Shop People

The Shop People could easily be mistaken for a Coffee People location (which is exactly what I did). It sits quietly on the corner of the very loud SE Grand Ave and Oak Street in a little unassuming building with a few metal tables and a bike rack out front. The bright red «Proudly Serving Coffee People» sign out-​flashes the subdued grey and gold «Shop People LLC» sign directly above it.
The Shop People is, from what I can tell, a set of artist’s workshops for metal, wood, and other arts and crafts. They have a main floor coffee shop, internet café, and gallery/​store where wares are displayed and sold. I didn’t venture in to any of the workshop spaces, but a sign conspicuously offers tours upon request.
The coffee shop itself is pretty spartan and industrial. It’s definitely a no-​frills environment. A few tables streetside provide ample place to sit and enjoy the loud, sporadic din of passing traffic on Grand. At least one of the tables offers a nice shade spot beneath an oak tree that lines Grand. It’s not a bad place to grab an afternoon iced coffee (and I do love me some Dietrich’s) and get some work done on the free wifi. The ladies running the joint are friendly and welcoming. Service is laid back and nonchalant, at least on a sunny Tuesday afternoon.
They also offer Prince Puckler’s ice cream from Eugene and carry the full array of Coffee People shakes and espresso drinks (incl. Black Tiger). This stuff is getting harder and harder to come by in Portland these days, so I would consider this a nice little oasis. In fact, the customer in front of me walked away from the counter with a big ‘ol waffle cone filled with 2 scoops of the Puckler, grinning from ear to ear. A great treat for a hot day.
The space also doubles as a gallery, and based on my quick glances at some signs inside, I guess they have openings during the monthly gallery walks in this section of town. Workshops are offered on a membership basis.
Good coffee, good art, good community project. This is definitely something I can get behind.