Portland, Oregon, is experiencing the departure of another well-known dining establishment from its area.
Cracker Barrel recently announced its decision to permanently close its remaining restaurants in the Portland region. Locations in Beaverton and Tualatin, Oregon will be affected, as well as the Bend site, which is about a 3.5-hour drive from Portland.
A representative from the popular restaurant chain pointed to the continuing fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic as the main cause for these closures.
“We are saddened that we have been unable to overcome the impact the pandemic had on our business and have made the difficult decision to close the Beaverton, Tualatin and Bend locations,” a Cracker Barrel spokesperson said. This follows Walmart’s announcement that it would be shutting down its last remaining stores in Portland. The retail behemoth cited the failure to meet financial expectations and “several” other factors for closing its final two locations in the area. Around 580 employees will be affected by the layoffs, but they will be offered transfers to other Walmart branches.
These closures come after Walmart CEO Doug McMillion stated in 2022 that record-breaking retail theft has negatively impacted the company’s economic performance and could lead to store closures.
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“Theft is an issue. It’s higher than what it has historically been,” McMillion said, adding that “prices will be higher and/or stores will close” if authorities don’t crack down on shoplifting crimes.
The Walmart stores are set to close on March 24.
