Readers respond: Nurture the entrepreneurial spirit that shaped Portland

I’ve just read a plea from chef Greg Higgins to help save his restaurant, (“

Longtime downtown Portland restaurant calls for help — ‘We’re on the brink,

’” July 12). After 30 years in business, blazing a trail for those who champion local ingredients and winning

a James Beard Award,

Higgins is hanging by a thread. And the City of Portland seems to have the scissors in hand.

When I first came to Portland in 1998 as part of a culinary professionals’ annual conference, I was charmed by the city’s friendliness and the European scale of its city blocks. I was so inspired by Portland’s culture and quality of life that I moved from New York to Portland six months later. As a public relations professional specializing in restaurants, I began to sing the praises of chefs like

Cory Schreiber

and

Lisa Schroeder

, among others, to national media. These pioneers were defining a local food culture and building a growing local economy. A new identity for the city was beginning to emerge.

How can a place shaped by so much entrepreneurial spirit let such treasures struggle on their own? Yes, the pandemic has created a seismic shift in work/life habits; yes, commercial occupancy is in a crisis. But there needs to be municipal support and programs in place for Portland’s most cherished businesses.

Now is the time – not only for eating razor clams and blackberry cobblers at Higgins, but also for Portland setting its table with more effective solutions for small downtown businesses.

Lisa Donoughe, Portland

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