Alma is an elevated Balkan restaurant by Chef Vedran Jordan serving tapas and large plates that pay homage to family, tradition, and memory. The menu at Alma pairs thoughtful creativity and bold, spiced flavor with hyperlocal and seasonal ingredients that celebrate the bounty of the Pacific Northwest and the warmth of the Mediterranean.
The restaurant group behind Lansdowne Social partnered with Chef Vedran Jordan on the launch of Alma, a Balkan tapas restaurant serving family recipes, regional dishes, and comfort food classics. Born in Sarajevo, moving to Portland at age 12 and becoming a veteran of the city’s restaurant scene, Alma is Chef Vedran’s first role as chef-owner marking a bold new chapter in his culinary trajectory and an exciting opportunity for him to share his food and culture with the Portland community.
A&O PR was a trusted partner for every aspect of Alma’s journey, from scouring real estate listings for the restaurant’s King neighborhood location to sourcing the design build firm to aid in the creative transformation of the space and overseeing launch PR. Our agency tactically supported with PR strategy, guiding on content and marketing endeavors, aiding the development of brand guidelines, hiring and overseeing photographers, creating an ad plan, crafting press releases, supporting the launch events, and securing inaugural press.
Our PR strategy was to focus on crafting informative language for an embargoed press release celebrating Chef Vedran’s career milestone of restaurant ownership and to highlight the Pacific Northwest ingredients and contrasting flavors of traditional Balkan and contemporary dishes at Alma. Our team offered an exclusive to the editors of Eater, which resulted in two wonderfully written pieces that told the story of Chef Vedran’s culinary background and beautifully described his vision for Alma and the flavorful dishes guests could expect. In addition, we were able to secure a lovely piece in The Oregonian as part of our launch press campaign.
