Skip to main content
A new lawsuit filed against Sortis Holdings contains a compact timeline of the Portland hospitality company’s rise and fall.
In the lawsuit, filed Sept. 3 in Multnomah County Circuit Court, Templeton Office Investments LLC says that Sortis Holdings, the company run by Paul Brenneke, a longtime Portland real estate investor, first leased space at 9 SE 3rd Ave., in the Central Eastside. As Sortis acquired interests in a host of well-known Portland and Northwest restaurants, barber shops, coffee shops, hotels and other businesses, its need for space in the central office grew.
The lawsuit says Sortis and Templeton amended the original lease three times—in 2020, 2021 and 2022, adding more space each time. The rent increased from $17,021 a month on the original space to about $32,606 on the expanded space.
But last November, around the time WW reported on other lawsuits filed against Sortis, the company allegedly stopped paying rent on its headquarters.
“Sortis has materially breached the Lease by failing to pay rent from November 1, 2023 through the date of this complaint,” the lawsuit says.
In February, the lawsuit says, Templeton notified Sortis it was in default. “Sortis acknowledged the debt and material breach of the Lease and made repeated promises to representatives of Templeton that Sortis would cure the breach and begin making payments,” the lawsuit says.
But Sortis only paid $25,000 and the meter kept running, the lawsuit alleges. “As of Aug. 30, 2024, the outstanding rent and other monetary obligations due and owing under the lease was $547,112.24,” the lawsuit says.
Since November, WW and other outlets have reported on Sortis’ continuing struggles, including a lengthy piece by Oregon Public Broadcasting published yesterday. (The company recently changed its name to SoHi Brands.)
Updated at 2:37 PM: A Sortis spokesperson says that the company has resolved the back rent issue with Templeton.
Nate Olsson, a vice president at NBP Capital, which is the manager of the limited liability company that is Sortis’ landlord, confirmed to WW in a brief phone call that Sortis had resolved its debt and the lawsuit will now be moot.