Category: Business Relocating

Business Relocating, Construction

Sadie Vet Expanding into Former Union Rose Storefront

Sadie Veterinary Urgent Care at 8037 SE Stark Street will expand into the adjacent storefront that most recently hosted Union Rose before it relocated to the Plural Collective in Sellwood. Pending building permit approval, renovation work on the neighboring space will begin in the first half of 2026, with an anticipated completion in the summer. The frequently busy care center for cats and dogs will remain open during renovations, with minor disruptions as staff reorganize the facility to make better use of the significantly larger space.

Reception area of Sadie Veterinary Urgent Care featuring a modern design with a wooden desk and decorative plants.
Front desk and entrance to hallway that will extend into the new space

Sadie Veterinary co-owner Dr. Cindy Galbreath explained that this expansion was needed almost from the time the clinic opened in November 2022. “Honestly, we were busy from day one. We’ve had a consistent caseload over the last three years, serving about 25 to 30 patients per day between two doctors.” The team was already maxed out on reasonable operating hours, with little room to expand them for greater capacity during the times patients needed them most. As an urgent care facility, they do not schedule visits weeks in advance except for follow-up treatments. They are open every day of the week except Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., with pet owners calling to schedule a visit for the day or have staff place them on a wait list.

Colorful abstract mural on a wall at Sadie Veterinary Urgent Care, featuring bold shapes and a leafy plant in the foreground.
Signature Sadie Veterinary mural by Alex Proba in waiting room

With a predictably full wait list, the three owners of Sadie Veterinary Urgent Care jumped at the chance to expand into the neighboring 1,400-square-foot space at 8029 SE Stark Street. They currently work within a 2,400-square-foot space that includes four exam rooms, the reception desk and waiting room, treatment area, onsite lab, x-ray room, short-stay kennel, and other administrative and staff-only spaces. The expansion will focus on adding exam rooms, doubling the available space for patient visits by building five rooms and a second shared hand-washing station. Towards the end of the renovation, they will have a small amount of demolition at the front of the building. “Our lobby is very small. Part of our expansion will be taking out exam room one and expanding our lobby so that we can have more people comfortably up here,” said Galbreath.

Exterior view of Sadie Veterinary Urgent Care with adjacent storefront, featuring signage and surrounding street details.
Image showing empty Union Rose storefront with adjacent Sadie Veterinary location on SE Stark St

People and animals will continue to use the current corner entrance, even though the expanded footprint includes another sidewalk-accessible doorway. Galbreath explained that a second entrance would require an additional reception desk and disrupt operational flow. “We’re going to snake this hallway around the back of the building, and we’ll have essentially a giant U hallway that will be accessible to clients,” explained Galbreath. “All of our exam rooms will be off that U-shaped hallway.” The central connector will need to curve past one of their two existing restrooms in the back, and the architectural design incorporates adding an existing restroom on the other side of the dividing wall for the expansion, giving them three total. The work will require moving the water heater, along with other significant alterations to the space. However, the renovation design will minimize impact to essential operations and shift the office flow around the now central treatment and surgical rooms. This approach will improve the working environment for the 20 to 25 staff who constantly need to shuffle animals and their owners throughout the facility for treatment.

Interior view of a veterinary clinic featuring a reception area with a countertop, computer stations, and examination rooms in the background.
Treatment room

The new leased space came with one extra vehicle stall in the lot behind the building, and expanded parking capacity for the animal urgent care to six spaces. When completed, they anticipate adding more doctors beyond the six veterinarians already employed to increase their daily capacity. Galbreath, along with her partners Dr. Jenica Wycoff and Dr. Malia Goodell, considered options to expand the business but has remained committed to the historic Montavilla downtown. “We really love being a part of Montavilla. We’re sad to see Union Rose go, but we really like this location and this building,” said Galbreath. “We feel really fortunate to have landed in this space originally.” She noted they could have opened a second location or relocated to a larger space, but felt expansion was the best option. “I think the location works really well for our clients. This is an accessible area, and we serve a lot of people in Montavilla as well. Additionally, we have good relationships with the primary care vets in this area, with a lot of referrals from the local veterinarians,” explained Galbreath.

Interior of Sadie Veterinary Urgent Care showing a medical workstation with a sink and storage cabinets, alongside a row of pet kennels.
Short stay kennel space

Construction timelines for the expansion are far from firm, but they anticipate six months for building permit approval and another two or three months for construction. That should put them at the back half of the warmer months, which is a critical time for their work. “Summer is our busiest time. Across the board in veterinary medicine, it tends to be,” said Galbreath. “I think in part because animals are more active, the weather is better, people are out and about with their pets, who are more susceptible to traumatic injuries.” She noted that people are also more observant of their animals during that time. “People are home with their pets more in the summer, and when people are home, looking at their pets, they’re more prone to discover issues.” However, if the building timelines take longer than hoped, Galbreath says they will appreciate its completion at any time. “We have other times of the year that are busy, and we generally tend to just stay pretty consistently busy throughout the year.”

Interior view of a veterinary exam room featuring a purple wall, a wooden cabinet with drawers, a countertop with medical supplies, and a black rolling stool.
One of the four existing exam rooms

Sadie Veterinary’s owners hope people will bear with them during construction. Galbreath explained they anticipate the improvements will ultimately provide a better care experience. “We’ll all feel better not feeling like we have to rush people out of exam rooms. I feel like we outgrew this space within our first few months of operation.” With more rooms, the care team can minimize juggling patients in and out of rooms, resulting in a lower-stress visit. Additionally, they can serve more pets quickly and say yes to urgent requests. “We all want to be able to say yes to these cases, to these sick animals,” said Galbreath. “Being able to tell people yes instead of putting them on a wait list. I think it’s gonna feel really good for everyone.”

