British Overseas Restaurant Corporation

British Overseas Restaurant Corporation
Location in Portland, Oregon
Restaurant information
Established March 2016 (2016-03)
Street address 4120 N. Williams Avenue
City Portland
County Multnomah
State Oregon
Postal code/ZIP 97217
Coordinates 45°33′13″N 122°40′00″W / 45.55369°N 122.66653°W / 45.55369; -122.66653
Seating capacity 50
Website saffroncolonial.com

British Overseas Restaurant Corporation (B.O.R.C., or BORC),[1] formerly Saffron Colonial, is a restaurant in north Portland, Oregon, in the United States. The restaurant opened in the Boise neighborhood in March 2016, but changed its name to British Overseas Restaurant Corporation the following month in response to protests over its name and menu.

History

Saffron Colonial was established in March 2016 by Sally Krantz, a native resident who has an interest in historical recipes and operated a chain of bakeries in Hong Kong called Saffron Bakery. The cafe, located in the historically African American Boise neighborhood, holds up to fifty patrons and serves "English food from the colonies of the British Empire".[2] The restaurant's name was changed to British Overseas Restaurant Corporation (BORC), a play on the former airline British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC), in April 2016.[1]

Reception

Upon its opening, the restaurant was criticized for its name and menu because of their associations with English colonialism. Krantz responded:

For me, it's about the cultural melding of food around the world, focusing on how England has transformed and affected cuisine where they've been present, be it America, India or Sri Lanka ... A lot of people are confused. Colonial is used on a lot of things: to describe a period of time with food, architecture and literature...It seems like some people have confused that word with American slavery ... Take a dish like kedgeree which is still eaten in London. The only reason we have it is because Englishmen went to India with the East India Company...I'm really interested in history and how all societies affect others. It's not always good, but it's not always bad either.[2]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 http://pdx.eater.com/2016/4/8/11387094/controversial-colonial-themed-restaurant-gives-in-to-protestors
  2. 1 2 Bakall, Samantha (March 18, 2016). "Owner of North Portland's controversial Saffron Colonial defends name". The Oregonian. Retrieved April 1, 2016.

External links

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