One of Portland’s largest food empires is toppling — the Oregonian reports that Toro Bravo, Tasty N Daughters, and Tasty N Alder will all shutter permanently, along with event space Plaza del Toro. The report comes just a few days since the founder, chef, and main face of the company, John Gorham, stepped away from the business amid revelations that he threatened a trans woman of color over vandalism of company property. Gorham originally had announced he would be transferring his shares to his partner Renee Gorham, and sell off seven other establishments under the Toro umbrella. On June 24, Renee Gorham told the Oregonian she would be taking control of the company; at a team meeting Wednesday morning, Renee Gorham announced the company would be dissolved, that the three restaurants would not reopen, and that the event space and kitchen would close once it fulfilled its contracts with nonprofits helping to feed people experiencing food-instability.
As first reported by Eater PDX, John Gorham posted to Facebook in late May after he discovered that Toro Bravo’s catering vans had been vandalized, offering a cash reward for information for the perpetrator. When a local woman saw his outburst, she posted to a public Facebook group with photos of the vans, praising the artistry and offering cans of free spray paint; she described these statements as jokes in an “obvious post to mock him.” After tracking her down, Gorham began writing posts with her name, as well as a photo of her car and license plate, then eventually messaged her friends and finally her, leveling a threat and transphobic remark.
After the screenshots began to surface, Gorham reached out to the woman to offer his apologies and restitutions in the form of a $5,000 donation to NAYA. He also stepped away from his companies, working on a deal to sell the Team Ron side of the company, which includes Mediterranean Exploration Company, Israeli street food spots Shalom Y’all, falafel restaurant Mama Sesame, Bless Your Heart burger spots, and the yet-to-open Y’alla.
For years, the Toro Bravo Group was at the forefront of culinary trends in Portland, attracting long lines for its “global” take on brunch at Tasty N Sons on North Williams and packed dining rooms at the small-plates steakhouse Tasty N Alder on weekend nights. Toro Bravo, which debuted in 2007, was the flagship, serving Spanish dishes like pinxtos, tapas, and raciones to Portlanders; Gorham eventually shared many of the restaurant’s recipes in a popular cookbook.
Meanwhile, the Toro Bravo group’s remaining restaurants continue to open each day across the city. The more casual, often counter-service-focused restaurants like Mediterranean Exploration Company and Bless Your Heart Burger are mostly all reopened for service with new social-distancing and mask-wearing guidelines. Eater Portland has reached out to Renee Gorham for comment.
• Portland restaurant group Toro Bravo Inc. dissolving in wake of founder’s Facebook outburst [O]
• John Gorham Steps Away From Restaurant Empire After Threatening Social Media Posts Surface [EPDX]
• Previous Toro Bravo coverage [EPDX]
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July 03, 2020 at 01:20AM
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Toro Bravo, Tasty N Daughters, and Tasty N Alder Will All Permanently Close - Eater Portland
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