Portland get your forks and knives ready! Almost legendary W+K branding man, John C. Jay has gone into the restaurant business. Jay and his wife Janet along with restaurateur Andy Ricker will open the restaurant, called Ping, in winter 2008-2009.

It will be a “cross between a izakaya (Japanese pub) and a Southeast Asian cafe and coffeehouse” located at the bottom floor of the Hung Far Low Building. Jay will design the space.

You see – Jay is on a mission to single handely revamp Portland’s Chinatown. Dude is a baller. Here’s here there and taking over a part of the city. Sexy. Portland mayor-elect Sam Adams said:

“Portland uber creative guy John C. Jay thinks Portland’s Old Town/Chinatown can be the North American hot spot for Asian contemporary culture and art, i.e. a modern Chinatown. To get a sense of what he was talking about, John suggested I check out Beijing’s 798 Art District.”

Adams actually blogged that from Beijing, so you know… Jay’s got some serious influence.

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