Tag: 7033 NE Glisan

Entertainment, Food and Drink, New Business

Secret Sauna is Social in Montavilla

Article and photos originally published in Bridgetown Bites by

Meg Cotner

Secret Sauna: The name is intriguing right off the bat. So what is it? It’s literally a sauna parked on the patio behind Montavilla’s Replicant Wine Bar (shared by Mudd Works Cafe in the mornings). It offers a place to relax, enjoy some drinks and food, sit around the fire pit, and have a sauna. And as of today, it is officially open.

I met with Sarah Mayo, the owner of the Secret Sauna, to learn more about the sauna and its connection to the businesses that are hosting it.

Sign indicating patio hours, stating 'Patio closes at 9 pm!' above a cardboard poster announcing 'Coming Soon... secret sauna' with an Instagram handle.
It’s a sign (Meg Cotner – Bridgetown Bites)

Secret Sauna Overview

I’ll also add that this interview was a first for Bridgetown Bites: The majority of it took place in the sauna itself, wood fire happily burning in its stove. And yes, it was very relaxing.

Interior of a wooden sauna featuring a black stove with rocks and an open flame, surrounded by wooden benches.
Sauna, rocks, fire, and window inside the Secret Sauna (Meg Cotner – Bridgetown Bites)

It’s a barrel-style sauna structure—but not perfectly round like most barrel saunas are. Think of it as a square with rounded corners. That means straighter sides, giving more space inside the sauna, adding to the comfort level. It is made of cedar wood, and produced by AC Forest Saunas in BC, Canada.

The sauna itself is warmed by a wood fire rather than by infrared technology. There is a bucket with water that you can use to ladle over the hot igneous rocks (the best kind of rocks for a sauna) to create steam.

There is room for about a dozen people inside the sauna (more, if people want to be closer to each other). There will be an area for cold showers (an easier setup than a cold plunge, while still providing contrast therapy), and there is also an outbuilding that holds four dressing rooms, a stack of rental towels and sandals, and a check-in desk.

Connection to Replicant and Mudd Works

I was curious to know what Sarah’s connection was to the Replicant/Mudd Works space. She’s a neighbor and a fan.

Interior view of a cozy cafe featuring a wooden bar with black stools, colorful artwork on the walls, plants, and warm lighting.
Replicant Wine Bar and Mudd Works Cafe space (Meg Cotner – Bridgetown Bites)

“So I live in Montavilla and this is my favorite spot to just come and have a glass of wine,” she explained. “And I love the patio—I was here all summer last year. And there’s these big trees behind that I think are so unique for this space. We’re behind the building, have a little bit of privacy, and then these trees are just so great.”

Tall evergreen tree with dense green foliage viewed from below against a cloudy sky.
The tops of the trees by the Secret Sauna (Meg Cotner – Bridgetown Bites)

Sara’s Previous Work

Before she got into the sauna business, she worked in investor relations for commercial real estate investment companies. “I was doing that full-time in-house for a few different companies up until 2023,” she explained. “At that time, it was venture capital instead of commercial real estate, but still in the investor relations field.”

She also worked with startups and did consulting for smaller companies in this same field for a couple years. But at one point, something changed.

“My values had been shifting a lot,” she explained. “And once I was not working on [investor] projects anymore and thinking more about what I was actually doing, I realized that it was making rich people richer.” It’s safe to say that she craved doing something that supported community rather than participating in something she considered to be destructive.

The Start of the Secret Sauna

So how did the Secret Sauna come to be? It began with COVID. “So this whole thing started in October,” Sarah said. “I had COVID twice back to back, and I was sitting at home for eight weeks, basically losing my mind. I knitted a hat, and then I’m like, ‘What do I do now?’”

The Sauna Business, and a Partnership

“I was looking for something new to do anyway, and I kind of always had this idea to do a sauna business—but I hadn’t seriously explored it,” said Sarah. While she was stuck at home with COVID she started building a financial model for the potential business, along with creating a business plan. “And then I thought, ‘This could actually work!’” she exclaimed.

As soon as she got a negative COVID test, she messaged the Instagram account for Replicant Wine Bar, which was her number one choice of location for the sauna.

“And so I messaged the Instagram account,” explained Sarah. “Mila [short for Gianpiero Milani, the owner of Replicant—and yes, it’s a “Blade Runner” reference] answered within five minutes. We didn’t know each other—he had probably seen me here, but we hadn’t met each other. I showed the idea to him and he said ‘That sounds really cool. And can you come in to talk?’” She came in the next day, and the rest is history.

