Most of the neon sign doesn’t light, graffiti covers the walls, and the place is no longer open for lunch. But the Republic Cafe — Portland’s oldest Chinese restaurant — is still operating.
The spot once attracted local politicians and visiting celebrities. On a recent Thursday, however, only a handful of delivery drivers and customers picked up to‑go orders in a two-hour stretch. No one sat in the dimly lit booths.
Next door, business is also slow at Golden Horse Seafood Restaurant, the last place in the neighborhood where you can get a Cantonese lunch. One or two regulars still come in, but long gone are the office workers who used to fill the tables midday…