I’m writing as an outsider to what we would call here in the Mid-West the whole ‘West Coast coffee scene.’ So maybe my question will seem silly to those of you who are more immersed in that culture and are working with more baseline information.

In Chicago, coffee shops that actually source, roast, and serve their own beans are greatly in the minority. In fact, off the top of my head there are fewer than ten of us. There are shops that take great care in their coffee preparation that do not roast their own beans, but it seems that the division in terms of coffee quality and care breaks more along the line of in-house roasting than anywhere else. I’m wondering how that fits into what you’re describing as the difference between Portland and Seattle. Your description of Seattle’s quantity-focused mode of production sounds a lot like what we experience in most coffee shops out here. But most of our coffee shops have little to no relationship to the roasting process. Do you see that divide out West as well? I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on this question.

Thanks for the great article.

More soon!

Recently I have taken a few trips to Portland to check out the cafe scene and there is some very interesting stuff going on; Heart, Barista, and Coffee House 5 just to name a few. You mentioned the holding onto 2nd wave ideas in Seattle, but it can be seen just as much in Portland. The main area that this is found is in pricing. Sustainability is an enormous issue that the industry faces. We want to pay farmers for the amazing coffee that they are growing. For this to happen we need to educate the public that coffee should cost more then $.80 for a bottomless cup. Much like all fine, hand crafted products, great coffee costs more. With this in mind I was amazed at how low the prices were in Portland. There was one “cutting edge” cafe that was selling 8oz drip coffee for $1.00! This wasn’t the only location selling their coffee for less then $2 a cup. The espresso based drinks were also priced lower then the majority of cafes in Seattle.

For all the talk we here about small roasters popping up in Portland, I was amazed that out of the eleven or so shops I went to, that only a small handful served there coffee in methods other then french press into an airpot. Some cafes are trying to offer more brewing methods, but the execution is lacking. At one shop I was amazed to see Chemex as an option on the menu, and for less then $3 none the less. I ordered one and was amazed to watch as the barista behind the counter brewed my coffee in a beehouse dripper only to turn around a say “here is the chemex of the Kenya”. Upon further inspection I didn’t see a single Chemex in the shop. This coupled with an earlier experience with a syphon pot that tasted baggy due to the barista using a fresh filter without it being seasoned first. Amazing ideas, just with poor results.

Portland also has the advantage of a greater D.I.Y. ethic, one that Seattle is sorely lacking. This ethic helps newer shops from having to be top level professionals right out of the gate. There can be a homey/ second hand feel to the shops, that customers in Seattle just wouldn’t stand for.

The elements that you call for are all elements that think both coffee scenes need. Every level of this industry is advancing with amazing leaps and bounds. From farmers, to sourcing, to roaster, to technology. The failure is at the retail level. I think both cities have a long way to go.

Even the “cutting edge” Portland shops still use menu boards.

Isn’t your friend a rather major part of the problem? I’d rather read, “My friend Honest Herb, who owns Cafe Noname in Fremont, reported Joe Schmoe of the Health Department for soliciting a bribe to bypass Health Dept regulations.” In this case, your friend apparently was able to bypass requirements by paying a $100 bribe to an official, probably for far less than it would have cost to meet the requirements. Who’s “more corrupt” here? That said, it’s unclear if the the health inspector asked for the bribe, or your friend offered it to the inspector.

Regarding Portland assisting a small business when affected by construction, Seattle (and related transit authorities; KC Metro, etc.) does this too. I live in Southeast Seattle, and many small businesses along our new light rail corridor were given assistance to make it through the chaotic construction period.