She appreciates how collaborative he is and how he caught on to her vision so easily. “I didn’t even have to explain a whole lot about the idea,” she said. “He could just like see it, and was getting excited about it, too. He thought this was a great way to use the space.”

When Marco at Mudd Works heard about, he, too, was excited about it and wanted to support the project.

What Type of Sauna Is the Secret Sauna?

I wondered if she was going to encourage any specific type of sauna culture—the two that came to mind immediately were Finnish and Russian. She replied, “It’s a PNW-type of sauna, but I think that I’m kind of trying to emulate the Finnish style. I don’t have Finnish roots, so I’m not trying to like culturally appropriate it or anything. But I think that’s the style that a lot of people are familiar with.”

A wooden barrel sauna with a rounded roof, featuring a main door with circular windows, wooden benches on either side, and an orange bucket for supplies placed nearby.
Sauna room (Meg Cotner – Bridgetown Bites)

The Secret Sauna Is Social

Sarah says she wants to create a sauna atmosphere that is social, a way for guests to connect. “The vibe that I really want to go for is making this more of a social experience,” she explained. “Not like at other saunas that I’ve been to, where you’re kind of sitting silently, everyone’s quiet, and you’re almost afraid to make noise.”

She continued, “The sauna experiences that I’ve liked the most are where strangers are talking to each other and maybe even making friends and plans for later. And that was part of the vision—if I could be in an environment that is already somewhat social (like a bar and bonus coffee shop), then that was what I was going for when I was envisioning this.”

However, she may consider creating some designated quiet hours, “so people can self-direct into the type of experience they want,” she said.

Managing Your Secret Sauna Session: Inside and Outside

During a sauna session, it usually involves breaks, which could be a cold plunge or simply sitting outside to cool down. Sarah has a number of chairs nearby to sit in, and there is a fire pit to sit around where you can also be social.

Outdoor seating area with orange wire chairs arranged around a black fire pit, surrounded by a wood stack and trees.
Fire pit outside sauna room (Meg Cotner – Bridgetown Bites)

At this point in your sauna experience, you can enjoy a beverage—whether that’s a drink from Replicant or coffee from Mudd Works, or drinks (herbal tea, lemon water, electrolyte drink) that Sarah will provide.

They will also install some showers just to the south of the sauna structure. They want them to be heated as well as having cold water for contrast therapy.

So why a cold shower and not a cold plunge? It’s a practical choice. “Cold plunges in Portland are kind of hard to do ,” Sarah explained. “They’re classified as pools, so then you’re required to have all of the same level of filtration and circulation that a pool has.” This was more involved than her resources could handle. So instead of a cold plunge, you can do a cold shower if you want to. I’ve had this experience at other saunas, and it has been satisfying.

How To Dress in the Secret Sauna

A visit to the sauna during public hours will require you to be clothed (like in a swimsuit or athletic clothes—but not street clothes) but any private events can be clothing-optional. You’ll just need to wrap yourself in a towel when you step outside from the sauna. Next door to Replicant/Mudd Works/Secret Sauna is an auto shop, and there are private homes nearby.

A wooden structure with a rounded door featuring three circular windows, accompanied by an orange bucket labeled 'MORE DOING: FILL CHECK REPEAT' filled with sticks.
The sauna, seating, and the patio seating for Replicant/Mudd Works (Meg Cotner – Bridgetown Bites)

Additionally, this is a shared space among folks who are eating and drinking things from Replicant and Mudd Works who are not planning to sauna. There is no hard separation between the patio seating area for the two businesses and the sauna side, apart from the big sauna structure itself. That means anyone can stop by over near the sauna and use that seating. “We’re not keeping anything strictly segregated at all,” said Sarah.

Drinking and Eating Inside the Sauna

At this point here will be no food or drinks inside the sauna for a variety of reasons—of course there’s the potential mess from liquids and comestibles, as well as the risky warming of some food; any kind of glass itself could get quite hot, too.

As a solution to help guests keep track of their drinks from the wine bar or cafe, is that there will be set of racks with cubbies for storage.

Collabs With Replicant and Mudd Works

I was curious to see if there were any future collaborations with Replicant and/or Mudd Works on drinks or food. “I would love to like collab on that with them,” said Sarah. “My focus has just been on getting open.” This is fair.

She’d like to talk with them more about ideas they have regarding collaborations. One idea she had was to create promotions—discounts on drinks. or a combo of a sauna sesson and a drink. She has not nailed down any specifics on that quite yet.

