Elephants Delicatessen

{{Short description|Caterer based in Portland, Oregon, U.S.}}

{{Infobox restaurant

| name = Elephants Delicatessen

| logo = File:Elephants Delicatessen logo.jpg

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| image = Elephants Delicatessen, Northwest District, Portland, Oregon, 2022.jpg

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| image_caption = Exterior of the flagship store in Portland, Oregon's Northwest District, 2022

| pushpin_map = Portland downtown

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| established = {{Start date|1979|04}}

| closed =

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| street-address = 700 SE Clay St{{Cite web |title=website|url=https://www.elephantsdeli.com/contact/ |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=Elephants Delicatessen |language=en-US}}

| city = Portland

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| state = Oregon

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| country = United States

| coordinates = {{coord|45.5113466|-122.65851|type:landmark_region:US-OR|display=inline,title}}

| seating-capacity =

| reservations = No

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| website = {{URL|elephantsdeli.com}}

}}

Elephants Delicatessen is a local delicatessen and catering chain based in Portland, Oregon, in the United States, established in 1979.{{Cite journal|url=http://1859oregonmagazine.com/restaurant-elephants-deli |title=Elephant's Deli |journal=1859 |access-date=November 8, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109023037/http://1859oregonmagazine.com/restaurant-elephants-deli |archive-date=November 9, 2013 }} There are eight store locations.{{Cite web |last=Wong |first=Janey |date=2023-08-11 |title=Elephants Delicatessen Opens at Beaverton's Cedar Hills Crossing Next Week |url=https://pdx.eater.com/2023/8/11/23828741/elephants-delicatessen-beaverton-cedar-hills-crossing |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=Eater Portland |language=en}}

History

Elaine and Jake Tanzer founded the company in April 1979.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ijt8DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT35|page=35|title=Unique Eats and Eateries of Portland, Oregon|date=October 1, 2018|first=Adam|last=Sawyer|publisher=Reedy Press|access-date=March 13, 2019|isbn=9781681061863|archive-date=January 24, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220124013702/https://books.google.com/books?id=ijt8DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT35|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.wweek.com/portland/article-4689-elephants-on-parade.html|title=Elephants on Parade|first=Roger|last=Porter|date=August 9, 2005|work=Willamette Week|access-date=March 13, 2019|archive-date=January 24, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220124013703/https://www.wweek.com/portland/article-4689-elephants-on-parade.html|url-status=live}}{{Cite journal|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2001/03/26/smallb1.html|title=Deli changes with times|date=March 21, 2005|first=Kristina|last=Brenneman|journal=Portland Business Journal|access-date=March 13, 2019|archive-date=January 24, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220124013706/https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2001/03/26/smallb1.html|url-status=live}}

Co-owner{{Cite news|first=Jason|last=Vondersmith|date=August 26, 2009|title=10 Questions for Anne Weaver|url=https://pamplinmedia.com/component/content/article?id=54359|access-date=2022-01-25|publisher=Pamplin Media Group|language=en-us|archive-date=2022-01-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220128022521/https://pamplinmedia.com/component/content/article?id=54359|url-status=live}} Anne Weaver is chief executive officer, as of 2022,{{Cite web |last=Lawrence |first=Demi |date=March 4, 2022 |title=Women of Influence 2022: Anne Weaver of Elephants Delicatessen |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2022/03/04/woi-anne-weaver.html |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=Portland Business Journal}} Scott Weaver is executive chef, as of 2019.{{Cite web|title=Elephants Delicatessen 40th Anniversary|url=https://www.pdxmonthly.com/sponsored/2019/08/elephants-delicatessen-40th-anniversary|date=2019-08-01|access-date=2022-01-25|website=Portland Monthly|language=en-US|archive-date=2022-01-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220125050323/https://www.pdxmonthly.com/sponsored/2019/08/elephants-delicatessen-40th-anniversary|url-status=live}} For the first 21 years after opening, it operated from a single location.

