Damian Lillard partners with Urban Restaurant Group on Honorable Mention sports lounge beneath downtown Portland’s Benson Hotel
A new venue under a historic downtown hotel
Honorable Mention, an “elevated sports lounge” built beneath downtown Portland’s Benson Hotel, opened to the public at 4 p.m. on March 6, 2026. The business operates in the hotel’s lower level at 309 SW Broadway and lists regular hours from 4 p.m. to late evening, with extended hours on Fridays and Saturdays.
The project adds another high-profile hospitality opening to Portland’s central city, pairing a game-day lounge concept with a food-and-cocktail program positioned beyond the typical sports-bar template.
Ownership group includes Lillard and local hospitality operators
NBA guard Damian Lillard is part of the ownership group behind Honorable Mention. Other named partners in the venture include JR Duperrier, Dr. William Johnson (Moda Health president), David Lucas, and Mark Byrum, the founder of Urban Restaurant Group. Urban Restaurant Group is responsible for food and beverage operations at the venue.
Urban Restaurant Group is a long-running Portland-area operator with a portfolio that has included concepts such as Bartini and Urban Fondue. Those two Northwest Portland businesses—both of which opened in 2003—ended operations in February 2026.
Concept: sports viewing, chef-driven menu, and a planned speakeasy
Honorable Mention is designed as a sports-viewing destination with multiple large screens, while advertising a menu of chef-driven dishes and cocktails. The lounge has also signaled plans for a separate speakeasy-style space to open after the initial launch, with timing described as weeks following the public debut.
Public-facing materials for the business emphasize group gathering and event programming, including scheduled game nights and specials.
Programming tied to Portland art and tributes to Black athletes
The venue’s programming includes rotating art displays intended to spotlight local Black artists. The first featured work is a portrait of Fritz Pollard, an early Black professional football star, with additional pieces planned to rotate on a monthly basis.
What to know for visitors
Location: Lower level of the Benson Hotel, 309 SW Broadway, Portland.
Opening date: March 6, 2026, with public opening at 4 p.m.
Hours posted by the business: Sunday–Thursday 4–11 p.m.; Friday–Saturday 4 p.m.–12 a.m.
Additional space: a speakeasy component is planned for a later opening.
Honorable Mention’s launch brings a new, celebrity-backed hospitality project to downtown Portland while expanding the Urban Restaurant Group footprint after recent closures elsewhere in the city.