Portland’s Powell’s City of Books Named Oregon’s Top Small Business Gem in Recent Poll

In a recent poll of 3,014 people that asked which small businesses they would be willing to drive for over an hour to reach, Portlands’s Powell City of Books was voted #1 in Oregon.

Oregon Small Businesses Worth Driving Over An Hour To Visit Poll

3,014 people nationwide were asked by a business financing company- Advance Funds Network- which small businesses have products or services they rate so highly that they would drive over an hour to reach.

From the answers, the survey results listed the ranking of the country’s 150 hidden gem businesses, including a state infographic. They highlighted small businesses that inspire the most devotion from their clients. In Oregon, two Portland businesses came out tops in the state:

#1. Powell’s City of Books: Covering an entire city block, Powell’s is regarded as a literary paradise and is revered as a sacred site by readers.

It’s easy to lose yourself in the endless nooks in color-coded rooms and search for rare finds. Powell’s clients often fly to the City to visit their favorite reading destination.

#2. Salt & Straw: From its small beginnings on a tiny cart, Salt & Straw is a culinary adventure described by the understated name Scoop Shop.

Offering mouthwatering-sounding small-batch flavors like Pear & Blue Cheese or Arbequina Olive Oil in a cone, the small business has become a national phenomenon.

But small businesses we can’t live without are scattered throughout the country and are often family-run stores promising lovingly curated offerings that people will return to visit long after they’ve left the area. In other states, businesses that shone in the survey included:

• Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit in Charleston, South Carolina
• Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
• Loveless Cafe in Nashville, Tennessee
• The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint in Ocean Springs, Mississippi:
• Thrasher’s French Fries in Ocean City on the Maryland coast

Irving Betesh, CRO of Advance Funds Network, praised the businesses for the “kind of loyalty that is both powerful and inspiring-” the kind of places that feel like home.