Sneaker consignment store IndexPDX is moving online, and Deadstock Coffee is closing its Old Town shop, although its Beaverton location will remain open.
PORTLAND, Ore. — Two prominent Portland businesses are set to leave the city’s Old Town neighborhood, and neighboring shop owners fear others could soon follow. The neighborhood is a hub of social services and places where homeless people can go for treatment, food and shelter. But that’s all taking a toll on small businesses in the area.
“God, I wish we had a better stay in the neighborhood,” said Charles Mattouk, owner of Charlie’s Deli, which has been operating in Old Town for over a decade.
Mattouk’s neighbor, Deadstock Coffee Roasters, is one of the businesses closing up shop. The coffee company operates locations in Beaverton and Old Town, and founder Ian Williams announced last week in a video posted on Instagram that he plans to close the Old Town shop at the end of this month.
Williams told KGW News partner the Portland Business Journal last week that back when the shop opened in 2015, the block was a hub for sneaker culture, but conditions in the neighborhood have deteriorated in the years since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and most of the other sneaker-released businesses have already left or are planning to leave.
Earlier this month, the nearby sneaker consignment store IndexPDX also announced that it plans to close its Old Town location after more than 12 years and go fully online.
The Deadstock Coffee shop at 12305 S.W. Broadway Street in Beaverton will stay open, and Williams appeared to describe the Old Town location as a move rather than a closure, writing “we’re gonna be back! We’re just gonna take a break for a bit” on Instagram.
“Sad to see him go,” said Levi Martinez, who works as the marketing director at the Orox Leather shop on the same block.
Martinez said Orox Leather has been broken into in its current location, and he’s thinking of moving too.
“I think Old Town has definitely been changing, and with Deadstock leaving and not having enough people in this area, will definitely help us think about the relocation,” he said.
Mattouk described Old Town as a social services neighborhood, and said he’s not sure those services have taken on the responsibility of making sure their clientele respect neighboring businesses.
“I’ve heard of a few other businesses that I can see right out the window that may not be sticking around more than a few more months,” he said.
But he added that he’s not ready to give up; the deli recently moved from 4th Avenue to 5th Avenue and signed a new lease for another 10 years, so it’s not going anywhere.
Cody Bowman, press officer for Mayor Keith Wilson’s office, said the city values the contributions that Deadstock and Index have made to Old Town, and that Prosper Portland has worked to support them through challenges such as decreased foot traffic and public safety concerns in Old Town, though he also acknowledged that the businesses have seen declines in sales.
Bowman added that revitalizing Portland’s economy with a focus on downtown business will be the mayor’s next big push in the new year.
