Dulce Tentación filed for a liquor license at 3945 Rich Dr NE, Unit D, in Salem, with owner Lorena Pantoja confirming to What Now Portland that the business is moving forward, with permitting the main factor determining how soon it opens. Pantoja said she’s hopeful the concept could open sometime later this year.
Pantoja, who also owns a barbershop in the area, described the food as a blend of different influences rather than sticking to one single style of cooking. She’s actively developing the full menu now and plans to share more specifics as those details come together, giving the business time to refine its offerings before opening day rather than rushing a menu out the door.
The address sits in a small, mixed-use commercial strip along Rich Drive NE, tucked among a handful of other local, independently owned businesses, including Classy Hair Salon, ZipZap Computers, Fitzone Nutrition and a Farmers Insurance office. It’s a modest, community-facing stretch rather than a high-visibility retail corridor, the kind of spot where a new food concept can build a loyal following among neighbors before word spreads further.
Running a barbershop alongside a food business isn’t an unusual path for small, independent owners looking to diversify their income, and Pantoja’s dual role suggests Dulce Tentación is being built as a hands-on, personally managed venture rather than something backed by outside investors or a larger restaurant group.
