Ramen and snacks at Boxer.
Boxer, the Portland-based ramen chain from restaurateur Micah Camden, will close all of its locations on Monday, April 29, after filing for bankruptcy earlier this year. An announcement on the restaurant’s website attributes the closure to financial strain related to inflation and the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The incredible challenges that we all faced as a community during the pandemic, compounded by inflated costs of goods and services, have not only profoundly affected our restaurant, but all of us and our communities as a whole,” the announcement reads. “Despite the tireless efforts and dedication of our incredible team, and the unwavering support from all of you, our family and friends, it has become impossible to continue operating.”
Camden and former partner Katie Poppe opened Boxer Ramen in 2013, a highly anticipated follow-up to their successful fast food brand Little Big Burger and Japanese restaurant Boxer Sushi. In a pre-Afuri and Kizuki Portland, the restaurant became popular not just for its ramen, but also its okonomiyaki tots. Boxer went on to open several locations across the city, even after Poppe and Camden split up their businesses and went their separate ways.
The restaurant closed its locations during the early days of the pandemic, reopening in 2022 as the rebranded Boxer. However, it was seemingly difficult for the restaurant to regain its footing: Boxer and Camden’s other chain, Super Deluxe, filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in February. Angelo Lombardi, the Nashville-based president of Comfort Food Group, invested $300,000 in the businesses, and worked with Camden in an attempt to get them in better financial shape.
“My brands are really beloved,” Camden told Willamette Week in February. “These are established 10-year brands. I have no intention of letting them go under without a fight.”
The remaining Boxer locations will continue to serve customers through the weekend, closing after service on Sunday, April 28.
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