Downtown Portland jewelry retail store reopens just after two a long time

PORTLAND, Ore. — Friday brought news however once more about the fortunes of a longtime downtown retailer, but this 1 went versus the grain. Instead than closing down, Kassab Jewelers is opening back up.

The flagship Kassab retail store on Broadway Road in the vicinity of Alder closed down in the spring of 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic took hold — in the beginning going appointment-only in March ahead of transitioning away from in-retail store small business by the starting of April.

At the stop of Could 2020, rioters broke into the downtown area and looted it for the duration of Black Life Subject protests ignited by the death of George Floyd at the fingers of Minneapolis law enforcement.

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“We, as a small loved ones owned business enterprise, have constantly felt that our retailers are a direct extension of our dwelling, and you have always been our honored attendees,” Kassab posted to Fb at the time. “Regrettably, our dwelling was violated, robbed and vandalized. We have in no way in any way supported violence, hatred, or racism and these act is unjustifiable.”

Approximately two a long time later, the flagship Kassab Jewelers retailer is back again in company.

“2020 was difficult … but a diamond can’t be created without the need of huge force,” explained business president Rana Kassab.

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The Kassab household has significant hopes that the crowds and clients of the past will return to downtown, and they say they’re presently viewing a improve.

“It feels like it can be coming back again to exactly where it was prior to 2020,” Rana stated. “It feels a ton safer.”

Kassab has been in business enterprise in Portland for extra than 30 decades.

Regardless, modern weeks have confirmed that longevity is no warranty of results. Margulis Jewelers in close proximity to Pioneer Courthouse Square declared in early March that it would be shutting down immediately after 90 a long time in company.

Owner David Margulis stated his retail outlet has faced declining client website traffic through the pandemic, and attempts to bring shoppers back again with a the latest significant sale didn’t pan out.

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In a letter to consumers, Margulis cited the pandemic, the homeless disaster, vandalism and a “typical feeling of nighttime lawlessness” as reasons for the struggles of downtown firms.

“The notion of the people is that you can find just a broken downtown, and folks never want to arrive downtown,” he said. “The personnel are not coming to their buildings, the consumers usually are not coming down, and our city has done much too very little, way too late to assist downtown and the unbiased merchants.” 

On the other stop of the downtown spectrum, The Roxy diner also shut its doors at the end of March. Like Margulis Jewelers, the pandemic and a drop in foot targeted traffic strike operator Suzanne Hale’s organization tough, but the closure also hinged on the Town of Portland’s dedication to overhaul a fireplace-ruined and aged making.