Elephants Delicatessen

Elephants Delicatessen is a local delicatessen and catering chain based in Portland, Oregon, in the United States, established in 1979. There are eight store locations.

History

Elaine and Jake Tanzer founded the company in April 1979.

Co-owner Anne Weaver is chief executive officer, as of 2022, Scott Weaver is executive chef, as of 2019. For the first 21 years after opening, it operated from a single location.

Elephants had 439 employees, as of 2019. The business joined the Energy Trust of Oregon's Strategic Energy Management cohort to assess energy usage, identify waste, and strategize on gas emissions reduction.

In 2020, Elephants joined the Rose City Downtown Collective, a group of downtown businesses seeking to rebuild the area following a downturn caused by the pandemic and George Floyd protests. The company is among the largest women-owned businesses headquartered in Oregon and Southwest Washington, as of 2021.

Kim Stafford has a writing shed with a wall made of boards from the original Elephants.

Reception

Elephants was included in The Oregonian's "Top Workplaces" list of "99 great places to work" in Oregon and Southwest Washington. In 2020, Elephants won in the Best Catering Service category of Willamette Week's annual Best of Portland Readers' Poll. The company ranked number 24 in Oregon Business's 2021 list of "100 Best Green Workplaces in Oregon".