Fire-Ravaged Tails & Trotters Launches Crowdsourcing Campaign

“Our goal is to have temporary production in some form or another within the next month,” says Aaron Silverman, owner of Tails & Trotters. The maker of fine cured Pacific Northwest meats lost his entire inventory—three year’s worth—in last week’s fire. That includes the 24- and 26-month-aged, hazelnut-finished prosciutto that’d been his focus since opening the doors in 2012.

“I want people to know we do have insurance,” says Silverman. “We are responsible. But it’s not going to pay for everything, and that includes helping my employees keep their lights on and mortgages paid during this interim.”

In addition to fundraisers launched by Nomad.PDX and Zilla Sake House, a crowdsourcing campaign is currently in effect called Rebuild Tails & Trotters. “Those fund are going specifically toward keeping group benefits going, as well as wages, as much as we can,” says Silverman. “After that, funds will go toward reestablishing production asap.” This could involve a meat-driven sandwich cart, in the parking lot next door to Tails & Trotters.

Pie Spot, neighbor to Tails & Trotters, was also damaged, and Silverman predicts they will reopen in the next few weeks. Tails & Trotters hopes to reopen before the holidays 2017, but it’s still three years out from releasing aged prosciutto again. Meanwhile, a banner on the website still reads, “After 10 years in the making, our own Northwest-style Prosciutto Pacifico is ready.”

Silverman confirms the fire was not the result of negligence. It was an electrical fire. “It could have been worse,” he says.

• Tails & Trotters [Official]
• Rebuild Tails & Trotters [GoFundMe]
• Updated: Severe Fire Damages Tails & Trotters and The Pie Spot [EPDX]
• All Previous Tails & Trotters Coverage [EPDX]