Winter vs. Summer

I was curious to learn if the Secret Sauna will be available all year, or just during the winter/colder seasons. Summers can be hot so perhaps a sauna is less appealing then. “My plan initially was that I’d be closed during the summer,” said Sarah. “And Mila wants the backyard space fully back during the summer, so I am committed to moving this on out during the summer.”

In case it wasn’t obvious, the sauna is on wheels.

“And this is a trial year, so we’re going to see how this goes and then see what people want. If I’m still super busy in May, then maybe I would look for another place to be during the summer. I’m just not sure exactly yet.”

Pricing

A social session is $40 for a 75 minute session and $270 for a private session. She is also considering a multi punch pass where it’s like cheaper per visit if you buy multiple sessions ahead of time. She is also considering memberships, but that idea needs to be hashed out a bit first.  

Sauna Hours

Right now, she’s planning on having the sauna available to reserve starting at noon with the final slot at 7:40pm. She may adjust that in the future—for instance, she’d like to be open in the mornings, but it requires having enough staff.

They had a little bit of a soft opening last week, and now the places is open for booking!

Also note that the sauna is for those age 18 and older only.

What Sets the Secret Sauna Apart

First, it’s heated via wood-fire rather than infrared. Sarah has strong feelings about infrared saunas. She points out that the two heating elements work in different ways, and she prefers the traditional heat source—wood fire warms your body in a way that is easy and familiar.

Infrared heat has been around a fraction of the time (decades) compared to traditional wood fire (thousands of years). “I don’t think that they have the amount of longitudinal research [for infrared saunas] that exists for traditional saunas,” she said.

That said, she acknowledges that people will gravitate towards the type of experience that they want to have—whether it’s the way a sauna is heated, or the level of social interaction in a particular sauna. “I think the biggest differentiator here is this social vibe that we’re trying to cultivate, and how you can have like a beer or a glass of wine.” Also note there are some food options (pastries, pizza) to enjoy along with beverages in the back by the sauna.

She wants the accoutrements to a Secret Sauna experience to be solid, as well. That’s the hot herbal tea, lemon water, and electrolyte drink; secure changing rooms; a dry floor, secure hooks on the wall, and a shelf or cubby for your things. “We’ve thought through all of those little details,” she added.

This also includes the availability of towels and shoes for rent, swimsuits for sale, in case you find yourself at Replicant/Mudd Works and realize there is a sauna in the back, but you didn’t prepare yourself ahead of time.

Additional Details

Right now she is open five days a week, Wednesday through Sunday. The sauna’s day off will include doing any cleaning that  needs to be done aside from what is done throughout the week, and a chance for Sarah to catch up on admin work and other projects for the sauna, too. And, to take a break.

You can book your sauna session on the Secret Sauna website.

This is a very interesting mix of sauna relaxation, access to food and drink, and an unconventional social opportunity, all in one place in the north section of the Montavilla neighborhood. Replicant/Mudd Works is cozy, the sauna is cozy, and it’s a nice place to hang out in.

Wishing Sarah all the best with the Secret Sauna!

Secret Sauna [opened January 29, 2026]
Behind Replicant Wine Bar and Mudd Works Cafe
7033 NE Glisan Street, Portland
Secret Sauna website | Instagram

Article and photos originally published in Bridgetown Bites by

Meg Cotner

This article originally published in Bridgetown Bites on January 29th, 2026. Montavilla News republished it with permission of the editor and author. All copyrights remain with the original publisher.

Meg Cotner lives in NE Portland and is the editor and publisher of the independent Portland food news website Bridgetown Bites. She is also an active editor and writer, and the author of “Food Lovers’ Guide to Queens” (2023, Globe Pequot Press)

Community, Entertainment, New Business

NE Glisan Community Support New Bodega with May 30 Benefit Show

On Friday, May 30th, two bands will play a benefit show at Replicant Beer & Wine to support the new NE Glisan bodega-style convenience store, How Convenient. The show features the performers Wedding Singer and Friends with Salad, who will play from 6 to 8 p.m. within the bar at 7033 NE Glisan Street. In addition to hearing the live performances, attendees will receive one raffle ticket for every $5 they donate, with prizes provided by local businesses to support the new neighborhood general store.

