RESTAURANT CLOSURES
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
David Yudkin and Jeana Edelman, Owners
david@hotlipspizza.com jeana@hotlipspizza.com
HOTLIPS Pizza Downsizing to Sustain Business in Portland
39-year-old local pizza business right-sizes, citing pandemic, labor and economic stresses as factors.
HOTLIPS Pizza, a Portland-based, family-owned pizza restaurant chain announced that it is closing 3 of its 5 restaurants on March 27th.
Since its founding in 1984, HOTLIPS has been a champion of local foods, farmers and producers, maintained a scratch kitchen and offered handcrafted pizzas and a line of real fruit sodas to many Portland neighborhoods.
The closure of restaurants at 33rd and Killingsworth, Hollywood District and Civic/Stadium scales the company to two locations, at 22nd and SE Hawthorne, longtime home of the Central Kitchen and HQ, and Pearl District/Ecotrust Building in NW Portland.
“It is with a terribly heavy heart that we must close these beloved stores and have the first layoffs in our history,” says owner Jeana Edelman. “Each person is hardworking and has contributed mightily to the teams they have worked with, and to the longevity and health of our company. Many have been with us for years, decades even. I have sincere gratitude for the time they’ve given us, and deep sadness at this unfortunate turn. This is one of the darkest days in HOTLIPS’ history. Please, support the local businesses in your neighborhood and our city. Every single one needs your patronage.”
“We gave it our all,” says owner, David Yudkin, “sustaining jobs through the entire pandemic by retooling to keep our staff and customers safe, but the ongoing economic effects hurt us profoundly, as with so many other businesses. It is little comfort that we are not alone in these hardships; we are also not alone in the drastic changes that must be put into place in order to carry on. We plan to move forward with a smaller crew, smaller footprint, fewer moving parts and realistic, attainable goals.”
Yudkin continues, “we sincerely thank the friends, neighbors and vendors in each of these locations for their years of support and kindness. It has been a huge honor to be part of the neighborhoods, the schools, the families, and the businesses around us. Please know HOTLIPS is still here! We are very much open, just consolidated, and ready to fulfill your pizza needs!”
HOTLIPS will pay all staff in full, plus a week’s severance.
The Hawthorne and Pearl locations remain open, with ample dining areas indoor and outdoor - including space available for larger and private events in both places. HOTLIPS will continue to serve customers in all parts of Portland with more delivery options and expanded delivery areas. Beer is flowing, there are new large screens for viewing sports, and our catering department is busy with large pizza orders and a state-of-the-art Mobile Pizza Trailer, available for special events.