A POPULAR food company is shutting the doors of its beloved café and retail store.
Consumers who frequented the location could not only have a meal but also buy a plethora of merchandise while doing it.
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Soon, locals in Milwaukie, Oregon, a historic area on the south side of Portland, will not be able to do that anymore at the Whole Grain Store and Café, per CBS affiliate KOIN.
The Whole Grain Store sells around 200 products made by Bob’s Red Mill, an employee-owned company with offerings of baking flour, whole grains, baking tools, supplies, souvenirs, and items from vendors in the Portland area.
A diner-style breakfast and lunch were also served at the café seven days a week, but that service stopped for good on February 9.
The retail section of The Whole Grain Store will also cease operations on February 17, according to a statement Bob’s Red Mill provided the outlet.
Read More on Store Closures
BOB’S RED MILL’S MESSAGE
“Despite everyone’s hard work and best efforts, the Whole Grain Store has been operating at a loss for many years, and for that reason, we’ve recently made the call for us to close it to focus on doing what we do best: making wholesome and high-quality products for sale at our retail partners,” Bob’s Red Mill said.
“We sincerely thank the team members at the Whole Grain Store and Café who have been exceptional ambassadors for Bob’s Red Mill.”
Until the February 17 deadline for the rest of the Whole Grain Store, senior citizens can also get between 50% and 60% off deals and discounts on everything inside.
Bob’s Red Mill was founded in 1978 by the late Bob Moore, who died last year on February 10, 2024.
Portland businesses and restaurants have taken hits over the past few years.
DONUT DONE
The most recent was two locations for the popular Blue Star Donuts chain in January.
Blue Star Donuts is Portland-based, with the closing locations in the surrounding area of Lake Oswego and the Mississippi neighborhood on the city’s north side.
“It’s with a heavy heart that we announce the closure of our Lake Oswego and Mississippi locations, effective immediately,” Blue Star wrote in an Instagram post in early January.
“These spaces have been home to countless sweet memories, joyful celebrations, and deep connections.”
“While this decision was incredibly difficult, it’s one we had to make to ensure the long-term stability of Blue Star as we head into our 13th year,” the statement continued.
US braces for ‘45,000 store closures’
Some 45,000 bricks-and-mortar stores could close in the next five years, experts have warned.
Several major retailers have announced store closures or gone out of business altogether in recent years.
In 2023, chains such as Foot Locker announced plans to close up to 400 outlets by 2026.
While, other well-known retailers like Tuesday Morning and Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams filed for bankruptcy in 2023.
Bed Bath & Beyond has closed all of its brick-and-mortar stores and is now an online-only retailer.
The most affected retailers have been clothing, consumer electronics, sporting goods, hobby, book, music, and home furnishing stores since the start of 2019.
UBS has predicted the total number of retail stores will drop by 45k from 958k to 913k.
Despite that, the report says that certain stores should thrive while others decline.
It said retailers such as Walmart, Costco, Home Depot, and Target, could be among the winners.
Several customers commented back issuing their sadness over the closure update.
Blue Star had previously filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in August 2020 amid the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
With the January closures, the company said it could “live to fight another day.”
Only four locations remain open on Blue Star’s website, one of which resides in the Portland International Airport.
Other popular brands have also faced bankruptcy woes recently.
Big Lots is closing several hundred stores after filing in September.
LL Flooring has also reverted to its old name and axed half of its locations amid its bankruptcy restructuring process.
