Kevin Dennis – Montavilla News

This Monday, StormBreaker Brewing will begin its takeover of the beer service cart inside The Yard at Montavilla food cart pod located at 8220 NE Davis Street. Pod co-owner Kevin Dennis operates the existing Yard Bar at Montavilla drink station and will now turn over operations to the award-winning Portland brewery. This cart will join StormBreaker’s two other locations in St. Johns and on Mississippi Avenue.

The transition to the new cart operators will begin gradually with a Tap Takeover of the existing business. Starting at 4 p.m. on May 22nd, visitors of the food cart pod will experience the range of award-winning beers and seasonal brews offered by StormBreaker. After the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission approves their permit, the complete transformation of the bar can begin with branding changes and expanded offerings, including a variety of hard cider, hard seltzer, and wine.

StormBreaker’s owners are excited by the opportunity to serve Montavilla beer enthusiasts within the active food cart pod on 82nd Avenue. Kevin Dennis explained that alcoholic drink service is the backbone of a successful cart collective, and he has worked to keep a selection of beer available within his pod since opening. Dennis believes StormBreaker’s arrival in this location will boost his pod, attracting even more people to this two-year-old venture.

The StormBreaker Brewing bar cart is open from 4 to 8 p.m., Monday through Thursday. They have expanded hours from noon to 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays with noon to 8 p.m. service on Sundays. The new cart operators hope to captivate seasoned beer aficionados and newcomers with their expansive drink selection. Patrons can enjoy their drinks in a lively atmosphere within The Yard at Montavilla’s covered and open-air seating areas.

Jacob Loeb

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This week, crews installed the final segments of the fence surrounding the Yard at Montavilla. The food cart pod at 8220 NE Davis Street opened in July but maintained construction fencing around the property until this recent work began. The new barrier opens up two new pedestrian entry points along 82nd Avenue and eventually will accommodate wider paved sidewalks.

The black spear-top metal fence wraps the Yard at Montavilla on NE Davis Street and 82nd Avenue. The new boundary for the food cart pod provides a 15-foot setback from the curb on 82nd Avenue. Next year, the five-foot-wide sidewalk will expand to encompass the area now covered in gravel, creating a vastly larger walkway. “The Sidewalk will continue all the way up to our new fence. So it will be a very wide Pedestrian Zone sidewalk right there,” explained Kevin Dennis, co-owner of the Yard at Montavilla.

According to Dennis, the 82nd Avenue sidewalk expansion work will start Spring of 2022. Crews will add a new ADA ramp at the corner and paint fresh crosswalk markings as part of the project. Along with other landscaping, the Yard at Montavilla’s owners planted three street trees near the new fence, evenly spaced along the NE 82nd Avenue property line. Together, the expanded walkway and trees create a model sidewalk under the new Civic Corridor guidelines.

In May 2019, the Portland City Council unanimously adopted the 82nd Avenue Plan, creating a Civic Corridor on 82nd Avenue. The document outlines expanded right-of-way dedication and frontage improvements, with sidewalks that range from 12 feet to 15 feet. Pedestrian District’s call for fifteen feet or wider walkways. They must also maintain a clear Pedestrian Through Zone of eight feet. This property is outside the Montavilla Pedestrian District, ending at E Burnside street. Properties on 82nd Avenue outside Pedestrian Districts only need to provide a 12-foot wide sidewalk and a Pedestrian Through Zone of six feet. The additional pavement added to this project beyond the requirements is supportive of the most pedestrian-friendly city designs. It should create a comfortable place for people to gather as they transition into the food cart pod without blocking pedestrians walking through the area.

As the weather warms, look for road crews working on the new larger sidewalk. Until then, the extra space is already accessible, and asphalt paths through the two new gates make it easier to drop in and grab a meal from a Yard at Montavilla cart.