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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 9, 2020)
BUSINESS WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2020 HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A7 Pho Quan Vietnamese Hermiston Avenue businesses get a facelift restaurant opens By JADE MCDOWELL NEWS EDITOR By JADE MCDOWELL NEWS EDITOR It took longer than expected, but Pho Quan Vietnamese Cuisine has opened in Hermiston. Owner Mike Dang said the Vietnamese restaurant had a “very busy and suc- cessful” opening weekend the last weekend in August. “The community support so far has been overwhelm- ing and we appreciate it from the bottom of our hearts,” he wrote in a message to the Hermiston Herald. The large response high- lighted a few things that needed to be adjusted in the kitchen, he said, so they briefl y closed on Sept. 2-3 to restock and reassess. Dang said the restaurant plans to serve their basic “bread and butter” dishes, such as Pho year-round, but will also continue to adjust the menu by introduc- ing new Vietnamese dishes Travelers along the 100 block of Hermiston Ave- nue in Hermiston may have noticed that some of the stores have a much differ- ent look. The Ochoa family, own- ers of the building that houses Adamari’s Bou- tique, Ochoa’s Jewel- ers, Boost Mobile and more used time while shut down during the pandemic to do extensive remodel- ing inside and outside the building, shifting from a red painted facade to a more modern, black with grey stone look. “Everyone has been tell- ing us they hope other busi- nesses in town do that,” said Zaida Gutierrez. Gutierrez, who works in the boutique, said the Ochoas also added new fl oors inside, expanded and remodeled the jewelry store Staff photo by Jade McDowell Pho Quan Vietnamese Cuisine is now open in Hermiston on South Highway 395. monthly. He said they take pride in making everything fresh in-house. “Our culture is fam- ily- and friend-oriented and we love sharing food and meals with each other so we wanted to bring that vibe here,” he said. “Our restau- rant is a place for everyone to share a meal and bond. We all eat; food is universal.” Right now the restaurant has limited dine-in seating due to pandemic restrictions, he said, and reservations are encouraged. They also offer takeout. The restaurant is family-owned, and the fam- ily also owns restaurants in Kirkland and Federal Way, Washington. The restaurant is at 920 S.E. Fourth St. in Hermis- ton. For more information, call 541-701-0676. Staff photo by Jade McDowell Businesses along West Hermiston Avenue got a recent facade upgrade. and made other upgrades. They recently celebrated the changes with a small private gathering, and all of the businesses along the block are fully open. “We did a very small rib- bon cutting, just with fam- ily and a photographer,” she said. The building is at 176 W. Hermiston Ave. Ochoa’s Jewelers is a family-owned business established in 2006, and offers cus- tom jewelry, engagement rings and more. Adamari’s Boutique offers wedding gowns, quinceañera dresses and other formal wear. AVAILABLE NOW! NOW! AVAILABLE Studio & 1 bedroom apartments Get answers from a trusted local resource! Knowing how hard it is to make a lifestyle change, let us help you through the decision making process. Call Pam: 541-564-2595 for assistance! Call me for a complimentary PERSONAL CONSULTATION today! 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Projects meant to bring down util- ity bills are doing much more for small businesses in Oregon – some are making properties safer and more convenient for customers. Juan Alavarez owns La Tapatia 2, a Mexican grocery and meat market in Gresham. He recently installed new en- ergy-efficient LED lighting to replace the outdated lighting outside his store with help from Energy Trust of Oregon. Although he was looking for energy sav- ings, the upgrade brought some addition- al, unexpected benefits to his business. Alvarez says his building is now safer and there’s less vandalism. “The new lighting is bright- er and not easily breakable. Security is better. Customers and neighbors say it looks amazing.” – Juan Alavarez, owner of La Tapatia 2 Inside the store, Alavarez also re- placed all of the overhead fluorescent lighting with LEDs, which has helped lighten up darker corners. That makes it easier for customers to see what’s on each store shelf. “The first day after in- stallation, customers commented that they could see our products better,” said Alvarez. The upgrades inside and out are sav- ing La Tapatia 2 an estimated $2,600 each year in energy costs. But the store only had to a pay about 20% of the $34,000 project cost to purchase and install the new lighting, thanks to incentives offered by Energy Trust. En- ergy Trust is a nonprofit created by the State of Oregon to connect more people to sustainable, affordable energy and clean, renewable power. Energy Trust provides cash incen- tives to individuals, businesses, schools, municipalities and others for equipment and projects that help use less energy. Since 2002, Energy Trust has provid- ed incentives to thousands of Gresham families, businesses, schools, farms and ranches for energy upgrades, helping Gresham utility customers save more than $40 million on utility bills from participation in Energy Trust. Visit energytrust.org/this-is-oregon to see more of how Energy Trust is helping small businesses around the state.
