Nico’s Cantina announces closure along with Mama Dut, Tokyo Sando

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A little over a year after opening in the Cully neighborhood, Nico’s Cantina will officially close its doors in November. But it isn’t the only Portland-based restaurant that will shut down in the coming weeks.

On Tuesday afternoon, Nico Vergara — owner of Nico’s Cantina and Nico’s Ice Cream Shop — shared a social media post announcing that his Mexican restaurant would shutter at the end of the month.

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“Between continued rising costs, the rapid growth of Nico’s Ice Cream, & life in general…Well, it’s just a lot,” Vergara wrote. “I am choosing to not see our closure as a failure. But, more so as a learning lesson.”

The owner’s ice cream shop located in the same neighborhood will remain in business. Still, Vergara is seeking a restaurateur to take over the Nico’s Cantina space on 4318 NE Cully Blvd.

Portland’s dining scene will have other openings as well, with the impending closures of Mama Dut and Tokyo Sando.

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Thuy Pham, owner of the Vietnamese-inspired vegan restaurant, previously announced that it would shut down on Sunday, Nov. 19. In Mama Dut’s three years in the Buckman neighborhood, it was featured on Netflix’s “Street Food: USA” and recognized by the James Beard Foundation.

Pham said she’ll keep supporters updated on the business’s next steps.

Another local favorite, Tokyo Sando, will serve the last of its Japanese sandwiches on Sunday, Dec. 17. The restaurant had its debut one month before the COVID-19 pandemic hit Portland in 2020, and has served customers since then.

However, owners said this is no longer feasible.

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“We struggled to keep the business operating in the challenging times, but tried to stay open 7 days a week, because we didn’t know what else to do, other than keep open the cart,” Tokyo Sando wrote. “Now, due to the condition of what Portland has become, we don’t know why we’re making Japanese food in Portland.”

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