Lola's Bussdown

Meet Lola · Portland native

Portland roots. Chinatown nights.

Lola is a Portland native. She has watched people come and go, and seen the city change around her. At Lola’s Bussdown in Chinatown, she feeds a different side of Portland: the crowd looking for a meal after a night at the club.

Her connection to the city goes back further than the business. Portland is home, and her perspective comes from living through its changes. Getting to know Lola means meeting someone whose own history is part of the place Jared is exploring.

After the club, a place to eat.

Much of Lola’s business happens late at night. Her Chinatown spot serves people coming out of the clubs, making food part of the evening’s last stop. It brings another rhythm into Taste Black Portland: the city after dark, and the people working to feed it.

For Jared Leaf, Lola’s story connects food and ownership to a lifelong relationship with Portland. She belongs to the city’s history and is building a business in its present.

Photos & reel

Watch Lola’s reel on Facebook ↗

Inside the story