Tag: 7201 NE Glisan

Food and Drink, Renovation

Secret Pizza Society Refresh

The Secret Pizza Society opened its vegan restaurant on NE Glisan Street in 2019. The owners recently reopened the shop after a week-long interior update that has become an annual event to refresh the front-of-house experience and give staff time off. As the team wraps up its fifth year serving customers from the Montavilla storefront, they also mark a decade of creating unconventional plant-based pizzas that don’t break the bank.

JR Holland and Bryce Hooper started this business as a pizza wholesale and catering company nearly a decade ago. They met as line cooks preparing brunch at the Road Runner Cafe and became friends. Holland has always worked in food service, starting at McDonald’s when he was 15. That career followed him to Portland, where he worked in bakeries and, eventually, pizza restaurants. “I worked at It’s A Beautiful Pizza, which is no longer there. That was on Belmont; I did dough for them. I worked at Apizza Scholls for three years, made dough for them,” recalled Holland. That experience and a desire to build a business that would support his friends and growing family led Holland and Hooper to take a risk on a new venture. “Apizza Scholls, for all its flaws, was a well-run business, so I just thought pizza was the logical conclusion,” said Holland when describing how they decided what they would cook.

The partners did not want to mimic the pizza options already available to Portlanders. While still planning their menu, they would work on recipes and try to find a standout approach. “Bryce and I, while making brunch, just sat there and crafted ideas. We would try and come up with a different way to do pizza because there’s a hundred pizza joints. They are all good to varying degrees and basically do the same thing. You know your meat supreme, your veggie supreme, this, that, and the other,” explained Holland. They both enjoyed a vegan diet with varying levels of commitment and wanted to rethink how a plant-based pizza could surpass its traditional counterpart. The foundation of that approach was not to just replace dairy cheese with a vegan version and find meat alternatives. They looked to other dishes and flavors to create a product that was not just pretending to be something else. “You know, it’s funny because at least two or three of our pizzas are [based on] scrambles that we used to make for the brunch joint,” remarked Holland.

They started small without a dedicated location. “We used to make take-and-bake pizzas for bars and venues. We did a few VegFests as a good way to get our name out there and build a customer base before we open the doors,” recalled Holland. “Revolution Hall was a big help to us. That was our first big account. We used to make tons of take-and-bake pizzas for them, allowing us to quit our jobs.” Needing kitchen space for the business, they found space in North Portland under the North Star Ballroom. Papa G’s Vegan Organics made tofu alongside Portland Fresh and Shoofly Vegan Bakery in that space. Holland recalled tight quarters in the subterranean commercial kitchen, but they made it work for each of these growing Portland brands until the building sold. JR Holland knew Michael Freeston, whose company, Grocery Getter Organic, was about to close its warehouse space at the 7201 NE Glisan Street storefront. The displaced vegan collective decided to relocate to Montavilla and share the former Grocery Getter space.

Holland and Hooper took over Papa G’s Vegan Organics, running the restaurant on SE Division Street and its tofu business. Eventually, Shoofly Vegan Bakery needed to expand into a bigger storefront, which opened up space for customers on NE Glisan. The partners had always wanted to grow the pizza business into a restaurant. They opened the Secret Pizza Society on March 31st, 2019. The name is an adaptation of their company’s original name, GSMP, which stands for Great & Secret Motion Pizza. It is an homage to Clive Barker’s The Great and Secret Show and a celebration of film. The name officially morphed when they had a small space below the Chapel Theatre in Milwaukie, Oregon. Holland recalled people referring to it as a little secret pizza shop in the basement of the theater, and the owners thought that the Secret Pizza Society would sound like a band or a vigilante unit of superheroes.”

Secret Pizza Society had its first anniversary at the start of COVID. They were able to make pizza takeout work with dining restrictions but ended up closing Papa G’s restaurant. They transferred the tofu business to one of their employees, who still makes it at the NE Glisan Street location. JR Holland gave Papa G’s deli case to another business owner who recently closed his location and offered to return the case. That prompted Holland and Hooper to close the shop this October and rework the front counter to include the deli case. They also replaced the mechanical system for their walk-in refrigerator, rearranged dining-room seating, and made other adjustments before reopening last week.

