Prosper Portland's Office of Small Business looking to grow in its second year

July 29, 2026 - 17:22

Portland's bar and restaurant landscape is undergoing a rapid transformation, with longtime favorites such as EastBurn, Pink Rabbit, and Miss Delta shutting their doors. In the midst of this churn, Prosper Portland's Office of Small Business is marking its first anniversary and setting its sights on growth.

Launched last year, the office was created to provide targeted support for the city's independent businesses, which often struggle with rising rents, staffing shortages, and shifting consumer habits. Now entering its second year, the office plans to expand its reach beyond the usual downtown core, focusing on neighborhood commercial corridors that have been hit hard by closures.

Director Maria Thi Mai says the goal is to move from crisis response to proactive assistance. That means more direct grants, technical help with permitting, and partnerships with local development groups. The office has already helped dozens of businesses navigate city bureaucracy and access capital, but Thi Mai acknowledges that the pace of closures shows there is still a long way to go.

The loss of spots like EastBurn, a staple on East Burnside, and Pink Rabbit, a beloved dive bar, underscores the fragility of Portland's nightlife economy. Miss Delta, a soul food joint in the Mississippi District, also cited rising costs and changing foot traffic as reasons for closing. The office sees these exits as a signal to double down on retention efforts, not just recruitment of new businesses.

With a modest budget and a small team, the Office of Small Business is betting that targeted, boots-on-the-ground support can help stabilize the city's independent scene. Whether it can scale up fast enough to match the pace of closures remains the open question.