When Dots took off, Johnson and his business partner John Ricci were able to open the first Atlas on Division in 2014.īusiness was booming at the three Atlas locations until the pandemic hit. He borrowed against his house, his girlfriend's house - and his business partner's car - to get a loan. After more than a decade, Johnson saw an opportunity to rejuvenate a then-sleepy bar called Dots Café. After moving to Portland in the early 90s from Ohio, he cut his teeth cooking at old Portland establishments around town. Johnson knows the deal because he worked in kitchens for much of his adult life. And they are now paid more per hour than before-a raise that reflects the strain of working in the service industry during a pandemic. As business has slowly bounced back, Atlas has been able to hire back many formerly laid-off employees. Photo by Joe Yalowitz / Portland Bureau of Transportation.ĭuring the summer, Johnson enjoyed popping into Atlas to have a cold drink and check in on rising pizza dough and busy employees. 1, for continuous operation.Įli Johnson sits at one of Atlas Pizza's outdoor picnic tables. Businesses that have a permit for the program that started in June should apply by Oct. UPDATE: Businesses can apply online for a Winter Healthy Businesses permit. With permit in hand, he used parking spaces for a custom built stage and installed sturdy, well-spaced picnic tables able to seat dozens of customers. In the spring, when Atlas opened back up, Johnson applied for a Healthy Businesses Permit with the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT). And Johnson says that Atlas itself “wouldn’t have survived” without the ability to serve pizza outside on Foster. Atlas hosts community fundraisers using the new tables on a regular basis where Portlanders can donate materials. The new outdoor setup enables both aspects of this unlikely scene. Atlas Pizza and Colin Carroll, owner of the 5&Dime next door, have collected over $300,000 in goods for the Warm Springs Tribe, firefighters, victims of wildfires and others who have been suffering during the pandemic. 8, 2020) These days, while patrons of Atlas Pizza on Southeast Foster dine street-side on new outdoor picnic tables, Atlas owner Eli Johnson is alone in the dining room, stacking mounds of gloves, face masks, water, and dry food. Photo by Joe Yalowitz / Portland Bureau of Transportation. The super cool space, with a massive old-school bar, walls splashed with local art and American Gods-themed drinks, will be going on our list for future date-night stops.Eli Johnson, owner of Atlas Pizza, stands in front of the Atlas Pizza on Southeast Foster Road. They had that same slightly flaky texture and came out hot and buttery.Īfter we had eaten and the kids were back at pinball, I ducked through the door connecting Atlas to Five & Dime. My 4-year-old, the carb addict, scarfed down two of the garlic knots. The salad (easily big enough for three adults to share) was fresh and crisp and packed with artichokes, in addition to traditional Greek salad ingredients. Atlas’s crust has a bit of flakier texture than other pizzas we’ve had around town. The slices were surprisingly good and made us think that a whole pie fresh out of the oven would be even a notch up. Our slices, along with garlic knots (6 for $3.50) and a Greek salad ($9), did not take long to come out.
Another sign they truly welcome families: We spied highchairs and a changing table in the bathroom. There was a stool that helped them get to a better height to see all the action. While waiting for our order, we doled out quarters for the kids to play pinball. I wanted to try the veggie pizza with artichokes, which I knew would be a hard sell to the kids, so we went with slices. My husband and I left them to ogle the machines while we placed our order at the counter.Ītlas offers both a range of slices, from pepperoni to vegan ($3.25 to $3.75) and whole pies (starting at $13 for a small and $21 for a large). I was about to point it out to my 4-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter, but they were already scampering over to the four pinball machines on the opposite side of the restaurant. Right as we walked in, I spotted the small play area to the right, which held a play kitchen, several little tables, toys and a scattering of books. Since we live in the neighborhood, my family walked over to Foster to try the latest Atlas Pizza outpost on a sunny Sunday afternoon.