23-05-2025
‘Ongoing security concerns' spark closure of West Burnside burger joint
PORTLAND, Ore. () — A Bend-founded burger chain is closing one of its Portland outposts due to safety concerns.
On Wednesday morning, Next Level Burger informed customers of the closure of its 1972 W Burnside restaurant.
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'At Next Level, we're committed to creating safe, welcoming spaces for our team, our guests, and the communities we serve,' Next Level wrote. 'Following a pause in operations due to a significant incident during service, we've made the difficult decision to close our West Burnside location due to ongoing security concerns in the surrounding area. This decision was not made lightly, but nothing comes before the safety of our team members and guests.'
The company has multiple plant-based burger joints remaining in the Portland area, including a location on Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard and another in Lake Oswego. Next Level also owns Veggie Grill, which has a downtown restaurant in addition to a space in Beaverton's Cedar Hills Crossing.
But Next Level's Burnside business has faced several challenges.
According to a Portland Police Bureau spokesperson, that location last called officers to report an incident in July 2022. Later in November 2023, to reveal they had faced vandalism twice in that month alone.
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Additionally, there were 1,302 offenses reported in the surrounding Goose Hollow neighborhood from March 2024 to March 2025. Vandalism accounted for 200 of those offenses.
This is a developing story.
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