Three framed photos of dogs displayed on a wall, showcasing their happy expressions.
Sadie Veterinary owners’ departed dogs with namesake in the center

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Update December 9, 2025: Added muralist name Alex Proba to photo

Promotion: Montavilla News is supported by contributions from businesses like Otter Wax, a neighborhood producer of small-batch specialty goods handcrafted in Portland. Using only natural ingredients, they make modern care products that are steeped in tradition. We thank them for their support.

Business Relocating, Food and Drink

La Osita Relocates to Montavilla’s Historic Taylor Court Grocery Building

On October 18th, La Osita restaurant completed its first week in a new location after transitioning from a renowned food cart on SE 122nd Avenue to the remodeled restaurant space in the historic Taylor Court Grocery building at 1135 SE 80th Avenue. The breakfast and lunch spot offers dishes influenced by the owner’s Mexican American roots, featuring options for most diners, including several vegan items. Elizabeth Guerrero had initially planned to open her restaurant in the newly purchased building in October 2022. However, she soon discovered that the 100-year-old storefront, nestled in a residential area, would require years of work to transform into the restaurant space she envisioned. The long process of remodeling and relocating required the support of family, staff, and the partnership of co-owner David Doyle. For the staff, the effort was well worth the wait as regulars and Montavilla residents showed up in large numbers to enjoy the breakfast and lunch menu Tuesday through Saturday.

Exterior view of the Taylor Court Grocery building, featuring a blue facade, teal awning, and wooden bench in front.

La Osita PDX opened as a small food cart in January of 2018 after Guerrero and Doyle noticed a lack of good breakfast locations near their home in East Portland. The partners bought their first cart from a friend and found space on 122nd in the parking lot of the Plaza 122 building. With a shared food service background and recipes inspired by Elizabeth Guerrero’s heritage, the owners brought coffee and breakfast service to an underserved area. “The original plan when we first opened the cart was just breakfast, but then people asked, ‘Why aren’t you opening for lunch?’ And I thought Why don’t we open for lunch? So we did lunch,” recalled Guerrero. After an Oregonian article widened La Osita’s exposure, they experienced a wave of new customers and eventually expanded to a bigger cart. Still, business increases, and they brought in more help, with staff peaking at five people on some days. Moving to a restaurant location was an obvious next move for the family-run business. “We were crammed like sardines,” recalled Guerrero.

Interior view of La Osita restaurant showcasing a bar seating area with black stools and a long countertop, with large windows offering a view of the street and neighborhood outside.

Searching for a suitable small brick-and-mortar location near the cart proved challenging for Guerrero and Doyle. An expanded search led to the Taylor Court Grocery, where they instantly saw the potential in the 100-year-old retail space. The buildout took much longer than anticipated. “It had just so much work we had to put into it. There were three layers of flooring tile, and the same with the roof; it was a huge project, and honestly, we didn’t know it was going to be that time-consuming and so much money,” said Guerrero. The owners rented out the house that shares the lot with the retail space to generate revenue temporarily, but they needed loans to bridge the gap. “We used a Prosper Portland loan, a QuickBooks loan. We did a Square loan, and once that was out, we applied again for QuickBooks. Once that was out, we shuffled debt around,’ explained Guerrero. The team almost gave up hope. “I didn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. I wanted to quit, but I remember somebody said, ‘whenever you think you should give up, that’s the time when you shouldn’t give up.’ I always remember that, and it was all worth it because we’re here now,” remarked Guerrero.

Interior of La Osita restaurant featuring a large wooden table surrounded by metal and wooden chairs, with large windows allowing natural light, and a black accent wall with decorative lighting.
La Osita’s indoor seating for 28 customers

Although three miles from the original cart location, they hoped customers would follow them to SE 80th Avenue, and Guerrero reports they have not been disappointed. “They’ve been very supportive and very happy for us. I was worried that it was going to be a slow incline of business, but it’s been pretty good.” October marks the beginning of the slow winter season for food carts; however, the restaurant’s first week in Montavilla saw summer-level sales. They hired an additional person to work at the location, and Guerrero hopes her daughter will join her at the restaurant on Saturdays before going to college in a year. It is important to her because family participation is already core to this space, with Elizabeth Guerrero’s sister, niece, and brother working there, and because her child was the inspiration for the business name. “The whole reason this is called La Osita is because my daughter,” explained Guerrero. Guerrero and Doyle would playfully add “bear” to the end of her name when she was younger, and Osita means little bear.

A woman working behind the counter of a café, focused on a touchscreen while a large metallic container sits nearby. Shelves in the background hold various kitchen supplies.
Owner Elizabeth Guerrero behind the counter

Elizabeth Guerrero knows she has years of work ahead to pay off the loans and build the business in the Montavilla community. The business owners are selling their old cart because they can not run two locations, and it will help pay down what they borrowed to build the brick-and-mortar location. However, she expressed heartfelt gratitude to her staff who worked in cramped conditions and stayed by her side throughout the years of delays. She is especially appreciative of her sister Maria Guerrero, who has remained part of La Osita since the beginning. She is also thankful for all the customers who supported her dream and the people who helped fundraise for the buildout. Now, she is looking to the future with only minor additions to the menu planned as the team becomes accustomed to the bigger space.