A person stands behind a counter in a brightly colored convenience store decorated with various products, including snacks and smoking accessories, with a cheerful expression.
How Convenient owner Nathan Carter behind the sales counter

How Convenient opened at 6016 NE Glisan Street in October 2024, just before the “slow time for retail,” as owner Nathan Carter recalled. Centered in the 1911-era storefront, the location appealed to Carter as a way to move on from a lifelong food service career into a rewarding community-serving business within walking distance of home. The shop is across the street from a gas station with its own market. However, Carter’s storefront offers a variety of products not seen in chain stores, better meeting area residents’ needs for walkable retail options. “I wanted all the things you expect; alcohol and nicotine are top sellers in stores like this. I’ll have those items and snacks and candy. But I also really love books, nail polish, greeting cards, and vintage clothes. So, I liked the idea of having a store that encapsulated all of that. It’s easy to pivot or add and subtract. The books aren’t money-makers, but people seem excited. I wasn’t sure if people would be excited by the sort of random stuff like books or makeup or tarot cards or whatever. They seem to like it, saying, ‘Oh, my God, you have everything.’ it feels validating,” explained Carter.

  • New and used books for sale at How Convenient
  • Vintage cloths for sale at How Convenient

Initially, Nathan Carter found it challenging to find vendors that would work with an independent convenience store, but that has led to some unique brands. “Reaching out to some places, you know, they wouldn’t even respond,” Carter said. However, he used his connections in the food service industry to find supportive suppliers, reached out to other less-carried products with their own following, and found companies that were receptive to expanding distribution. “I have some odd chip flavors that people seem to really gravitate towards, like the Gudetama Salted Egg Yolk Potato Chips, which I keep having to rebuy because they go so fast. The Canadian chip flavors have been popular. People have told me that they come here to find stuff that you can’t get at a gas station or Plaid Pantry,” Carter explained.

Display of various snack products including chips, crackers, and instant noodles in a brightly colored convenience store.

The sub-900-square-foot shop already has a decent assortment, but there is plenty more space where products could fit. “I really want to just pack this place full of things so there’s not an empty wall or an empty spot on a shelf, which is part of the bodega vision,” Carter said. The only inhibitor to buying more products is building up a larger customer base. He tried stocking perishable items but found insufficient demand to avoid spoilage, cutting into the operating budget. The early slower sales and Carter’s desire to grow the business prompted people to support the shop in other ways during the challenging retail establishment phase. “It was a bit of a struggle. So my two best friends wanted to help and started a GoFundMe,” recalled Carter. Now, his supporters are looking to help more with the May 30th benefit show.

For Carter, community support has been one of the most encouraging parts of the seven-month journey of building a convenience store. “One of my favorite parts so far has been connecting with the immediate neighborhood and community. I already have beloved regulars, which is really sweet. Honestly, even just the general customer populace that comes in here is really sweet, which makes me feel like I’m in the right spot,” remarked Carter.

Promotional poster for a benefit show supporting the band How Convenient, featuring performances from Wedding Singer and Friends with Salad. Includes details about suggested donations, raffle items, and sponsors.

With the Friday show and GoFundMe, people can help support this young, queer-owned business to ensure it remains in the neighborhood. However, shopping there is the best way to help How Convenient grow into the community-supporting store its owner envisions. Carter is currently the only person working at the shop, which is open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. He welcomes requests for new items and wants to provide people living and working in the area with a welcoming shop full of gifts and necessities that enhance their lives.

Article and photo by

Jacob Loeb

Bar, Business Relocating, Food and Drink, New Business, Renovation

City Noise Records Opens, Replicant Bar to Follow

On May 22nd, City Noise Records relocated from a small storefront on NE Broadway Street to 7033 NE Glisan Street. Within a few weeks, a new beer and wine bar called Replicant will open next door to the punk and metal music shop, allowing customers of both establishments to commingle through a central passageway. These complementary businesses renovated the century-old storefront to create a complete experience for people to become immersed in music while enjoying their favorite drinks.

Lydia Crumbley and Gianpiero Milani co-own Replicant Beer & Wine PDX, creating the new bar as an extension of Milani’s other business, City Noise Records. The 810-square-foot bar’s name originates from the 1982 sci-fi movie Blade Runner. The film featured synthetic humans known as replicants, hunted in a futuristic Los Angeles. Milani is a fan of the film and will use it for some of the bar’s theming as it develops. The bar’s owners did not attempt to create an immersive movie experience but instead captured the Film Noir dim and focused lighting with pops of vibrant light spilling from the glass-fronted refrigerators. The dark-stained wood design supports over 40 guests at bar seating, group tables, and booths.

Replicant offers wine by the glass, draft beers, and non-alcoholic cocktails from the bar. They will sell a wide selection of canned beer and wine by the bottle for people to take home or drink on-premise. They will also have non-alcoholic beer but only in cans to start with. “We’ll gauge how interested people are in that before we get a keg,” remarked Crumbley. Soon after opening, they plan to offer cafe seating out front and will eventually complete a backyard gravel patio area accessed from a back door. That space is not yet clear of construction materials from building renovations underway in the apartments above the record shop. When completed, that outdoor space will extend the bar’s seating.

