Trader Vic's May Close for Good After Serious Fire

On March 2, a fire broke out at the Pearl's throwback tiki bar, Trader Vic's—one of only four locations left in the country—and now there's serious speculation as to whether it will reopen. While Trader Vic's has not officially confirmed the closing, WWeek reported yesterday, "Legendary tiki bar Trader Vic's is closed in Portland after a fire March 2 burned through most of the bar's ceiling. And according to one of Vic's managers today, it may never re-open." This last bit referenced a now-deleted March 15 Facebook post by employee Justin DuPre.

On his Facebook page, DePre says he's a "Lead Server/FOH Supervisor" at the Portland Trader Vic's, and in the post, DuPre wrote Trader Vic's Portland will close permanently. DuPre has since written on Facebook that he did not realize he was posting publicly, but there may be truth to his posts.

According to WWeek, DuPre went on to share other inside details in another now-deleted Facebook post. In this second post, DuPre provided specific financial figures that basically suggest the place was hemorrhaging money.

As for Trader Vic's, Eater has reached out, and the company has yet to confirm or debunk the rumors. The Trader Vic's website simply says, "Due to a fire, Trader Vic's will be closed for a period of time to repair the bar and dining room area. We are sorry for any inconvenience." The restaurant's phone message says the restaurant is "closed until further notice" due to a fire in a neighboring office.

Below are the details DuPre still has posted to his Facebook account, and hopefully Trader Vic's will release an update shortly to settle the matter.