Several of the summer-only drinks, like agua fresca, will return to the menu more frequently, with select new food items planned. I wanted to add Chilaquiles, which is a very popular breakfast item in Mexico, but I don’t want to expand too much because that does make it harder on my cook. I want to add chicken, and I do want to add Mexican bread like conchas,” explained Guerrero. “I can envision somebody buying their concha and their brunch taco and their coffee. That’s the perfect breakfast in my eyes.”

A menu from La Osita restaurant featuring various Mexican-American dishes, including breakfast and lunch options, vegan choices, and add-ons, displayed on a wooden table.
La Osita’s restaurant menu October 2025

People interested in visiting the shop for dine-in counter service or takeout can stop by from 7:15 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. The menu features the popular Brunch Taco with melted pepper jack cheese on a crispy corn tortilla, topped with applewood bacon, fried egg, pickled onion, pico de gallo, bell pepper, and salsa. They offer several burrito variations with chorizo, carne asada beef, or steak. Some include eggs to fit in with the breakfast and brunch theme. The meatless options include Vegan burritos, tacos, and bowls. For drinks, they serve French press coffee or espresso-based items with an optional Mexican flavor palate. They offer freshly made green smoothies and a Cocoa banana almond chia smoothie, alongside other canned or bottled beverages.

Menu for La Osita restaurant featuring various coffee drinks, smoothies, and beverages, displayed on a wooden table.
La Osita’s restaurant drink menu October 2025

When the weather turns warmer next year, Elizabeth Guerrero expects to have outdoor seating. People will eventually see the blue “Tabor Ct. Grocery” sign updated with the La Osita name. Still, the building’s new owners are working with a neighborhood caretaker to preserve the original surviving sign panel showing the location’s historic name. The spot is outside the traditional commercial corridor, a short walk from SE Stark Street and 82nd Avenue. They will depend on word of mouth for people to find them, but Guerrero said that has always worked for them in the past. She hopes people will help spread the word that they have finally moved in and are ready to greet their guests.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

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Business Relocating

Union Rose Relocating and Resizing

Apparel maker and retail store Union Rose will close its Montavilla location at 8029 SE Stark Street in late October after it completes its move to the Plural Collective in Sellwood. Store owner and clothing designer Rita Hudson-Evalt is making this move to reduce operational costs and free up more time for creative work in her craft as well as pursue other diversified work opportunities. The brand remains committed to creating the same locally produced soft goods in the size ranges shoppers appreciate while experimenting with more small-batch designs.

The Plural Collective at 8012 SE 13th Avenue hosts several businesses that provide a range of products from local makers. Collaborating brand owners and retailers, soon to include Hudson-Evalt, share responsibility for operating the store during its daily 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. hours. Union Rose products will have a dedicated space within the store, but brands can intermix throughout the shop as merchandising opportunities benefit from cross-promotion. This collaborative shop design reduces the operational burdens and payroll impacts while maintaining much of the direct-to-consumer sales strategy that makes locally produced products possible.

Hudson-Evalt explained that this change in business model was needed to keep her working in the industry. Union Rose moved into its current storefront in January 2021 after years in a smaller shop a block west, where Wink Vintage now sells vintage items. The larger retail space allowed the company to consolidate much of the production and sales into a single space. Union Rose had been in its current location since before Hudson-Evalt bought the store in 2014. The original owner, Nicole Prevost, opened the store on Martin Luther King Jr Blvd in 2007 and moved to Montavilla shortly thereafter. Hudson-Evalt was a designer who sold clothing to the store when Prevost was looking to leave the business and could not imagine it closing. With that same appreciation for Union Rose and the loyal customers who have supported the store, Hudson-Evalt felt it necessary to reimagine the shop and clothing brand as a sustainable company so it can continue to be there for the community.

Exterior view of Union Rose retail store displaying clothing in the windows, with a sign that reads 'BLACK LIVES MATTER.'
Union Rose’s location opening week January 2021

Rita Hudson-Evalt explained that clothing production will revert to its previous location. “I’m going to move that back to my house, where it was before, when we were in the smaller location where Wink Vintage is now. In some ways that’ll be nice and in some ways that’ll be a pain.” The end of the lease at the shop partially influenced this change. When weighing the choice to re-sign with the landlord, Hudson-Evalt felt there was enough uncertainty in the retail market and wanted to make the company lean enough to continue. “Whether you’re directly importing goods or not, you are definitely being affected by the tariffs. I think we’re going to see a huge spike in costs, especially around the holidays,” said Hudson-Evalt. With that concern in mind, and other changes in her life, this was the right time to refocus on apparel design and less on the daily responsibility of running a retail location.

As the SE Stark Street store winds down, most items at the shop have a 20% discount, including online purchases. The discounts will increase closer to the closing date, including the ability to buy fixtures and other items not making the move to the Sellwood location. Hudson-Evalt expects to bring some product lines from different businesses currently in the shop to the new location. However, the new storefront has an existing diverse assortment of products. “Because the collective has so many people there already that have their own categories. There’s a jewelry maker, Stacy [Vickery’s] Modern Madini. There are many artists. There’s a ceramics person. I couldn’t really bring a lot of people over with me. So I’ll have to be focusing on apparel and those kinds of soft goods,” explained Hudson-Evalt. She hopes people will see the moving sale as a good opportunity to support a longtime Montavilla business and get ahead of the holiday shopping season.

