Location: 1026 SW Stark St.
Words and photography by: Luis Valdizon
Website: stumptowncoffee.com
It really doesn't matter whether you have love for Stumptown Coffee Roasters or refuse to give praise where it's due. The impact that the Portland, Oregon-based company has had on American coffee culture is unquestionable. From the onset, they have lifted and exemplified standards both large chains and neighborhood coffee shops aspire to meet. From the sourcing of their beans, to the roasting of them, to the highly skilled baristas behind their coffee bars freshly grinding and pulling shots of espresso for you, your coffee experience at Stumptown is handled in-house, top-to-bottom. That in itself is something to commend.
Our team was fortunate enough to stop by their location beautifully kept and designed within Portland's Ace Hotel, a boutique hotel chain with a world-class reputation for their service and stunning interiors. Inside, we were kindly greeted by baristas who served us their Cold Brew coffee on a smouldering summer's day. After we finished our drinks, I managed to strike up a conversation with one of the gentlemen tidying up after an afternoon rush of patrons. After thanking him kindly for their service and telling him it was our first time in the city and our first Stumptown experience, he gifted me one of their bottles of cold press coffee (pictured above). I was taken aback by the gesture—more important than outstanding coffee is exceptional hospitality. It's hard to not appreciate a company that gives their employees the liberty to serve their customers the best they can within their means.
Although we haven't had the chance to visit any of the other Stumptown locations in Portland, Seattle, New York or the soon-to-be Los Angeles residence, I highly recommend you visit this particular one. Detailed design work and tasteful curation is noticeable everywhere, from the lobby of the Ace Hotel to the inside of the coffee shop. We didn't have the pleasure of staying at the Ace this time around, but I hope to rest my head in one of their lavish rooms in the near future. If the hotel is anything like what I can imagine, it is definitely a place we would like to capture in more detail for the site.
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