This Longtime PNW Restaurant Chain Is Outlasting Competitors And Taking Over Shuttered Shari's Spots

It's a dog-eat-dog world out there in the restaurant industry, and many chains are doing whatever it takes to ensure that their doors remain open. Whether that's places like Denny's reviving its "$2, $4, $6, and $8 menu" to stave off defeat or Red Lobster introducing the "Ultimate SpendLESS Shrimp" deal to bring customers back into the booths, nothing is off the table. Thriving restaurant chains are few and far between in this post-pandemic food landscape, but the Elmer's breakfast, lunch, and dinner chain based out of the Pacific Northwest (PNW) is one such place that deserves a case study in outlasting its competitors.

While it feels like restaurants are facing bankruptcy and mass closures left and right (like these nine restaurant chains that went bankrupt in 2025), Elmer's is not only standing the test of time but thriving, expanding its locations throughout Oregon. Over the next few months, Elmer's plans to take over four retired Shari's Cafe & Pies locations in the PNW, including one in Bend, one in Hillsboro, one in Tualatin, and one near the Portland International Airport. The chain called Bend, Oregon, home for nearly twenty years, but ended operations back in 1986. The first new restaurant's opening at the old Shari's location in November 2025 will be Elmer's triumphant return to the area.

When it first opened in 1960, owners Walt and Dorothy Elmer named the restaurant "Elmer's Colonial Pancake House," though it was eventually dubbed "Elmer's Pancake & Steakhouse" until it was shortened to its current moniker. The chain skyrocketed in popularity throughout the PNW, making a name for itself with chocolate coconut waffles, German pancakes (otherwise known as a Dutch Baby, in case you want to know the origin story behind the breakfast treat), and a staff that treated every customer like a member of the family. Elmer's became most well-known for its buttermilk pancakes, which Elmer's claims were the inspiration for modern pancake batter. The restaurants still use Walt Elmer's original recipe to this day.

Many PNW-ers were shocked when the other popular diner chain, Shari's (aka the Western U.S. restaurant chain that everyone loves for its pie), closed every location in Oregon last October amid financial troubles. This left several physical restaurant locations up for grabs, which was perfect for fellow diner-style chain Elmer's, which could slip right into the pre-designed restaurant with little headache. The former Shari's locations are already equipped with everything Elmer's needs to thrive, although it's reportedly receiving a bit of a facelift before welcoming customers back into its pancake and syrup-filled depths.