A sale schedule for Union Rose showing three discount events: 20% off on September 5, 40% off on September 26, and 60% off on October 10, featuring store details and emphasizes that all sales are final.
Sale graphic courtesy Union Rose

Hudson-Evalt is excited for the change and what that can do for her creative work. “Of course I have ideas, lots of ideas, and no time to make any of that happen right now, so I’m really hoping that this change will give me the time that I can do that experimentation and risk making mistakes. Whereas right now, I’m having to fill a whole store all the time, so there’s just not a lot of time.” Although the change benefits the business’s health and the owner’s well-being, it was not made without appreciation for what the old location meant to Hudson-Evalt. “I’ve managed to raise my two kiddos and support my family over the past 11 years because of Union Rose and because of the neighborhood.”

People can continue to shop at the Montavilla Union Rose location and online until October, or until they sell out of goods. The Plural Collective space will open with mostly new inventory, and online shopping will cease for some time after the old location closes. The website will remain an informational resource for Union Rose and may return to e-commerce at a future date. For now, the moving sale is the best way for local customers to buy from Union Rose, and shoppers can plan a trip out to the 8012 SE 13th Avenue location later this year to see the new Union Rose alongside other locally designed goods.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Montavilla News is supported by contributions from businesses like Otter Wax, a neighborhood producer of small-batch specialty goods handcrafted in Portland. Using only natural ingredients, they make modern care products that are steeped in tradition. We thank them for their support.

Business Relocating, Food and Drink

Bikini Coffee Stand Relocates to Adult Store Parking Lot

Dollhouse Espresso recently reopened its Bikini Coffee stand in the Taboo Video parking lot at 2330 SE 82nd Avenue. Earlier this year, the coffee cart vacated its previous location at 1133 SE 82nd Avenue to find a more supportive host business and is now featuring an expanded shop with a new menu in the parking lot of the adult entertainment store. Montavilla News spoke to owner Jessica Cody in April 2024 about her latest venture, and the following is an updated version of that article.

Jessica Cody purchased the original Dollhouse Espresso cart with donations from supporters who were interested in seeing a woman-owned stand that would create a safe space for the people working there. Although barista attire is a theme of the cart, Cody and her staff strive to deliver well-made coffee, tasty food, and friendly service to all customers.

Pink coffee cart named Dollhouse Espresso located in a parking lot, featuring a menu display in the window and a portable restroom nearby.
Dollhouse Espresso’s original cart in 2024

Cody has worked as a dancer and bartender for several years. She continues to do that work to help support the growing business, sometimes working from 6 a.m. to 3 a.m. the next day. However, it was her work abroad that sparked a genuine passion for coffee service. “I used to live in Australia before the pandemic on a working visa. I lived there for about two years, and I managed a really great coffee shop in Perth. That’s where I learned how to make good, authentic coffee,” Cody recalled.

Bikini coffee has a varied history in the Pacific Northwest, and Jessica Cody was an early employee in that industry before moving to Australia. Through that tumultuous experience, she developed her idea for a respectful woman-run business. “I had a very bad experience working at a bikini coffee stand when I first did it years ago. It was called Dream Girls,” recalled Cody. The former owner of Dream Girls now faces charges of sexual abuse and rape, along with other crimes reportedly committed against some of his employees. Cody felt that Dollhouse Espresso presented an opportunity to return to bikini coffee work while creating a safe space for this type of service. Many of the people working there are her friends, and she operates the stand in a similar manner to an employee-run shop.

A small, pink and white coffee stand named Dollhouse Espresso located in the parking lot of Taboo Video, with a clear blue sky above.
Dollhouse Espresso’s new larger cart at its current location

Part of Cody’s vision for Dollhouse Espresso is to make people feel respected inside and outside the cart. “I feel like we are friendly and welcoming enough for everybody, any part of the community. I try to hire women of all different shapes, sizes, and colors,” said Cody. The organization is LGBTQ-friendly, and Cody says families come through often. “I try to make it exciting for everybody,” explained Cody.

The path to opening this new business has not been without issues and false starts. Dollhouse Espresso opened previously in Vancouver, Washington, operating for just three months. Cody said the landlord raised the rent on her with little notice and caused property damage when she did not pay the increase. In 2024, she had to relocate and regroup. Having lived in Montavilla during her youth and worked in some nearby businesses, SE 82nd felt like the ideal spot for the stand’s long-term home. “The demographics seem great for what I’m trying to do here, especially for girls being in bikinis,” said Cody.

Exterior view of Dollhouse Espresso coffee stand, featuring a pink and white color scheme, with a logo on the roof and a nearby fence and trees.

The shop is currently open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., but Cody expects to extend the hours soon. She placed the stand near Taboo Video’s north parking lot entrance, close to the building. Walk-ups and bicyclists are welcome to visit the window adjacent to the sidewalk, but people outside a vehicle should use caution, as it serves drive-up customers.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Business Relocating

NightOwl Custom Apparel Relocates to NE Glisan

NightOwl Custom Apparel recently relocated its screen printing and embroidery business to 7114 NE Glisan Street and launched its first customer-facing storefront. Partners Shelly Hill and Paul Hill ran this business for 15 years as a home-based operation, creating wearable promotional items and custom apparel for local groups. Portlanders have likely seen their work worn by 82nd Avenue parade volunteers and community athletes. NightOwl’s owners expanded onto NE Glisan to better connect with their community of supportive customers and to find more people looking for unique apparel made quickly in Portland.

Inside NightOwl Custom Apparel store, displaying a variety of colorful t-shirts on hangers with artwork on the walls.

