Restaurant closes due to ‘odor’ complaints

By Joe Vithayathil

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    PORTLAND, Oregon (KPTV) — Leaders in Oregon’s restaurant industry called for change after a restaurant in northeast Portland “temporarily closed.”

The restaurant, Pho Gabo was a Vietnamese restaurant on Fremont and Northeast 73. The owner posted a note on the front door saying the business had temporarily closed because of complaints from the neighbors and the city.

The note doesn’t specifically mention it, but according to reports the city has inspected Pho Gabo on numerous occasions and told the owner that he was violating a city code.

The situation pertains to the scent of grilled meats and food. The Willamette Week reported it came from one nearby resident complaining about being able to smell the food.

The owner faced fines for violating a city code regarding odors.

The president of Oregon’s Restaurant and Lodging Association said the city’s odor code is unfair. He said there is no way to actually measure odor complaints, it’s entirely subjective, unlike noise complaints, which measure decibel levels.

“It’s unbelievable that an anonymous person’s repeated complaints about an odor can shut down an entire restaurant, potentially displacing its workers and causing the operator irreparable financial harm,” Brandt said.

Brant said that some of the city’s suggestions, like installing odor scrubbers, are expensive and only mitigate smells rather than eliminate them.

Pho Gabo also has locations in Hillsboro and Happy Valley, which remain open.

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