Elephants had 439 employees, as of 2019.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2019-09-26|title=Here are 99 great places to work in Oregon and SW Washington: Top Workplaces 2019|url=https://www.oregonlive.com/news/g66l-2019/09/1b695416dc9728/here-are-99-great-places-to-work-in-oregon-and-sw-washington-top-workplaces-2019.html|access-date=2022-01-24|website=The Oregonian|language=en|archive-date=2022-01-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220124202153/https://www.oregonlive.com/news/g66l-2019/09/1b695416dc9728/here-are-99-great-places-to-work-in-oregon-and-sw-washington-top-workplaces-2019.html|url-status=live}} The business joined the Energy Trust of Oregon's Strategic Energy Management cohort to assess energy usage, identify waste, and strategize on gas emissions reduction.{{Cite web|last=Robinson|first=Britany|date=2021-05-25|title=Shifting Gears|url=https://www.oregonbusiness.com/article/energy-environment/item/19325-shifting-gears|access-date=2022-01-25|website=Oregon Business|language=en-gb|archive-date=2022-01-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220125033810/https://www.oregonbusiness.com/article/energy-environment/item/19325-shifting-gears|url-status=live}}

In 2020, Elephants joined the Rose City Downtown Collective, a group of downtown businesses seeking to rebuild the area following a downturn caused by the pandemic and George Floyd protests.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2020-12-02|title=Downtown Portland's plea for support to 'rebuild the spirit' of the city|url=https://katu.com/news/local/downtown-portlands-plea-for-support-to-rebuild-the-spirit-of-the-city|access-date=2022-01-25|publisher=KATU|archive-date=2020-12-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201231222432/https://katu.com/news/local/downtown-portlands-plea-for-support-to-rebuild-the-spirit-of-the-city|url-status=live}} The company is among the largest women-owned businesses headquartered in Oregon and Southwest Washington, as of 2021.{{Cite journal|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/subscriber-only/2021/09/10/largest-women-owned-businesses.html|title=Largest Women-Owned Businesses Headquartered in Oregon & S.W. Washington|first=Brandon|last=Sawyer|journal=Portland Business Journal|date=September 10, 2021|access-date=January 24, 2022|archive-date=January 28, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220128022513/https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/subscriber-only/2021/09/10/largest-women-owned-businesses.html|url-status=live}}

Kim Stafford has a writing shed with a wall made of boards from the original Elephants.{{Cite news|title=Oregon poet laureate Kim Stafford's Poems for the Pandemic|url=https://projects.oregonlive.com/kim-stafford/|access-date=2022-01-25|website=The Oregonian|archive-date=2021-10-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027121442/https://projects.oregonlive.com/kim-stafford/|url-status=live}}

Reception

Elephants was included in The Oregonian's "Top Workplaces" list of "99 great places to work" in Oregon and Southwest Washington. In 2020, Elephants won in the Best Catering Service category of Willamette Week{{'s}} annual Best of Portland Readers' Poll.{{cite news |title=Congratulations to the winners + finalists of Best of Portland Readers' Poll 2020 |url=https://www.wweek.com/promotions/2020/07/21/food-drink-restaurants/ |access-date=January 24, 2022 |work=Willamette Week |date=July 21, 2020 |archive-date=November 15, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201115173206/https://www.wweek.com/promotions/2020/07/21/food-drink-restaurants/ |url-status=live }} The company ranked number 24 in Oregon Business{{'s}} 2021 list of "100 Best Green Workplaces in Oregon".{{Cite web|last=|first=|title=2021 100 Best Green Workplaces in Oregon|url=https://www.oregonbusiness.com/100best/green/item/19321-2021-100-best-green-workplaces-in-oregon|access-date=2022-01-24|website=Oregon Business|language=en-gb|date=2021-05-24|archive-date=2022-01-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220124195554/https://www.oregonbusiness.com/100best/green/item/19321-2021-100-best-green-workplaces-in-oregon|url-status=live}}

See also

References

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