Ben and Esther’s Vegan Jewish Deli to close 1 Portland location

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Ben and Esther’s Vegan Jewish Deli has shared that it’s closing one of two Portland locations by the end of this month. But according to the deli’s Facebook announcement, “it’s a GOOD thing!”

The West Coast chain’s original Portland location on Northeast Sandy Boulevard will have its final day of business on Saturday, April 29, as well as its location in Oceanside, Calif.

Ben and Esther’s Northeast Alberta Street shop, which the owners say has more space and baking capacity, will now be its only location in the Rose City.

“We’re just seeing that we can best affect change when focusing on a broader audience, rather than smaller communities for now, and Portland is fine without 2 locations just 10 minutes apart,” the business said in a Facebook post.

According to the announcement, some staff members at the Northeast Sandy deli will soon move to the Northeast Alberta shop.

Ben and Esther’s added that these business changes come with a new menu and “some really exciting things in the works.”

The soon-to-be-closed bagel shop will eventually house Denizens Café, a food-focused café from the same people behind Rocky Buttee Coffee Roasters, which shut down its espresso bar at the end of 2022.

Ben and Esther’s will continue to serve customers at its San Diego and Seattle stores. The business says those locations have had an impact on its ‘For The Animals’ mission.

In the bagel chain’s Facebook post, it said it was actively searching for a location in the Los Angeles Area. New York or New Jersey could soon have a new bagel shop in town as well.