Gossip Should Have No Friends

[December 3rd, 2008]

MARKET SHARE: Whole Foods’ long-running battle with the Federal Trade Commission over whether the upscale market mega-chain’s merger with Wild Oats violates federal antitrust laws has had some unexpected consequences for Portland-owned competitor New Seasons. Whole Foods (270 stores and counting) is using its lawsuit as an opportunity to subpoena New Seasons’ financial and marketing records, from weekly sales figures to plans for new stores (it’s diabolical!). According to New Seasons head Brian Rohter, who wrote about the subpoena on the company’s blog last week, Whole Foods swears that the info is for its lawyers—and not for anybody else in its organization. “That’s like trusting the fox to guard the henhouse, ” Rohter wrote. New Seasons has filed a motion with the FTC, but if it’s denied they’ll have to turn over the info.

COOL AS ICE: What economic meltdown? New Zealand-based outdoor-apparel company Icebreaker is moving its U.S. headquarters to Portland —and bringing 40 new jobs with it (thanks!). That’s just the tip of the iceberg: In the course of the next two or three years, the company, which already operates a store on West Burnside Street, plans to double its staff. Icebreaker’s new 16,500-square-foot HQ at 1330 NW 14th Ave. will pay homage to its homeland in a number of strange ways, including naming conference rooms after Kiwi sheep stations. Apparently the company’s trademark merino wool apparel is also immune to economic chills.

ART, HERE: Word out of the U.K. (via Pitchfork) is that Art Brut—the English post-punk band fronted by the hilarious Eddie Argos—is coming to Oregon, of all places, to record its third album with legendary Pixies frontman Frank Black. When not touring the world with Pixies reunion shows or making his own solo records, Black resides in Eugene and has been known to play the occasional unannounced house show. Check localcut.com for details.

HE’S A GOOD THING: TV can make for some real odd couples. Case in point: Portland’s own Vitaly Paley, who has been busy promoting his new damn-delish cookbook, The Paley’s Place Cookbook. Paley will get behind the stove with Martha Stewart on Thursday, Dec. 4. His segment of The Martha Stewart Show will air at 11 am on KATU Channel 2, during which Paley will prepare roast duck with cherries perfectly—or die. And Paley isn’t the only Portland chef making moves on TV fame. Lisa Schroeder of Mother’s Bistro and Mama Mia Trattoria is auditioning a potential Food Network show. If produced, Mom Squad would, Schroeder said, be “along the lines of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, where three moms who are also chefs (one who focuses on dessert, one presentation and one the main course) come to the rescue to help a hapless person cook for a special occasion.”