Tag: La Osita PDX

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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Community, Entertainment, Food and Drink

Aug 13 Carnival at SE 79th Plaza

This Sunday, Montavilla’s Street Plaza will host a Carnival popup from noon to 5 p.m. This all-ages community event is a fundraiser for yet another neighborhood event, Nightmare on Taylor Street, occurring on Halloween. Organizers have an assortment of kid-friendly activities planned for the August 13th Carnival at SE 79th Avenue and Stark Street. For the adults, sponsor Threshold Brewing will serve up beer while future Taylor Street business La Osita will also partake in the festivities, selling burritos to hungry participants.

Carnival activities include variations of traditional carny games, raffles, face painting, clowns, photo ops, and dancing. Each child attending receives three tickets to use on the games. They can choose from a water-gun-based challenge where participants take aim at balls placed inside castle windows. People can test their dexterity at two ring toss stations or by popping balloons with a well-thrown dart. Local businesses donated items, services, and gift certificates to raffle off to lucky winners. Two face painters will apply their craft, and a roaming Tarot card reader will attempt to peek into people’s futures. Clown Michael O’Neill from Nomadic Theater brings physical comedy to the event, while dance team Izohnny provides graceful motion.

This weekend’s donations and carnival earnings will support the Montavilla Halloween tradition of Nightmare on Taylor Street. Tim Marino, who goes by Mr. Timmy Tumbles when coordinating community events, has led an effort to unify the neighborhood through an annual scary holiday celebration. On October 31st, Marino and his neighbors close SE Taylor Street from 76th to 80th Avenue, creating a kid-friendly and adult-entertaining day of activities. It is a safe and scary space with elaborate decorations and activities. Marino is happy to contribute hours of his time to make this event possible. Decoration storage costs thousands, and candy can top $700 each year. In most years, the cost was manageable. However, last year’s snowstorm destroyed tents used for the event, and other theming expenses took the project over budget, requiring community support.

Carny Games
Monstavilla Shirt for Order at event
Photo Op sword board

The annual block party began in 2016, taking inspiration from the existing Halloween celebrations occurring at the Taylor Court Grocery store. “Mel and Earl used to have the kids come in with their Halloween costumes, take photos, and create a community board for everyone to see,” said Marino. “I wanted to keep their tradition alive, providing a safe place for the community to come together.” Mel Hafsos and Errol Carlson owned the historic grocery near SE 80th and Taylor. They closed the store during the pandemic, and both passed away over the last few years. Their former store will soon reopen as La Osita restaurant. Thanks to the efforts of residents on SE Taylor Street, that community tradition continues for all of Montavilla. It has reached crowds of 1100 people and even attracted hundreds during inclement weather like last year’s Halloween rainstorm.

Tim Marino adores Halloween and enjoys how it brings people together regardless of their divisions. For him and the residents around Taylor Street, this is the magical holiday they look forward to each year. “It’s the only time someone can go from being absolutely frightened, then laugh about it in the blink of an eye. [That’s] why the kids look forward to coming back every year,” explained Marino. He hopes everyone will enjoy Sunday’s carnival that pays homage to this year’s Nightmare on Taylor Street theme, Kreepy Karnival. People not interested or able to attend the carnival can donate to the Halloween event through Venmo and PayPal.

By

Jacob Loeb

Images in this article provided by Tim Marino

Business Relocating, Food and Drink, History, New Business, Property Sale

La Osita PDX Opening in Taylor Ct Grocery Building

Last Thursday, Elizabeth Guerrero and David Doyle finalized their purchase of the historic Taylor Court Grocery property. The pair own the La Osita PDX food cart located on 122nd Avenue near Market street. After renovating their newly acquired storefront at 1135 SE 80th Avenue, they will sell the cart and relocate their Mexican restaurant and coffee house to the Montavilla location.

La Osita PDX opened in a small food cart in January of 2018 after Guerrero and Doyle noticed a lack of a good breakfast location near their home in east Portland. The partners bought the cart from a friend and found space on 122nd in the parking lot of the Plaza 122 building. Combining a shared food service background and recipes inspired by Elizabeth Guerrero’s Mexican heritage, the partners brought Coffee and their unique brunch/lunch menu to an underserved area.

At first, the parking lot space was ill-equipped for carts, and they had to run their operation from a generator secured in a nearby cage. The location received strong community support, and business picked up throughout the year. However, before making their first anniversary, someone stole the generator and shut down the business. Fortunately, the building owners saw the value in the cart’s continued operation and allowed the installation of a dedicated electrical hookup.

Original cart Image courtesy La Osita PDX 

Business continued to grow, and they eventually upgraded to a larger cart. Unfortunately, the theft of critical equipment continued, prompting the group to consider a more permanent solution and give up the cart life. “Being a cart in Portland is kind of a bummer. You’re really exposed, and people think nothing of just stealing whatever they can off your cart that’s critical to opening up your store each day,” explained David Doyle.

Doyle expressed that remaining in their current community was a primary goal for the move. “A lot of the businesses on [122nd Avenue] come for lunch, and that’s a big part of the business.” However, searching for a suitable small brick-and-mortar location near the cart proved challenging for Guerrero and Doyle. An expanded search surfaced the Taylor Court Grocery, and they instantly saw the potential in the 100-year-old retail space. Although three miles from the original location, they hope customers will follow them to SE 80th Avenue.

In December, Guerrero and Doyle applied for a Small Business Administration (SBA) loan and worked through the challenging process of acquiring the Montavilla property. The deal includes both the storefront and single-family home on a shared lot. To make the finances work, the new owners will need to rent out the house on the property. They are considering many options, including a childcare facility.

The grocery store building will require substantial renovations to transition into a restaurant. It will start with some sizeable deferred maintenance projects. “The storefront, we just wanna get it stable,” said Doyle. “We don’t know the extent of damage, but it looks like the roof needs a repair or replacement.” Once crews repair the outer shell, work will focus on the inside of the building. Contractors will add a commercial kitchen to the back of the building and an ADA-compliant bathroom. The new owners expect a large number of customers will take their meals to go. Consequentially, they will use a counter-service layout for the restaurant with customer seating upfront.

Guerrero and Doyle plan to refresh the street-facing appearance of the storefront but maintain the historic appearance, including the Taylor Ct Grocery sign. “We love that sign. It almost feels like a shame to cover up the Taylor Court grocery part of it, but we’re thinking we’re going to refinish it,” said Doyle. After repairing and weatherizing the sign, they will repaint it with the restaurant’s name but maintain its original shape.

Image courtesy La Osita PDX 

La Osita PDX offers an extensive menu from the cart, and the team does not feel they are missing many options. However, staff will grow the selection slightly after the move while keeping all of the favorite to-go friendly dishes. Guerrero plans to add Aguas Frescas and horchata to the drink offerings, with traditional Mexican pastries to balance out the savory options. Elizabeth Guerrero and her sister Maria Guerrero run the restaurant, with Maria playing a critical component in kitchen operations. They both are thrilled to move out of the cart and into the larger space. With the number of customers they serve and the size of the menu, space was always the constraining factor for La Osita PDX.

Much like the previous owners of Taylor Court Grocery, Mel Hafsos and Errol Carlson, La Osita PDX is a family business wanting to serve the community. Look for construction to begin within the next few months and check for updates on the company’s Instagram page. Until the restaurant opens later this year, Elizabeth Guerrero and David Doyle encourage you to visit the cart on 122nd Avenue to explore the menu.

By

Jacob Loeb

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