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w w w. po r t landobserver.com
2003
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M in o r it y E nterprise D
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W eek
We should be proud o f him because o f his commitment to his workers and his community,
i
- African-American business leader Paul Knauls on local entrepreneur Jack Chung
BUILDING A BUSINESS EMPIRE
Jack Chung embraces community as he expands reach
to be the new Paul Knauls.”
Chung earned his success the
hard way. He came to the United
States from South Korea at age 19
in 1977. He worked for three years
as a spot welder at Tektronix be
fore being laid o ff and endured 10
months o f unemployment.
Then a friend offered to let Chung
have his job, as a distributor for
Mary Jane’s Bakery, in exchange
for Chung’s house.
“It wasn’t for sale, but it was
hard to sell a house at that time,” he
recalls. “I thought it was a good
L ee P erlman /
T he P ortland O bsery er
by
The open space in front o f the
adidas store at the comer o f North
east Martin Luther King Jr. Boule
vard and Alberta Street is called
Harry Jackson Plaza and is dedi
cated to the popular black police
sergeant.
However, the name also says
much about the man who brought
the store to the site and still owns
the property: Korean-American
Jack Chung.
Chung rejected the advise o f Af
rican-American estate agent Fred
Stewart’s hat he name the space
“Jack’s Place” after himself.
“ 1 told him no, I’ve done nothing
for MLK,” Chung said with his
characteristic modesty. “I didn’t
want it named for a mayor or some
one with a big title. 1 wanted some
one who did work in the commu
nity. Then I said, ‘Why not Harry
Jackson?’”
The commercial development is
typical o f Chung in another respect
trade.”
In 1987, he acquired the Alberta
Street Market and the warehouse
at Martin Luther King, the latter for
just $8,900 down.
In 1996, Stewart called to tel I him
that adidas wanted the property.
“I thought Fred was just talking,
but they were serious,” he said. “I
met with the president o f adidas.
What the company wanted was to
make the property their first fully-
owned retail outlet anywhere.”
Ray Leary, an African-Ameri
can business leader who partici
pated in the negotiations as an adidas
executive, said, “Jack is very direct,
but he also understands that suc
cessful business deals are made by
people, not just corporations. You
establish a relationship and that en
— it’s a positive influence on the
community.
Chung bought the property, then
a warehouse, in 1987, when other
businesses were not exactly clam
oring to locate on the boulevard.
However, he rejected cash offers
from, among others. Fantasy Video,
a sex-related business, to establish
outlets there.
“ I wanted it to be something
good,” he said.
Today, Chung is pursuing busi
nesses that are good for the com
munity on several fronts.
He is replacing his Alberta Street
photo by
M ark W ashincton /T he P ortland O bserver
Harry Jackson Plaza anchors the northeast business corridor on the corner o f Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
and Alberta Street. Korean-American entrepreneur Jack Chung developed the site and named it in honor o f highly regarded
community servant Harry Jackson, an African American police officer.
Market, which he has owned since
1987, with a new two-story struc
ture. It will contain a new, revamped
market, a new edition o f Northeast Broadway’s
Yuki sushi restaurant, a beauty salon and several
other commercial services.
He recently purchased the Shamrock Tavern
on Interstate Avenue and Skidmore Street, re
named it the Interstate Bar and Grill, and per
formed a major renovation.
“ I wanted to clean it up," he says. “ I changed
the paint, the pictures and the bathroom.”
A grand opening for the establishment in
August drew the likes o f longtime African-
American business leader Paul Knauls and may-
oral candidate Jim Francesconi.
> I ’d always wanted to own a restaurant and bar, so I
picked up the classified ads and saw that this place was for
sale. It's right on the new MAX line and a busy intersection
k
- JackChungon theopenlngof the Insterstate Bar and Grill
He recently purchased the Formosa Restau
rant, an establishment with some history o f
public safety issues, at 7410 N.E. Martin Luther
King Jr. Blvd., and here too, he plans a total
renovation and a name change. The long-time
restaurant near the intersection with Lombard
will be the Moon Star Bar and Grill.
“ It will be beautiful,” he promises.
Knauls notes that Chung will soon be propri-
etorofthree liquor outlets: Interstate, Moon Star
and Yuki. Recalling his own days as proprietor
ofGeneva’s nightclub he quipped, “Jack’s going
dures long after the ink is dry and
the deal is complete.”
To hear Chung tel I it, he acquired
the Shamrock out o f boredom. He
was already planning the renova
tion o f the Alberta Market.
“I knew it would take time, and I
couldn't just sit around waiting,”
Chung said. “I'd always wanted to
own a restaurant and bar, so I picked
up the classified ads and saw that
this place was for sale. It’s right on the new
MAX line and a busy intersection.”
Then he stumbled on the Formosa, also up for
sale.
“I saw an opportunity," he says. “I hear that
45,000 cars a day pass by thereon Martin Luther
King alone! I couldn’t just let that go. I said,
‘Let's do it!’ Sometimes you just get lueky.”
To many observers, Chung’s success is not
luck, but years o f positive effort paying off.
Knauls says o f his management o f the Alberta
continued
on page B 12
D evelopm ent G ood
for Business
County Honors
M inority Enterprises
Michael Martin o f Portland oversees
the demolition o f World War ll-era
housing at Columbia Cilla.
Proclaimation o f the week o f Oct. 13 •
17 fo r Minority Enterprise Develop
ment Week.
Troy Kyles has been a member fo r
Local Laborer's Union 320 fo r IS
years He has worked in the construc
tion industry fo r 20 years.
See inside, page BI2
See inside, page B10
See inside, page B4
I
Unflagging Dedication