The small storefront still hosts Portland Fresh’s production kitchen, and Holland says having his friends working together is one of his favorite parts of running Secret Pizza Society. “When people say ‘don’t hire your friends,’ I say ‘balderdash.’ Everyone that works here is a longtime friend of mine.” He feels that this is what makes this such a great place for customers to visit. People enjoy coming to work there, and they reflect that joy in how they interact with people. JR Holland is proud of the food they make for people, noting that it is a destination spot for vegans and pizza fans across Portland. He attributes that to the fresh ingredients and their competitive pricing. “You don’t have to spend $30 for an organic vegan pizza. I’ve done the research and looked at every pizza shop not named Domino’s or Pizza Hut. Our pizzas are easily the cheapest ten-inch personal pizza,” said Holland. They are open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays. On weekends, they open from 1 to 10 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 9 p.m. Sunday. The plant-based menu offers unique flavors that please vegans and carnivores equally. You can also order their pizzas at the Replicant bar down the street.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

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Business Closing, History

Spencers Appliances Closing after 4 Decades

Spencer’s Appliances at 7115 NE Glisan Street will permanently close its doors on February 1st after forty years of serving the community. The new and used appliance store’s owner plans to retire, renting out the three commercial buildings on NE Glisan Street to the next generation of businesses. Several employees have formed a new company and will open their appliance repair store later in the year.

Eugene Spencer started Spencer’s Appliances with his son in the early1980s after retiring from the military as a refrigeration specialist. “I started with my father, Eugene, in 82. He was doing stuff out of his house because he retired from the Navy, and he just started tinkering around keeping himself busy,” remembered John Spencer. “I was working at a seed mill in Tangent, OR. I went to college for a couple of years, and college wasn’t for me. Then my dad called me and said you want a job? Come up here and work for me.”

Ben Schafer, the owner of Cash and Carry Appliances on NE Glisan, wanted to relocate his 30-year-old business to SE Hawthorne, allowing the Spencers to set up shop in an established location. “There was a pre-existing appliance business here, and the guy wanted to move to a bigger building. So we bought this building,” explained John Spencer. “This was a good location, and we had people walk in the first day and buy an appliance from us because it was an appliance business before.”

That early success gave the Spencers confidence, particularly John, who at 21 was new to the business. “I still remember going, ‘Holy crap,’ there’s people in here buying stuff. I didn’t know anything, and then we started fixing appliances and selling them. We eventually got a GE dealership. It just took off from there.” Said John Spencer. After growing the business together, the father and son team added an employee. “It just slowly but surely got busier and busier, and then we hired Wes.” Wes Swisher had also retired from the Navy and knew Eugene Spencer. According to John Spencer, Wes was instrumental in the growth of Spencer’s Appliances. The business continued to expand year after year, eventually employing 20 people.

By 1984, the appliance shop outgrew the original storefront at 7123 NE Glisan, so they constructed the current showroom next door. In 2000, the company completed a new warehouse building at the corner of NE 71st Avenue and Glisan Street. Both newer buildings support apartments on a second floor above the commercial space, creating six units. The Spencers eventually bought the land one block east, building the Glisan Plaza at 7201 NE Glisan Street.

Twenty years ago, Eugene Spencer stepped away from the appliance business, leaving John in charge. “He was a great boss. We worked six days a week for 20 years, and then he retired,” recalls John Spencer. In 2012, Wes Swisher also retired. Both are healthy and enjoying their time away from work. Around the time Swisher left, John Spencer became concerned about Glisan Street. Car thieves have repeatedly stolen his service vehicles, and miscreants often vandalized the buildings. In 2019, a driver collided with his store and fled the scene. John Spencer enjoys the new families that have moved to the neighborhood and the business taking root around his shop but seeing the negative shift along his street is disappointing. “I think it is the worst I’ve seen it, the crime that you see walking up and down the street.” Said, Spencer. The shift in public safety and labor issue stemming from the pandemic have encouraged John Spencer to retire from the business. After searching for a buyer interested in running the store for seven months, he and his family decided it was better to shut down the company.

John Spencer will miss the daily interactions that have made his career enjoyable. “It’s all about the people. I just like meeting neighbors and talking to people. It was my social time. You go into people’s homes and learn things from their experiences in life. 90% of the people you deal with are just beautiful, down-to-earth people.” Spencer will also miss solving problems for customers. He takes pride in fixing someones vexing appliance problem and seeing the relief it gives people.

