When Governor Brown mandated quarantine we could not imagine how HOTLIPS would survive such a time. We recognize that we are some of the lucky ones, to have been able to stay open at all and to have jobs to offer. We can chock some of that up to Pizza Magic, the inviolable staying power of pizza, universal comfort food, and great equalizer. We also received PPP funding and that is the only way we kept the operation going those first 8 weeks. That and the fact we had a delivery and pickup business in place the day this devastating crisis hit has been our saving grace.

We were able to adjust with immediacy, thoughtfulness and, sadly, some pain; we had our first layoffs ever. Another loss for us is letting go of our oldest and dearly beloved PSU shop after 36 years. In light of the tremendous losses among our restaurant colleagues, we consider ourselves extremely fortunate if closing one shop is our gravest loss. The extent of our losses is yet to be seen as we all concede this crisis is far from over. Watching our friends see their businesses disappear, under enormous personal and financial strain, is utterly heartbreaking. The devastation to our city and our country is beyond words.

Every day we ask, what can we do today and tomorrow to protect our company, the jobs we count like precious treasure, our customers who have stood with us? Credit must be given to every single one of our dedicated staff who make delicious pizza magic happen every single day. And to every single customer who thinks to call us and order a pie. To say we are thankful is a pitiful understatement.

First and foremost we believe closing our PSU shop is a prudent decision to protect the company and the jobs still available. With absolutely zero concessions from our landlords, we cannot see how to survive the emptying out of University neighborhood and the long road back to a bustling campus life. We fully intend to maintain all our hard-won relationships with OHSU, PSU and the other organizations and businesses in the area, and hope to serve as many of our customers as possible from our other westside locations. We will miss the students and all our longtime PSU regulars terribly. And, believe me, we will never quit hearing about how much the shop is missed, how people only made it through college because we were there, how they met the love of their life on our patio, how they visit every time they are in Portland, reliving their college days, how their children know about HOTLIPS through their stories, and wonderful, heartfelt stories like that.