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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (April 10, 2019)
Named First Citizen ‘City of Roses’ Volume XLVIII • Number 14 Does I-5 Fix Fail on Equity? Education advocate Ron Herndon honored New testimony focuses on black community See Local News, page 3 See inside, page 3 www.portlandobserver.com Wednesday • April 10, 2019 Established in 1970 Committed to Cultural Diversity Wayne Cannon downsizes to keep barbeque history alive d anny p eterson t he p ortland o bserver In an effort to keep a piece of Portland barbecue history alive, Cannon’s Rib Ex- press, which has cemented itself as a com- munity hub with its award-winning hickory smoked dishes and friendly atmosphere for a generation, is moving from a fixed-loca- tion, sit-down restaurant—where the cost was getting too high to operate--to a food cart, proprietor and chef Wayne Cannon told the Portland Observer. “We’re in the process of trying to main- tain a reasonable price of our product and keep the costs down to survive,” Cannon said. Cannon’s previous location near North- east Killingsworth Street and 33rd Avenue, a counter-serve venue with patio seating, has shuttered its doors and Cannon will now be amongst a shared plot of food carts that includes Jacksons Catfish Corner, Star Kitchen Thai Food, and Kee’s #Loaded Kitchen—at the corner of Northeast Beech and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. It’s a move that coincides with an explosion of food carts in the Rose City over the past two decades. Cannon received help making the transi- tion from other food cart operators and his friend, Darnell Lowery, whom he met at a men’s church group at Mt. Olivet Baptist Church in north Portland. “I was crying the blues about the cost of labor and things of that nature and Dar- nell, being the humanitarian that he is, volunteered to help me out in my prob- lem. He’s been a total asset to the busi- ness,” Cannon, 78, said. Since joining Cannon’s team about a year ago as a part time chef, Darnell, 70, has not only contributed his business acu- men from having run a small business himself for many years—“Special Touch Ceramic Tile”—but also one of his fami- ly’s secret recipes, “Helen’s Sweet Potato Cake,” to the menu. Much to Cannon’s de- light, they’re selling--well--like hot cakes. by photo by M ark W ashington /t he p ortland o bserver Wayne Cannon (right), longtime owner of Cannon’s Rib Express and his friend and part-time chef Darnell Lowery, are encourag- ing customers old and new to their new food cart on the corner of Northeast Beech and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The cheaper-to-operate location replaces the restaurant space Cannon rented out for several years at the New Seasons Market on Northeast 33rd Avenue. C ontinued on p age 4