John Spencer is happy with the company his family built in Montavilla and the impact they have made on the lives of those who worked there. “It kept my family fed, and I think I’ve created a lot of jobs. I’ve got ex-employees that still do appliance stuff. There’s people that have found a career because they walked in the door one day looking for a job,” explained Spencer. “It’s been a wild ride.”

By

Jacob Loeb

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Food and Drink, New Business, Restaurant

Futura Coffee Roasters Opening on NE Glisan

Update – January 30th 2022: Futura Coffee Roasters officially opened this weekend. The cafe hours are 7 AM to 5 PM weekdays, with weekend service from 8 AM to to 1 PM.

Next month, Futura Coffee Roasters will open at 7201 NE Glisan Street in the former Fillmore space. The creators of this new coffee producer and cafe believe sustainability is the future for the industry and have woven that value into every aspect of their business.

Futura Coffee Roasters is the vision of CJ Speelman and a group of coffee professionals who share a common perspective. For ten years, Speelman honed his skills in the industry, first working at the counter as a Barista and eventually creating the roasting company Tanager Coffee Roasters. Speelman owns The Arbor Lodge coffee shop in North Portland, making this NE Glisan location his second store. His partners in this new venture bring many years of retail coffee experience and respect for the art and delicate science of good coffee.

The group behind the cafe feels that flavor and brewing are only part of a perfect cup of coffee. Speelman explains that a simple morning ritual like drinking coffee can impact the environment. “As a company, Futura Coffee Roasters see regenerative agriculture, the rehabilitation of soil and increasing of biodiversity among many things, as one of the key forces in combating climate change.” The company is committed to building relationships with farmers and sourcing coffee as ethically and sustainably as possible. Additionally, food items on the menu include a mix of locally sourced pastries and bagels.

Since August, crews have reworked the corner coffee shop into a new space. The team took the same approach to the renovation as they have with their menu, making for a slightly prolonged process. “We took a lot of time making sure that we used as much sustainable materials as possible, from handmade tiles and eco-friendly wall plaster to fixtures and furniture. Because of these commitments to sustainability alongside the supply chain issues, it has taken a bit longer than we had hoped,” said Speelman.

Although the cafe will no longer resemble Fillmore, Speelman recognizes its role in the community and wants to welcome back those regular customers. “I have been a big fan of Fillmore and the special connection they had with the neighborhood. We hope to capture that same spirit and add our own unique vibe. I am extremely excited to share the space with the neighborhood. It is looking incredible and will look and feel like a whole new space.”

Expect Futura Coffee Roasters to launch midway through January, opening daily from 7 AM to 5 PM. Follow the cafe’s Instagram for updates and to learn more about the treats that will soon become available on NE Glisan.

By

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Montavilla News has a Patreon account. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to please consider becoming a paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Bar, Construction, Infrastructure

Glisan’s New Approach to Outdoor Seating

This month, Blank Slate Bar created unique outdoor seating on NE Glisan. Unlike other covered dining spaces constructed in curbside parking spaces, this open-walled shelter spans the entire width of the sidewalk, covering the whole pedestrian space. Its design is in response to concerns around customer seating adjacent to heavy traffic.

Over the last 18 months, bars and restaurants have relied on outdoor seating to serve customers safely during the pandemic. The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) expanded those spaces through special free permits, accommodating a variety of seating configurations for the service industry. Most businesses in Montavilla chose to create Parking Plazas to serve guests. That style of outdoor seating converts space previously used for curbside parking into expanded sidewalk seating while maintaining adequate space for pedestrians. As the need for outdoor seating persisted, more substantial wood structures replaced temporary configurations. Most gained covered roofs and sidewalls.

This image and cover image by Weston Ruter

Regardless of the structure’s build quality, Parking Plazas have customers seated next to moving traffic with only a thin wood divider protecting people from passing vehicles. On slower streets, that is less of an issue. However, seating placed on SE Stark Street can feel dangerously close to fast-moving trucks and cars.

