BUSINESS
A8 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2022
Popeyes restaurant planned for Hermiston
BY ANTONIO ARREDONDO
Hermiston Herald
While driving down Highway
395, Hermiston residents may
have noticed construction activ-
ity taking place.
The city has received plans to
bring no life to the the former
Alvarez Auto Sales at 1660 N.
First St as a Popeyes Louisiana
Kitchen. Staff reports available
online from a June 8 chamber
meeting show Craig Gilbert, on
behalf of Ambrosia QSR, has filed
documents to the city of Herm-
iston Planning Commission to
build the new restaurant.
Ambrosia QSR is a Vancouver,
Washington-based company that
partners with Popeyes and Burger
King brands. This would be their
first location in Eastern Oregon.
The 80,000-square foot par-
cel, the site of the proposal for
the 2,536-square-foot restaurant,
has not yet been sold as specifics
are worked out, according to the
documents. Part of the trouble is
the proposed drive-thru window,
which is normally required to be
20 feet away from the road. The
variance request points out that
the nearby Dairy Queen restau-
rant, however, sits closer.
“The Oregon Department of
Transportation has been working
with the applicant and the city
to best develop the access plan
for the site,” the documents state.
“Several iterations of site devel-
opment have been reviewed and
evaluated.”
The variance was recom-
mended to be approved, paving
the way for the Popeyes location
to be put in. Craig Gilbert de-
clined to comment on the con-
struction.
Erick Peterson/Hermiston Herald
The property at 1660 N. First St., Hermiston, is empty Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022, but soon could house a Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen restaurant.
Irrigon welcomes business boom OSU course on farm
BY JOHN TILLMAN
Hermiston Herald
IRRIGON — Business is back to boom-
ing in Irrigon. Premises have opened up
or are under construction and older es-
tablishments enjoy new management.
Supply chain issues however have slowed
down some startups.
“Going from east to west for new
businesses in town, let’s start with Fam-
ily Dollar Store,” City Manager Aaron
Palmquist said. “It’s coming in and under
construction. Dollar Tree is a separate
entity.”
On the south side of North Main Av-
enue is a fruit stand, across from A. C.
Houghton Elementary School. At 810
N.E. Main Ave., the new Garden Family
Restaurant serves Tex-Mex food.
“It’s doing great,” Palmquist reported.
“Part of the code allows living beside
businesses. It’s exciting to have here, just
off the highway.”
Java Junkies cafe lies a bit farther west
along Highway 730 at Division Road.
“It’s a franchise with the one in Uma-
tilla,” Palmquist said. “They’re a great
group of young ladies. West of them is a
Latino restaurant with great people, food
and prices.”
Taqueria Dona Mary is at 490 N.E.
Main Ave., near the Irrigon Minimart.
“The Minimart is putting in a 76 gas
station,” Palmquist said, “but the supply
chain has been a challenge. They’re still
waiting for storage tanks to arrive.”
El Primo Mexican Grill is at Fourth
Street and Highway 730.
“It was Sergio’s, but is now under new
ownership,” Palmquist said. “Maria is a
great cook. It’s primarily Mexican cui-
sine, but with American food for break-
fast. They accommodate a variety of
tastes and are doing excellently.”
To the west lies the Irrigon Store, con-
sisting of a Circle K and Shell station.
The Rustic Truck Bar and Grill, a Pacific
Northwestern restaurant, is at 100 W.
Highway 730, across South First Street
from the Bank of Eastern Oregon. On
the other side of the highway is the Dol-
lar General.
“Also on the north side of 730 is the
Irrigon Medical Clinic, near the new
county building,” Palmquist said, with
the Irrigon Boardman Emergency Assis-
tance Center, 290 N.E. Main Ave.
Other new businesses include home
workers, such as trucking delivery dis-
patchers, Palmquist noted.
“This is an exciting development,” he
said, “but for security reasons I can’t say
where they are located.”
And major developments are coming,
Palmquist said. Oregon’s U.S. Sens. Ron
Wyden and Jeff Merkley recently an-
nounced federal appropriations included
$1 million for Irrigon’s business opportu-
nity incubator.
“It’s to help low-income and under-
served community members set up shops.”
The federal dollars are to fund
construction of an approximately
10,000-square-foot facility with a certi-
fied kitchen and space for multiple uses,
including distribution, manufacturing
and warehousing. It would allow a va-
riety of small areas, with flexibility to
house office space and restrooms.
“For 10 to 15 years, Irrigon has wanted
a certified kitchen,” Palmquist said. “The
city will help set it up, then rent it out
and use it to sell products or send food
to schools.”
The new facility is to be built where
old, now-demolished vacation rental
cabins stood on the south side of the
highway. Construction could start in the
spring.
The project represents a partnership
between the city of Irrigon and the Port
of Morrow, which will provide additional
funding to complete the project.
“Besides the federal funds, Irrigon also
is getting $250,000 from the Port of Mor-
row to conduct engineering and plan-
ning for the incubation center,” Palm-
quist concluded. “We work cooperatively
for business development here.”
Lisa Mittelsdorf, executive director of
the Port of Morrow, reported the facility
“will be particularly effective in creating
opportunities for minority and low-in-
come individuals in our community that
need it most.”
wildfire plans available
BY BRAD CARLSON
Capital Press
An Oregon State University
Extension course that helps
farmers create wildfire pre-
paredness plans is available on-
line.
Oregon Occupational Safety
and Health began requiring the
plans for many farm operations
in 2019.
Enrollment in the three-hour,
seven-module online course
costs $25.
Topics include understanding
unique wildfire risks in agricul-
tural areas; identifying locating
and documenting hazards; miti-
gating risk with defensible space
and better-prepared structures;
creating fuel breaks; on-site wa-
ter sources for firefighting; in-
ventorying available resources;
and creating medical, fire emer-
gency and fire-prevention plans.
OSU said the course is also
designed to benefit ag opera-
tions without employees, and
rural residents.
The requirements apply to
producers with employees who
work to suppress wildfires on
farms and rangeland. A docu-
INFORMATION
Phone: 541-296-5494
Email: jacob.powell@oregon-
state.edu.
mented emergency action plan
is required as well as firefighting
action and prevention plans.
Workers who go beyond us-
ing an extinguisher or small
hose to control fire must have
basic training and an annual re-
fresher.
OSU estimates the likelihood
of fire in Oregon’s populated
urban and rural areas is greater
than that of 64% of states.
Jacob Powell, the OSU Exten-
sion educator for Sherman and
Wasco counties, developed and
leads the course. Extension fire
educators provided peer-review
edits.
It covers how to create emer-
gency farm plans. He said the
advantages of a written plan in-
clude having all contacts easily
accessible in one place and clear
steps to follow.
Come See Us At the Fair!
Bring the kids Thursday, Aug. 11 for free children’s admission
sponsored by our Hydromania Summer Science Camp!
For more information on how UEC is
powering community visit our website:
Hermiston Office
Boardman Office
750 W. Elm Ave.
Hermiston, OR 97838
(541) 567-6414
400 N.E. Eldrige Drive
Boardman, OR 97818
(541) 481-2220