'Ongoing security concerns' spark closure of West Burnside burger joint
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A Bend-founded burger chain is closing one of its Portland outposts due to safety concerns.
On Wednesday morning, Next Level Burger informed customers of the closure of its 1972 W Burnside restaurant.
“At Next Level, we’re committed to creating safe, welcoming spaces for our team, our guests, and the communities we serve,” Next Level wrote. “Following a pause in operations due to a significant incident during service, we’ve made the difficult decision to close our West Burnside location due to ongoing security concerns in the surrounding area. This decision was not made lightly, but nothing comes before the safety of our team members and guests.”
The company has multiple plant-based burger joints remaining in the Portland area, including a location on Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard and another in Lake Oswego. Next Level also owns Veggie Grill, which has a downtown restaurant in addition to a space in Beaverton’s Cedar Hills Crossing.
But Next Level’s Burnside business has faced several challenges.
According to a Portland Police Bureau spokesperson, that location last called officers to report an incident in July 2022. Later in November 2023, employees went to social media to reveal they had faced vandalism twice in that month alone.
Additionally, PPB data show there were 1,302 offenses reported in the surrounding Goose Hollow Neighborhood from March 2024 to March 2025. Vandalism accounted for 200 of those offenses.
Matt de Gruyter, the CEO of Next Level Burger, told KOIN 6 News one particular "very disturbing situation" served as "the final straw" for choosing to close the Burnside location.
Though de Gruyter didn't divulge the details of the situation, he said it happened on April 29 and involved a mental health or substance crisis with an unhoused person. He said it was the culmination of a pattern he'd seen, of theft, loitering and constant safety concerns for his customers and employees.
"I don't want to ask one of those team members to do something I don't want to do myself," de Gruyter said.
De Gruyter said he used to enjoy a boost of business from Providence Park crowds. However, none of his other Portland spots have seen this kind of danger after dark.
KOIN 6 talked to a security guard near the same shopping district where other recent closures are now represented by empty storefronts, including a former Wells Fargo, Verizon and a Chipotle across the street. The security guard said he's seen everything from people defecating in parking lots to nearby residents angry at how dirty the streets have become.
De Gruyter said it wasn't always like this and it doesn't represent all of Portland today.
"Portland has been very good to us," de Gruyter said. "The Burnside location by far and away was the worst for the degree and the constancy of the issues that were at least in part due to homelessness."
Despite the setbacks, de Gruyter said he's hopeful the city and its residents will figure out how to make shopping districts like the Goose Hollow Neighborhood more appealing for businesses to not only set up shop but remain there.