NightOwl started as a growing Hill family changed their priorities. “My partner’s been in the [printing] industry for over 35 years, and it’s part of my daily life for over 30. When we had our son, we decided it was time to be done working for someone else who just had the money but not the knowledge. So we started our own business to be able to put family first,” recalled Shelly Hill. She explained that their business has remained consistent in many ways over the last decade and a half, printing by hand with a personal touch. However, the source artwork has evolved, requiring more pre-printing support to translate it onto clothing. “With AI, we’re seeing a lot of artwork that can’t be used, but it looks fantastic on a computer screen. We’ll work with them to get the image they want that works on the particular piece of apparel they’re putting it on. Because what looks great on a business card doesn’t work on a hat,” said Hill.

A screen printing machine with multiple screens set up in a workshop, surrounded by printing supplies and equipment.
Screen print t-shirt carousel

Shelly Hill was raised in a southern Illinois union household and supports people making a living wage wherever they work. That perspective guides the products they produce for clients. “We try to get U.S. made, but we have to be competitive. So we work through a local U.S. company that has their own [supply channel], generally in Honduras. They pay all their employees [fairly] wherever they are, and they take care of them,” explained Hill. She is also adamant that printing services remain in-house with a few exceptions. “As a general rule, when you’re in control of the production, you’re in control of the quality,” remarked Hill. People can work with them to create custom tablecloths, banners, signage, patches, travel mugs, and nearly any promotional items. They can also help with stickers through a local partner.

A blue car parked in front of the NightOwl Custom Apparel store, showcasing colorful clothing displayed in the windows and a vibrant balloon arrangement nearby.

Most longtime clients value their quick turnaround time and focus on supporting local groups. “We work with Columbia Christian [School]. They called on Monday with a soccer camp starting on Wednesday, and we got the shirts done. We tell people it takes 10 to 12 business days, but we almost never take that long, and we understand small businesses don’t need 200 t-shirts at once. We’d love it if people would order at least 24 because it takes time and materials to set up. However, we did one shirt for someone kicking off their business just this week that needed something,” recalled Hill. “We try to support our community every way we can. We make Street Roots stuff at cost. We don’t charge them, and we don’t charge Columbia Slough.”

A display of various shirts on hangers in a storefront, showcasing different colors and styles, next to a wooden product with decorative stripes and a colorful painting on the wall.

NightOwl Custom Apparel held its grand opening on April 27th after working from the space during the build-out process. They are excited to meet new customers and anyone looking for gift items at their shop. People can visit the storefront from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays or call/text them at (815) 848-2216. For examples of their work, visit the company’s Instagram page, showroom, or the Hinterland Coffee & Clothing shop next door, which uses them for many of its apparel products.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Business Relocating, Entertainment, New Business

Devout Rcrds Reopens on NE Glisan

On April 26th, Devout Rcrds held its grand reopening in its new location at 7115 NE Glisan Street after a long hiatus. This highly specialized store focuses on metal music in all its varieties. Redevelopment pressures forced the shop to move several times within Portland’s Inner Eastside, and the pandemic caused the owner to close the shop for years. However, better leasing opportunities in Montavilla are giving this store a new life in an area that has regularly welcomed this genre of music store.

Exterior view of Devout Rcrds record store featuring an open door, large front windows with the store name displayed, and plants visible inside.

Store owner Stevie Floyd keeps a lowkey shop and depends on a particular type of customer seeking her extensive collection of underground metal, death metal, black metal, and doom metal. “It’s not for everyone. I don’t wanna waste people’s time or mine. It’s a very niche thing,” said Floyd. She designed the store with minimal window dressing. Even the lettering of the shop’s name is hard to read at a glance. Floyd does not want to confuse anyone who may think this is a general-purpose record store.

View of Devout Rcrds interior featuring an assortment of vinyl records displayed on shelves in the foreground, with black band t-shirts hanging above. Two people are seen at the counter in the background.

Although curbside promotion is not part of the plan for this storefront, foot traffic will factor into reaching Devout Rcrds customers. Through a coincidence, this store will open a block away from City Noise Records, which specializes in punk and metal music. “It was so weird,” recalled Floyd. She was looking at a potential retail space adjacent to her friend’s store, Black Water Records. “I met the owner of City Noise there and said, ‘Oh, I was just looking at this spot, but it’s a little too small. Whatever, I already signed a lease somewhere else, but I just wanted to see if this could be a backup.’ He said, ‘We’re signing a lease. Where’s your new store?’ and I said, ’71st and Glisan.’ and he said, ‘Really, I just signed a lease a couple of months ago at 70th and Glisan.'” Floyd is not concerned with the unintentional proximity of the two stores. “Record collectors go to every record store. So it’s totally fine. It was just really random and funny.”

Interior of Devout Rcrds, showcasing shelves filled with metal music albums, t-shirts, and a display case with various merchandise.
Listening station

Previous versions of Devout Rcrds included a cafe, but Floyd recognizes that NE Glisan already has a good coffee selection and does not want to cut into that market. However, as with the last locations, the shop will carry more than metal music and band t-shirts. “I sell herbs and tinctures and plants. I have a little plant store in the front with plants I grow,” explained Floyd. The Glisan shop is the fourth and final iteration of Devout Rcrds. Floyd took some time after the last closure and previously interrupted reopening before she felt it was a good time to try again. “I had finally had it with Morrison Street and then kind of gave up for a little bit on reopening my record store.” Now, with some time to regroup, Floyd wants to give one last effort at building the store she envisioned and is putting all her efforts into making it the best version of Devout Rcrds she could make.

Interior of Devout Rcrds showcasing various plants, decorative skulls, and band merchandise, with two people visible in the background.

