Portland Agrees to Change 'Odor Code' After Vietnamese Restaurant Forced to Shut Down Over Neighbor Complaint About 'Food Smell'

Portland's City Council has overhauled its controversial odor code after the closure of a Vietnamese restaurant.

In February, Pho Gabo in Northeast Portland shut down after receiving multiple odor complaints from a single anonymous neighbor. Despite attempts to fix the issue, the cost of complying with the strict code, potentially costing $50,000 for new ventilation, was prohibitive.

As of March 1, 2025, Portland's revised ordinance will exempt restaurants and similar businesses from odor code regulations, KGW reported.

The new rules will also extend allowable odor emission periods and will require complaints from multiple people within close proximity, instead of one individual.

"The change will eliminate the threat to these businesses that one complaint about any sustained odor from their businesses could lead to enforcement actions that could include prohibitively expensive upgrades to their ventilation system," the amended ordinance reads. "A secondary impact is to residential neighbors to these businesses who will no longer be able to call in odor complaints against retail sales and service businesses to the Portland Planning and Development (PP&D) code enforcement group."

The City Council will shift enforcement to property maintenance laws, making investigations less subjective.

Pho Gabo's owner has relocated his business and will pursue legal action against the city for economic damages.