Portland Loo
When Portland commissioned the design of the loos, it retained the intellectual property rights to the design, and would receive a royalty from the manufacturer, for each loo it sold. Press reports described this arrangement as a source of funds, for the city.
However, in 2014, a citizen group sued the city, asserting the city had spent over $600,000 to promote the loos, without proper authorization. As a consequence the design was sold to Madden, the manufacturer.
Dime Store (Portland, Oregon)
The restaurant replaced Leo's Non-Smoking Coffee Shop, which was owned by Peter and Jane Chan for thirty years. When Leo's closed in February 2014, rumors had already circulated about restaurateur and developer Dayna McErlean's plans to open a more upscale diner. The Dime Store's concept was created by McErlean and Jeremy Larter, and was inspired by the soda shops they both experienced growing up on the East Coast. Prior to the restaurant's opening, plans were to serve breakfast and lunch during mid-week hours, with the potential to later add happy hour and family-friendly dinner options, as well as outdoor seating.