For Floyd, a strong reopening started with finding the right location with a local landlord who cared about their property. “I had a lot of requirements in mind, but the number one thing was a private landlord, a real person I can talk to. So I found this really cool couple that built this building in the 80s with his dad. It’s a solid building, very affordable, and I can call them whenever I want. They’re real, genuine people,” said Floyd. She explained that maintenance issues ignored by the out-of-town property owner halted past attempts to reopen in a new location. This Montavilla location is the former Spencer’s Appliances storefront, and that company’s founding family still owns the property. They have a strong connection to the Montavilla neighborhood and favor independent businesses.

Devout Rcrds is open three days a week, Friday through Sunday, from 2 to 8 p.m. People can follow the store’s activities on the company’s Instagram page.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Montavilla News is supported by contributions from businesses like Greg Beddor – SEO Specialist, an Oregon based digital marketing consultancy. The company markets customer’s websites and provide SEO services to grow their business. We thank them for their support.

Business Relocating, Services

Bethany Rydmark Landscapes

Almost a year ago, Bethany Rydmark relocated her eponymously named company from a home studio to a Montavilla office, sharing space with Arctura Design Build at 425 NE 80th Avenue. Since moving into the green cement-block building, Bethany Rydmark :: Landscapes has grown into a five-member team helping clients create functional, evolving outdoor spaces designed to thrive in a changing climate.

Rydmark’s return to Montavilla workplace harkens back nearly 20 years to her time working for Quatrefoil, which operated from the boxy 1,200 square-foot building at 404 SE 80th Avenue before that company relocated to NE 65th Avenue. That job also influenced her family’s move into the area. “My husband and I ended up moving about a year later to live in the neighborhood so that I could be close to work, and he was close to his university around the corner,” recalled Rydmark. In 2013, she started her private practice from a backyard studio and a decade later signed a lease for the NE 80th Avenue location in May 2024.

Directory sign at 425 NE 80th Ave (photo by Jacob Loeb)

Rydmark explained that she has always loved gardens, and outdoor interactions were a staple of her upbringing. However, passion alone will not lead a person to a career in landscape architecture. It is a State-licensed profession that required she complete a five-year Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (BLA) degree from the University of Oregon and participate in a three-year apprenticeship program before taking the national Landscape Architect Registration Examination. Bethany Rydmark received her license in 2010 after completing an oral exam with the Oregon Landscape Architect Board. In 2012, wanting to expand her understanding of the profession’s practical applications, she embarked on a year-long worldwide trip to visit diverse landscapes and ecosystems. “I went to 25 countries and territories for a year and brought all that inspiration and knowledge back with me,” Said Rydmark.

According to Rydmark, understanding how gardens thrive in other climates is essential to working in Portland as environmental shifts make tradition less impactful in landscaping design. “We do incorporate a lot of native [plants]. We’re very happy to celebrate and use natives, but we love to help encourage clients to think beyond the traditional palette of plants that have been used for a long time. Part of that’s out of necessity because the climate continues to change, and our weather patterns have shifted. The typical Portland garden you saw in a photo from a garden club in the 60s, those plants don’t necessarily live in and experience the same weather patterns now that they did then.” She explained that holding to older design principles creates resource-heavy gardens, requiring extra water and protection from freezing weather or extremely hot days.

Photo courtesy Bethany Rydmark :: Landscapes

The team at Bethany Rydmark :: Landscapes produces spaces tailored to their clients’ desires while staying committed to creating a sustainable outdoor space that continues to grow into its envisioned shape over years. “We’re interested in places where we can make a difference with thoughtful, non-cookie-cutter design, which is sometimes hard because oftentimes in public spaces, there are the cookie-cutter ways of getting things done. There’s city code, and there’s the standard accepted way of doing things. Our ethos is about how we dig down to find health, [building back in] holistically healthy ways of design, creating things that are beautiful, that are also nourishing to our human spirits, to our ecosystem, neighbors, and other creatures,” said Rydmark. That can include considerations for pollinators, soil health, or birds. Their designs often shape lighting arrangements to maximize safety while reducing the disorienting effects of light pollution on migratory birds flying in the night sky.

Bethany Rydmark explained that her company is best suited to people making a long-term investment in their properties, spending twenty percent or more of their home’s value on the entire outdoor project. “Oftentimes, I find that people are committed to their land for a period of time to justify the amount of effort that it takes to go through a thoughtful design project; they’re the ones that are a good fit for the level of work that we do,” said Rydmark. “We focus on residential scale projects from estates and beautiful luxury homes to more modest-sized properties where clients have a vision. We are also partnering with a few other architects and developers on more commercial projects.” However, she feels good outdoor design should be accessible to everyone but would rather people with constrained budgets put most of their money towards plants and placemaking material instead of the services her company provides.

Photo courtesy Bethany Rydmark :: Landscapes

Investments in outdoor spaces extend beyond the initial design and implementation. Many plantings take years to reach maturity, so designers use filler plants to keep the soil protected and active, but people will need to remove them as the primary vegetation grows to its intended size. “I kind of laugh at the idea of the no-maintenance garden unless you’re going to go walk in the woods and be a visitor there. Just about any landscape you interact with has some form of dynamism,” said Rydmark. “Oftentimes, I’m working for clients that are aware that they need extra help and will plan for a maintenance budget going into the future, whether that’s ongoing regular maintenance from a company that can provide that or an engaged gardener.” However, manicured spaces are not always the outcome of designed gardens. “Honestly, sometimes maintenance is overdone, and I teach people how to take a step back and let things look messy, to build a rich garden ecosystem with a little less maintenance and a little more allowing for nature to cycle through,” remarked Rydmark.