Compared to Stark Street, NE Glisan traffic is more hazardous. That reality caused Kierre Van De Veere, the Blank Slate Bark’s owner, to consider design alternatives for their outdoor seating. “We chose not to do parking space seating due to the busy nature of Glisan. So we worked with PBOT and our design team to come up with this option.” In this configuration, customers on Glisan have a parking lane buffer between vehicles and the tables.

Blank Slate Bar’s covered seating area features a transparent corrugated shed roof that extends from the front of the building to the curb and runs the entire width of the bar’s shopfront. The arrangement allows for two-person seating against the windows and larger group seating close to the curb. Pedestrians can walk through the center area in an arcade-style passageway between the tables. 

In addition to its unique placement, crews constructed the shelter out of large timbers. The result is a structure that seems permanent and intentional. People seem to appreciate the design used at Blank Slate Bar, according to Van De Veere. “We have gotten an overwhelmingly positive response from our customers and neighbors, who are always supporting us in any way they can.”

Regardless of the design, Van De Veere appreciates the impact of open-air seating on places like hers. “These outdoor spaces are a lifeline to small businesses.” The new seating is available just in time for winter and built to last for many years to come. Blank Slate Bar is located at 7201 NE Glisan Street Suite C and is open Tuesday through Saturday.

Business Relocating, Food and Drink

Fillmore Coffee Shop Moves Online Only

After six years serving the community from their cafe on NE Glisan Street, the owners of Fillmore coffee shop decided to close the physical store and embrace online coffee delivery. The pandemic closures and customer tensions stressed this early pioneer of Glisan street, forcing the family business to adapt. What had begun as a temporary financial bridge during the COVID-19 lockdown turned into the permeant path forward for the coffee company.

In June of 2015, when the Fillmore coffee shop opened at 7201 NE Glisan Street, there were few options like it on the street. The shop’s co-owner Tim Willcox perceived the lack of food services in the area as an opportunity to take his passion for coffee to the public and perhaps start a trend. “[I] saw a need for a community space on this stretch of Glisan. This was back when there was pretty much nothing happening aside from East Glisan Pizza. It was sort of a dead zone, and I think Fillmore helped to fuel some cool businesses developing in the area,” explained Willcox. Within a few years, bars, bakeries, and other dining options filled in around their shop.

Tim Willcox and his wife started the shop with a loan from his mother. For years, they struggled to build a stable business but saw success as others joined them on Glisan. Then COVID-19 brought that all to a halt. “We decided to cease our cafe operations due to the pandemic. Our sales had dropped nearly 80 percent in just a matter of days, and the lockdown on March 15th cemented our destiny. We had to let all of our staff go,” remembered Willcox. “Our only path to keeping the business alive was to start delivering bags of freshly roasted coffee to our customer’s doors.”

The roasted coffee delivery program kept them afloat until the cafe reopened in mid-May 2020. They served to-go orders through a plexiglass window with inside seating closed to the public. The business was nothing like before, and working in this reduced capacity stressed the staff. “Nobody was allowed inside the shop, and Monika was working her other full-time job while making all the food orders. Our daughter was doing remote learning on a laptop at the shop. It was a grind, to say the least. We managed to do this for a year until spring 2021,” explained Willcox.

After trying to make it work, it became apparent to Willcox that the new business model was not sustainable and no longer rewarding. “Things had just become too complicated and stressful with the pandemic, and while most of our customers were great and thankful about our safety protocols, we had to deal with quite a few people who were genuinely angry that they couldn’t come inside to order and hang out. We were screamed at and insulted by disgruntled customers.”

For the family business, it was time to move on from the cafe. However, Willcox did not want to give up on the delivery service. It is a way to keep roasting great coffee and remain connected to loyal customers. As an online-only business, Fillmore is still evolving, according to Willcox. “It’s still a work in progress. We’re building out a small Roastery and coffee lab. Things have been slower, yet still steady.” As the team builds onto the delivery business, they hope to gain a few wholesale customers and develop a nationwide mail-out service.

For Willcox, the transition to online coffee sales was the right choice for his family. “Right now, I’m happy with what we’re doing, and it gives me time to take my kid to and from school every day. It’s definitely less stressful.” If you miss your morning cup of Fillmore Coffee or want to try out one of their roasts, schedule a delivery online at orderfillmorecoffee.com