Customers at Replicant can enjoy a modest food menu to compliment the drink selection that includes pretzels from neighbor business Fressen Artisan Bakery and cheese boards with mostly vegan cheese, olives, and almonds. Crumbley, who eats a plant-based diet, explained that food options at other establishments often had little for her to enjoy. “I want to go to a wine bar and eat cheese, so that was part of the inspiration” for the vegan-friendly menu. The owners created a small commercial kitchen behind the bar and intend to grow the menu over time.

Replicant co-owners Lydia Crumbley (left) and Gianpiero Milani (right)

Several of the features planned for Replicant will come later this summer. Renovations took longer than expected due to contractor delays and an unanticipated need to refinish the concrete floors, which pushed the opening back. Consequentially, the team is focused on opening and will lean into all the finishing touches over the coming months. Crumbley and Milani anticipate a soft opening as soon as they receive the county health inspection paperwork, and they will host a grand opening for both businesses in July. By then, they want to have more theming and album listening stations ready. “In the near future, you can buy a record, buy a beer or glass of wine, and play the record. Listen with your headphones, drink your beer, and have a complete experience because drinks and records usually go together,” said Milani.

In addition to promoting music appreciation, Replicant will feature a small gallery space in the back with track lighting to feature the hung artwork. By the grand opening, they’ll display work from Alexander Heir. The Brooklyn, New York, artist has produced many album covers and has a clothing line. The location is open to minors until 8 p.m., allowing visitors of any age to view the gallery in the bar area.

City Noise’s four employees are still unpacking in the new storefront. The Montavilla location is a dramatically larger space than the original spot that opened on NE Broadway in 2021. They are still expanding into the space, growing the selection of vinyl and cassette-based albums, books, magazines, jewelry, and apparel. One record store staff person has bartending experience and will work shifts at both businesses. Although linked through ownership and some employees, they are separate entities and will keep slightly different hours. Crews working on the renovation found an old barn door buried in the wall and repurposed it to close off access between the two storefronts when one is closed. However, Milani explained that most of the time, customers will feel that it is just one big connected space with the wide door fully open.

Soon, Replicant will serve guests from 3 to 10 p.m. every day except Mondays. City Noise Records is open from noon to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and Noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays. People should watch the Replicant Beer & Wine PDX’s Instagram page for updates about the soft opening date and other announcements.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account or you can pay directly online. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscribers or sponsors. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Business Relocating, Food and Drink, New Business, Restaurant

Replicant Bar and City Noise Records Coming to NE Glisan

In early 2024, City Noise Records will relocate from NE Broadway to 7035 NE Glisan Street. Next door at 7033 NE Glisan Street, the owner of the punk and metal music store will launch a new beer and wine bar called Replicant with his partner Lydia Crumbley. Renovation crews working on the 1917-era storefronts encountered some age-related complications, but work is now well underway for a mid-March or April opening.

The 810-square-foot bar’s name originates from the 1982 sci-fi movie Blade Runner. The film featured synthetic humans known as replicants, hunted in a futuristic Los Angeles. Bar and record store owner Gianpiero Milani is a fan of the film and will use it for some of the bar’s theming. However, co-owner Lydia Crumbley explained they will not attempt to recreate a bar environment from the film. Replicant will offer non-alcoholic drinks alongside beer and wine, with a food menu that includes vegan options.

The bar and record shop connect through a hallway, allowing people to move between the two locations as they drink and shop. The record store will utilize its new 516-square-foot storefront to increase the music genres offered and add more products. In addition to vinyl and cassette-based albums, the shop features books, magazines, jewelry, and apparel. The back portion of the music store will contain City Noise’s growing online order fulfillment business, shipping across the country.

Crumbley and Milani chose this Montavilla location because of its proximity to their home and the rare option to combine the existing store with a new bar. The shop is also near Crumbley’s Certified Public Accountant business, located above the Bipartisan Cafe on SE Stark Street. The two record store employees will transfer to this new location by April, joining a bar manager working next door. Replicant will serve guests from 3 to 10 p.m. every day except Mondays. City Noise Records will maintain its hours of noon to 7 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, with similar hours on Sundays but closing at 6 p.m. Look for work to pick up pace in January and February, with a soft open anticipated for March.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account or you can pay directly online. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscribers or sponsors. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.