Bethany Rydmark :: Landscapes focuses on working with customers to create authentic outdoor spaces people can enjoy as much as their homes and businesses. “I like to stick with things that are real, real stone, real wood, real steel, real stone, and real rock. It’s the antithesis to the AstroTurf, Trex decking, or fake stone veneer that pretends it’s something else,” said Rydmark. “Oftentimes fast or cheap design and construction can strip out life and leave something that’s somewhat exploitative of resources. Our hope is to create places that have a story to tell, that have been thoughtfully designed and thoughtfully constructed with honor given to the materials, to the people, to the outcome, to the long-term life of the place that we’re shaping.”

People interested in seeing Bethany Rydmark :: Landscapes’ featured projects or talking with the team about an outdoor space can contact the group at bethanyrydmark.com.

by

Jacob Loeb

Business Relocating, Transportation

Broadway Cab Moves to NE Glisan

Broadway Cab recently relocated offices and its vehicle yard from NE Emerson Street to the former fueling center at 9270 NE Glisan Street. The site’s proximity to Portland International Airport, Interstates 205 and 84, and its size make it well suited to the transportation-oriented business’s needs.

The nearly century-old Portland cab company purchased the property and moved operations to the site on February 1st. The site previously served as a hub for B4 Transportation after the previous owners removed all refueling equipment from the property. Broadway Cab selected the Montavilla site after an exhaustive two-year search by its new General Manager, Roger Stelmach. The expanded space will assist the company’s regrowth efforts as the traditional taxi industry adjusts to a market upended by app-based ride-hailing services. “Before Uber and Lyft, there were eight cab companies in Portland, and now we’re down to four,” said Stelmach. Ownership brought him in to bolster the taxi company that once employed 400 drivers but had declined substantially in recent years. Stelmach estimates his efforts helped regrow the drive base by 20 to 25 percent. They now employ well over 100 cab operators and offer expanded services. Accessibility-equipped vehicles now account for a sizable segment of Broadway Cab’s fleet, allowing the company to provide medical transport with wheelchair-ramped vans and support people’s mobility needs beyond what other providers may accommodate.

Broadway Cab is actively seeking new drivers, and the company now allows drivers to keep their assigned vehicles at home so drivers no longer have to come to the main yard to start or end a shift. “The only cabs I have here on the property are cabs waiting to be picked up, new cabs for new drivers, or cabs that are being serviced. Drivers these days don’t drop by every morning and pick up the cab,” explained Stelmach. “That [change in procedure] was to compete with Uber and Lyft, and the drivers love it.” That modern taxi vehicle policy should also keep the new location from clogging during shift changes, lessening the impact on local traffic. Although, the facility is well designed for efficient vehicle access with dedicated entry and exit gates, explained Stelmach.

Crews refreshed the office building before Broadway Cab staff moved into the NE Glisan space. However, Roger Stelmach said that besides the office upgrades, the deep lot had most of what they needed, including a large storage yard and shop space for minor vehicle servicing. Most cab repair work happens offsite through the company’s longtime mechanic, Portland Auto Services, which is conveniently located on the same street at 7510 NE Glisan Street.

Eight people regularly work from this NE Glisan Street location, with daytime dispatchers working alongside administrative staff. The company offers 24-hour taxi dispatch anywhere in Portland via the 503-333-3333 phone number. Riders can also book online or use the Broadway Cab mobile phone app. The cab company intends to remove the decommissioned fueling apparatus at the front gates eventually and make other upgrades to their property as they make roots in the neighborhood.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Business Relocating, Food and Drink

Thatchers Remains Open After Parking Lot Closure

On February 25th, Thatchers Restaurant Lounge announced it had permanently lost access to the back parking lot on SE Washington Street after the lot owner installed chainlink construction fencing around the property. The decades-old bar and eating establishment at 7906 SE Stark Street used the parking lot across the ally for patron parking. The owner of the parking lot and house next door to it recently lost his tenant of 20 years, who operated ASAP Signs from the single-story building that shared the parking lot with Thatchers.

A representative for Thatchers said they knew the parking lot’s owner wanted to sell the home and lot together but were surprised to see the fence installed this week. “The fence being put up came as a surprise to us… It was sudden and unexpected,” wrote Thatchers’ manager Cody Palmer in a text conversation with MV News. The owner of the Limited Liability Company that controls the fenced properties was not immediately available to comment on his plans for the SE Washington Street lots.

The site’s vacancy began late last year when Steven Mills, owner of ASAP Signs, grew tired of “livability conditions” in Portland and decided to move closer to family in Arizona. He relocated his business in October 2024 but has retained some Portland clients as he offers nationwide shipping. Mills explained it was hard to leave the location because his rent barely increased over his time on SE Washington Street, and the property management was “hands off.” He intended to return to Portland to pack up his remaining signage at his former shop but could not travel ahead of the lease’s expiration. Consequentially, Mills asked the property owner to remove leftover items.

Thatchers Restaurant Lounge customers will have to use other parking options, including street spaces on SE Stark Street or SE Washington Street. However, future bike lanes will remove some parking spaces on SE Washington later this year. Thatchers assured patrons through social media posts that they remain open for business and plan to stay in their Montavilla location.

