After 42 years, Portland’s final remaining Orange Julius — and what’s probably the second-oldest retail tenant on the Lloyd Heart mall — is closing.
The franchise’s proprietor, Bob Slayton, died Could 19 at age 82. He spent almost his total grownup life working at Lloyd Heart, the place he acquired his first job shortly after the mall itself opened in 1960.
He was nonetheless working six days every week till he was recognized with most cancers in February.
“He gave lots of people their first job, and that’s in all probability what he’s most pleased with,” stated his daughter, Tanya McLean. “Even throughout COVID, when it made it tougher to maintain this working as a enterprise, he saved it going as his group.”
Slayton began working on the mall shortly after graduating from Franklin Excessive Faculty in 1961.
“He was 19 years previous when he got here to the mall on the lookout for a job,” McLean stated. “He utilized in every single place aside from the ice rink as a result of he had by no means even seen an ice rink earlier than, however he missed his bus again residence, so he got here again, utilized on the ice skating rink. And that’s the place he acquired his first place at Lloyd Heart.”
Slayton began off handing out skates. Over time, Jim Waldo, then the rink supervisor and a two-time nationwide barrel leaping champion, taught Slayton not simply the way to ice skate, however the way to soar over barrels whereas doing it.
Sure, barrel leaping. It’s basically an extended soar on ice skates over a row of barrels, and it was a rising sport within the Nineteen Sixties.
Bob Slayton in his barrel leaping days on the Lloyd Heart ice rink within the Nineteen Sixties.Courtesy of the Slayton household
In 1962, simply six months after he placed on his first pair of ice skates, Slayton was invited to the worldwide skilled barrel leaping championships in New York, in keeping with an article in The Oregon Journal archives. He positioned eighth after leaping over 14 barrels.
“He was a pure, I assume,” McLean stated.
Slayton returned to the championships once more in 1965 and completed ninth.
“He was even recruited to be within the Ice Follies,” McLean stated, “however he had simply met my mother, and he was fairly positive he wished to marry her, so he declined touring with the Ice Follies.”
In his total profession, Slayton left Lloyd Heart for just a few years, to handle the Valley Ice Area in Beaverton within the late Nineteen Sixties. However he returned to the mall in 1971, after Waldo left the job, to function ice rink supervisor.
An article from The Oregon Journal in 1971 asserting Bob Slayton as new supervisor of the Lloyd Heart ice rink.Oregon Journal archives
The break was fortuitous. Valley Ice Area was the place he met his future spouse, Franciska.
McLean stated her father at all times wished to be his personal boss, and in 1975, he bought the Hol’n One Donut Store on the Lloyd Heart. The franchise was positioned throughout from the previous Meier & Frank, and it was one of many unique Lloyd Heart tenants.
McLean has fond recollections of rising up on the mall within the Nineteen Seventies and ‘80s and dealing at her father’s companies.
“ After I was 10 years previous, my sister and I’d be standing on a milk crate to achieve the money registers,” she stated. “ We had our personal little uniforms after we’d bus tables.”
Slayton ran the store as Bob’s Hol’n One, including deli sandwiches to its doughnut menu. Then, in 1983, he transformed the shop into an Orange Julius.
Again within the Nineteen Eighties, Orange Julius franchises have been ubiquitous in American malls. The corporate grew out of from an orange stand in Los Angeles in 1926 and had lots of of areas by the point Slayton determined to rebrand his store.
The Orange Julius model was bought by Dairy Queen in 1987, nevertheless it wasn’t till 2018 that the Lloyd Heart location modified to a mix DQ/Orange Julius.
When the mall was transformed within the early Nineteen Nineties, Slayton’s Orange Julius moved to the meals court docket. This was across the time that Slayton got here up with a brand new advertising gimmick. He had his blenders rigged electronically to play certainly one of six tunes when used. He marketed his location as residence to “the world’s solely musical blenders.”
Outdated commercials from The Oregonian. At left, an annoucement from August 1983 that Bob’s Sandwich & Donut Delight was turning into an Orange Julius. At proper, an advert from 1991 touting the “musical blenders” on the Orange Julius.Oregonian archives
“ He was all about kindness and positivity and innovation and leisure and making folks joyful,” McLean stated. “ He poured his coronary heart and soul into it. He was actually fairly proud.”
McLean stated her father earned the nickname “Constructive Bob” for his sunny outlook, not simply on enterprise however on life.
“He believed he was going to stay up till the day earlier than he handed,” she stated. “He was telling the oncologist he wished to return and do extra chemo.”
When the physician stated it may not be the perfect plan of action, McLean stated her father replied, “There’s at all times hope.”
Slayton was an everyday on the Starbucks contained in the Lloyd Heart Barnes & Noble. When the staff heard he was sick, they introduced flowers to the meals court docket.
“He had a big presence,” McLean stated, “so, these are robust sneakers to fill.”
The Orange Julius at Lloyd Heart mall, which opened in 1983, is closing this week after the franchise’s proprietor, Bob Slayton, died at age 82.Samantha Swindler/ The Oregonian
Slayton had, at one time, three Orange Julius franchises at Lloyd Heart, Clackamas City Heart and Vancouver Mall. The Clackamas location closed in the course of the pandemic. The Vancouver location remains to be open however will probably shut in August.
Sunday would be the final day for the Lloyd Heart location.
“It wasn’t actually supporting itself,” McLean stated of the Portland retailer. “We had plenty of discussions inside the household and determined that is simply the perfect factor to do. It’s simply time to stroll away.”
This week, as she sat within the meals court docket discussing her father’s legacy, a small however regular stream of would-be clients approached the darkened Orange Julius.
“I’m sorry, we’re closed right this moment,” McLean would inform them.
The store was open every day till just lately, when household scaled again to 5 days every week. They’re down to 2 remaining staff.
“ I wished the ultimate weeks and days to only be about what he represented, which is positivity, a optimistic angle, kindness and repair,” McLean stated. “I’m hoping that the individuals who have helped us on this journey really feel that method.”
The closure of the Lloyd Heart location leaves only one Orange Julius remaining in Oregon, in keeping with a DQ spokesperson. It’s on the Rogue Valley Mall in Medford.
In keeping with a current version of the interior firm journal “World of DQ,” as of 2025 there are simply 11 stand-alone Orange Julius areas remaining within the U.S.
The DQ spokesperson stated there have been greater than 300 areas which are both an Orange Julius or a mix DQ/Orange Julius.
Whereas the meals court docket is shedding a long-time tenant, in simply the previous few months a number of domestically owned eating places have opened on the Lloyd Heart: Stoopid Burger, LoRell’s Rooster Shack and La Korita Mexican restaurant.
For these nonetheless hankering for a smoothie, the mom and daughter-owned Yummy Treats Cafe opened within the former Cinnabon area final week, serving each shakes and mini pies.
“ He at all times believed within the mall, he at all times believed in Lloyd Heart,” McLean stated of her father. “Even when it might get dangerous press and issues occur right here, he at all times defended the mall.”
A celebration of life for Bob Slayton is being deliberate for mid-July. To obtain service particulars when they’re accessible, e-mail slaytonoj@comcast.internet.
