverton, Tualatin and Bend locations,” a Cr--ker Barrel spokesperson said.
The Cr--ker Barrel move comes after Walmart announced it was closing it last remaining stores in Portland. The company said it was closing its last two Portland stores for failing to meet financial expectations, along with “several” other factors.
About 580 employees will be laid off but will be offered transfers to other Walmart locations.
The closures come after Walmart CEO Doug McMillion said in 2022 that record-breaking retail theft has hit the company’s economic performance and could lead to store closures.
“Theft is an issue. It’s higher than what it has historically been,” McMillion said, adding that “prices will be higher and/or stores will close” if authorities don’t crack down on shoplifting crimes.
[ https://www.al.com/news/2023/03/cr--ker-barrel-joins-walmart-in-closing-all-locations-in-this-major-city.html?outputType=amp ]