What's opening and closing in Salem: week of Oct. 26

Willamette News Staff

15 hours ago

3 min read

Quick Read

Vera's Restaurant and Bar soft-opened Oct. 22 at 383 State St., the former W. Wallace, run by longtime W. Wallace bartender Vera Rutledge.
iWingz plans a new downtown Salem restaurant after closing its 25th Street SE spot in June; no date is set.
Lakeshore Kitchen, from the Margarita Factory team, is coming to 555 Ninth St. NW in West Salem with lunch, happy hour and Sunday brunch.
The Panera Bread at Keizer Station closed permanently Oct. 20.

Each Monday, Willamette News tracks restaurants, cafes, food carts, breweries and bakeries in Salem, Keizer and nearby towns that have opened, announced plans, moved or closed.

This week: a new bar takes over a beloved downtown space, a favorite wing shop picks a downtown comeback, a brunch-and-happy-hour spot heads to West Salem, and Keizer Station loses its Panera. Every item below is confirmed by a news report or the business. Hours can change, so check before you go.

Now open

Vera's Restaurant and Bar

Where: 383 State St., downtown Salem, in the space W. Wallace filled for nine years.

What: A new restaurant and bar run by Vera Rutledge, the longtime W. Wallace bartender who is also its namesake.

Status: Held its soft opening Thursday, Oct. 22, with doors opening at 5 p.m., the Statesman Journal reported. W. Wallace closed July 31 after owner Toby Ogdahl retired, and its farewell post promised a new bar with a fresh concept would take over the space. Regular hours and a menu had not been published online as of Monday. Statesman Journal report

Coming soon

iWingz

Where: Downtown Salem. The exact address has not been announced.

What: Fresh chicken wings with about 30 sauce flavors, plus burgers, wraps, sandwiches and other American comfort food, from owners Paul and Brynne Xin.

Status: The iWingz website lists the downtown restaurant as coming soon, What Now Portland reported Oct. 23. No opening date has been announced. The original iWingz at 2445 25th St. SE closed June 27 after the business and its landlord could not agree on lease terms, and it has kept serving downtown from its iWingz Mobile food truck in the meantime. What Now Portland report

Lakeshore Kitchen

Where: 555 Ninth St. NW, West Salem.

What: A modern American restaurant from Jorge Castro's Pearl West Restaurant Group, the team behind Margarita Factory, including the one at Keizer Station. The first Lakeshore, in Vancouver, Washington, serves weekday lunch until 3 p.m. with a hot honey fried chicken sandwich, smash burger, street tacos and a prime rib French dip, plus happy hour Monday through Saturday and Sunday brunch until 3 p.m. The Salem menu is expected to mirror it.

Status: A banner on the building promotes happy hour, a banquet room and a family-friendly atmosphere, What Now Portland reported Oct. 23. No opening date has been announced. What Now Portland report

Closed

Panera Bread, Keizer Station

Where: 6110 Keizer Station Blvd., Keizer.

What: The Keizer Station location of the national bakery-cafe chain.

Status: Closed permanently Tuesday, Oct. 20, Salem Reporter reported. Posters on the doors pointed customers to nearby locations, and a Panera spokesperson called the decision difficult and thanked Keizer customers for their support. Salem Reporter report

Know of a Salem-area restaurant opening, moving or closing? Tip us through willamettenews.com and we will check it for a future roundup.

Sources

Statesman Journal: New bar opens in downtown Salem, replacing beloved watering hole (Oct. 22, 2026)

Statesman Journal: Popular downtown Salem bar announces closure after 9 years (July 22, 2026)

What Now Portland: iWingz Planning Downtown Salem Restaurant (Oct. 23, 2026)

What Now Portland: Lakeshore Plans Second Location (Oct. 23, 2026)

Salem Reporter: Keizer Station Panera Bread closes (Oct. 21, 2026)