Another victory in missing the point … way to go Portland

Photo by Drew Beamer on Unsplash

David Chang’s Fuku eatery just launched causing a stir (and was subsequently paused) here in Portland this week. It’s working through “ghost kitchens” to deliver spicy chicken goodness.

Are Portlanders really up-in-arms or did the local media just poach a few tweets from people to whip everyone up? No clue … even cursory examinations of Twitter show the “backlash” was minimal at best. Yes, there was the local food cart consultant that complained to the media but … so?

I like David Chang. I love Momofuku. I’d like great food delivered to me in a time when you can’t go anywhere. Am I really hearing from Portland that we want to shut down a new option because it’s not local? How come local isn’t stepping up?

The “ghost kitchen” concept is going to be a big deal moving forward. Brands with great appeal coupled with local delivery and no retail footprint; the writing is on the wall.

But that’s cool Portland. Shut. That. Shit. Down.

I will say there are a few tweets saying the food at Fuku isn’t all that good. Delivered cold, took 40 minutes, etc. … (finally a source I actually trust — Panic is pretty awesome). Well, the market will decide on that front; if you suck, you fail. Pretty simple. It could be all about not managing your brand or it could just be a franchisee gone wrong. If you’re going to do this (IMHO) you need to think about making food that delivers well, that’s easily replicable in any market, is great as left-overs and that helps deliver your brand promise. Fuku may have failed on this front but guess what? I can’t order it to decide.

Portland has some of the best brands in the world when it comes to food & beverage. God forbid those brands should grow and go global. Sustainable food that benefits local markets? Could you imagine if Portland did something like this? It’s already happening (see Fuku) so why not have Portland lead AND reap the benefits?

This is an opportunity for Portland. Figure out how to lead instead of complaining about someone else who will.