Update: On February 28th, PBOT updated the Jade and Montavilla Multimodal Improvements Project‘s website page to reflect the current designs that reduce the extent of previously indicated south-side street parking removal for bike lane creation. The project will add over 20 marked parking spaces on SE Washington Street from SE 76th to 80th Avenues, replacing the southernmost travel lane. The recreated parking capacity offers slightly fewer spaces than the parking spaces removed. Still, it is a significant benefit for area businesses and residents living in housing on that street that do not have onsite parking options.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Business Relocating, Community, Food and Drink, New Business

Stone Soup at Glisan Landing

The culinary training organization Stone Soup PDX recently relocated its operations from downtown Portland to the Beacon at Glisan Landing building on the corner of NE 74th Avenue and Glisan Street. Educational programs are currently underway inside the storefront space, and their publicly accessible cafe will open in March 2025, when they expect residents to move into the apartments above the shop. This location will provide people facing employment barriers with critical job skills through a 12-week program.

Stone Soup occupies three adjacent storefronts in the newly constructed NE Glisan Street building. The corner cafe will operate as a community-facing space, selling morning coffee, pastries, and cookies. Throughout the weekdays, they intend to have a more extensive menu in the cafe, offering soup and other meals prepared in the training kitchen next door or from the group’s production kitchen on SE Powell Boulevard.

The third Montavilla storefront serves as Stone Soup’s classroom. In the space, program participants receive basic instruction and engage in weekly “check-ins” with the support services coordinators who work to ensure students have the supplies needed to succeed in the program. According to Ellen Damaschino, Executive Director at the nonprofit, this can include help with transit, work-appropriate clothing, or USB cables needed to keep their phones charged. Damaschino explained that culinary skills are the central curriculum in the program. However, the instructors also teach workplace success tactics to help people find jobs and stay employed in various fields. “Some of our participants are also interested in using the skills we teach in resume building, getting to work on time, and working with others to maybe enter other fields, which is OK with us. Culinary is [just one] way for us to get people into work,” said Damaschino.

Stone Soup PDX opened in its original location on NW Everett and Broadway in 2019. They operated primarily as a cafe and training kitchen until COVID-19 forced a shift in the group’s operations. “So it slowed down a lot during the pandemic, and that is when we really kicked up the Community Meals program,” recalled Damaschino. “We make about 1,500 meals a week for the community. Those are for places like shelters, mental health facilities, and transitional housing. So exactly the places that our participants come from.” That shift allowed the organization to open a production kitchen on SE Powell Boulevard, where program participants spend their final four weeks cooking meals that volunteer drivers transport to Portland locations.

When Stone Soup backed away from serving walk-in customers downtown in favor of providing delivery meals, they expanded training operations wherever they could. However, that downtown space was not ideal for the growing program. “It was originally opened as a restaurant and a cafe, and they were making the basement downstairs into a school. So when Catholic Charities approached us about this space [on NE Glisan] that would have an externally facing cafe again, a brand new kitchen, and a classroom space, it was very enticing to take that space and jettison our old space, which wasn’t really working for us,” said Damaschino.

Classroom kitchen on NE Glisan courtesy Stone Soup PDX (Julia Granet)

The Beacon at Glisan Landing offers 41 Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) units above the ground-floor storefronts. Damaschino sees an opportunity for a symbiotic relationship with the building’s residents and the families living in the adjacent affordable housing complex. They want to create programs teaching home cooking to their neighbors and work to assist those around them with access to healthy foods. PSH program operators may also guide some residents into the program. “We mostly have a referral in program, you can join just by signing up, but we have found that it is better if people are in some kind of housing, whether it’s transitional or shelter. We have found that people who are housed have had better success in the program,” explained Damaschino.

Many students are recently houseless and need help finding employment that can secure stable housing. However, Stone Soup designed programs for anyone with employment barriers, including young people without any work experience, people who recently transitioned back into the workforce, or those looking to switch jobs but have limited resources. “We recently had a graduate in his 60s who wanted a career change. [He was] on a fixed income and felt worried about retirement. Now, he’s working at a retirement community as a chef. So that’s a success story for us,” remarked Damaschino. Program instructors segment the classes into three tiers, each lasting four weeks. All tiers currently have eight people learning culinary and workplace skills. Damaschino explained that they intend to grow the program’s 24-person capacity to 30 with this new location. The organization often has around 35 to 45 people waiting for a place in the program, providing a sustainable flow of participants.

The menu taught to students changes with each class and the season. “Our community meals vary in what we make. We also try to engage the participants and meet them where they’re at. In the first and second tiers, we ask what they want to learn, matching them with skills that are also going to get them jobs. Often, in the community kitchen, we’ll make lasagna or enchiladas. We always have salads, and we [make] nice soups and stews in the winter,” said Damaschino. “We tend to make meals that shelters respond to. We want to make things that kids are going to eat, and the parents are going to eat in the shelter. We want them to be nutritious and we follow the county’s guidelines, so we have a dietitian that we work with.”

As Stone Soup transitions into this new space, they hope to build the same level of community integration they developed in their years downtown. “We partner with our community. So, if we had too many onions, we would offer them to other nonprofits in the area. People were giving us food, and we were giving them food. We want to make ourselves visible and useful,” explained Damaschino. The group works to avoid food waste and shares practice meals when they have a surplus by allowing participants to take food back home to their communities.

In addition to a core group of instructors who came to the program from culinary or social services professions, Stone Soup relies on ten to 20 volunteers per week who distribute prepared meals to the customer organizations. Damaschino explained that they intend to keep growing their educational offering, filling the gaps in Portland’s food-related employment sector. “We want to see Stone Soup as the premier workforce training program. All the culinary schools are gone from the area,” remarked Damaschino. She feels Portland has a significant need for what this organization can offer the community. People can already see weekday activity in the storefront now and should expect to see the cafe open in March.

By

Jacob Loeb