County Shuts Down Downtown Food Cart Small Pharaoh After Shigellosis Outbreak | Eater Portland

"I found that the downtown gyro cart Small Pharaoh has been closed by Multnomah County after an outbreak of shigellosis — not COVID-19 — and that the county called it the first food cart closure in many years due to health concerns. Four people from separate households were confirmed infected and three more are presumptive cases after dining at the downtown location between July 27 and August 11; health officials are asking anyone who ate there during that period and has symptoms to see a health care professional and to report possible illness at 503-988-3406. The cart’s owner, Islam El Masry, has a history of race-related incidents: in 2018 he was arrested for misdemeanor harassment and assault after throwing a Gatorade bottle at a Black customer and admitting in a now-removed YouTube video that he used a racial slur, and earlier this year he was again publicly accused of using a racial slur (which he admitted while saying he filed a police report against the customer); he could not be reached for comment." - Brooke Jackson-Glidden