Old-fashioned diners offer comfort and familiarity, but they could be a dying breed in Portland

The Prescott Cafe in Northeast Portland has long been what most people would call an old-fashioned American diner: it features large, vinyl-upholstered booths, a handwritten sign announcing the day’s pie special, and endless pots of coffee.

That’s exactly how owner Rose Funk envisioned it when she bought the restaurant 15 years ago, after having worked there 10 years earlier as a waiter.

“I didn’t want to make a lot of changes in it,” Funk recalled. “I was happy with the way it was.”

That sense of the familiar is what helped Funk grow a dedicated base of regulars.

“It’s kind of like ‘Cheers;’ you come in and you know everybody,’” said Pat Southard, who would meet up with friends and family at the Prescott Cafe several times a week.

But at 69 years old, Funk recently decided it was time to move on. She announced her retirement in September and closed the cafe’s doors for good on Sept. 30.

It was heartbreaking news for regulars like Southard. She recalled a time when her air conditioner broke, so Funk showed up at her door with a box fan.

“She’s always thinking of what she could do to help people,” Southard said.

But Funk’s bond with the neighborhood won’t end with the restaurant’s closing.