Poki poka

The Pok Pok Empire Closes Indefinitely in Wake of Coronavirus Crisis | Eater Portland

"I report that the Pok Pok empire is closing indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic: owner Andy Ricker announced he will close all of his restaurants “for the duration of the COVID-19 crisis.” Although the team had planned to keep locations open for takeout and delivery, Ricker said the recent death of chef Floyd Cardoz was a wake-up call that proved they are all vulnerable and made him conclude there is “no way to 100% safely deploy a crew of workers to operate a restaurant kitchen for delivery and to go.” He stressed that restaurants are close-quarter operations, that standard health-code protocols aren’t the same as protections against a deadly virus, and that he “simply cannot bear the thought of one of our team becoming ill for the sake of preparing some chicken wings.” He also urged other restaurants to consider similar measures and noted the federal relief package reached that day." - Alex Frane