Iconic Portland Bar Closing in August After 21 Years

Residents of Portland, Oregon will sadly be saying goodbye to a beloved local bar next month.

Last Thursday, Slow Bar shared a bittersweet post on its official Facebook page. The bar, known in part for its famous onion ring–topped Slowburger, was celebrating its 21-year anniversary on July 10--the same day it announced it would be closing.

After more than two decades in business, Slow Bar will shutter for good on August 9, the Facebook post said.

“This beast ran hot until the wheels came off, and we gave it everything we had,” the post reads. "With Steve stepping into a new career and Rob hanging up his bar apron for good, we knew it was last call."

The bar added that it still wasn't an easy decision before outlining a number of factors that led them to this point.

"COVID damn near killed us, but we clawed our way back. Since then, we've battled a declining neighborhood, inflation, and the relentless rise of costs from ingredients to labor," the bar wrote. "The hits just kept coming. To say we're heartbroken doesn't even scratch the surface."

Steve Carder, Slow Bar's general manager, said in an interview with KGW8 that getting people to through the door "has been a little bit more difficult lately," adding that drug use in the area has also harmed business.

"Fentanyl's been a whole other beast. It used to be you could run off the people who were drunk outside pretty easily, give them a cigarette and tell them to buzz off, and they were fine, but they're a little more aggressive than they used to be," Carder explained. “It seems like every time we take a step forward, it’s another step back."

The small silver lining here is that with over three weeks left until Slow Bar closes for good, patrons have some time for a true sendoff.

"We've always been proud to say we worked here, and we've always felt the love and respect from the city in return," said Slow Bar on Facebook, adding that plans for a closing party will be announced later. "Thank you, Portland, for a wild 21 years."