Supreme
evening
A special Mary Wilson concert to benefit
Portland area non profits and activities
See page 10 for details
Volume XXXXI
‘City of Roses’
Number 46
www.portlandobserver.com
Wednesday • November 28. 2012
Established in 1970
Committed to Cultural Diversity
s
7
v / r o "/
* community service
M ackand D ub’s Will
Bounce Back
Arson fire
investigated
as hate crime
C ari H achmann
T he P ortland O bserver
by
photo by
M ark W ashington / T he P ortland O bserver
James ‘Mack ’ McClendon and William ‘Dub' Travis III plan to rebuild after an arson fire destroyed their restaurant at 3601
N.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
After a suspected arsonist lit fire to Mack
and Dub’s Excellent Chicken & Waffles, leav
ing the inside to bum a gaping hole in the roof
and much of the place charred beyond recog
nition, co-owners James “Mack” McClendon
and William “Dub” Travis III are visibly
bummed, but say, “We will bounce back.”
The good news is that Mack and Dub’s is
insured. The bad news is it that once all of the
non- salvageable remains are hauled out or
demolished; it will take 90 days to six months
to rebuild.
Opened just this February, Mack and
Dub’s earned rave reviews.
“The moment they put their sign up, I was
there,” said the first review on Yelp from
Connie C. of Lake Oswego. “I pretty much
always have a hankering for chicken and
waffles.”
Famed for its southern-style menu, laid-
back vibes and late night music, Mack and
Dub’s has already been doted a northeast
Portland landmark by local media, including
the Willamette Week, who called it “the best
soul food on Martin Luther King Jr. Boule
vard.”
The restaurant also got national nods
from the likes of BlackAtlas.com, a travel
website catered to African-Americans.
Sadly, the foundation for their success
came to an abrupt stop, the day before Thanks
giving.
At 5:47 a.m. last Wednesday, a police
officer smelled smoke near Mack and Dub’s
vicinity, between Northeast Fremont Street
and Beech.
Travis awoke to a phone call at 6 a.m. His
business was on fire and he better get down
here the voice on the other end told him.
continued
on page 4