Lei Brilla Will Open in NW Portland

A new cafe called Lei Brilla is looking to open in Northwest Portland. Envisioned as “a warm and inviting haven” they plan to offer “light, healthy fare” in the building on NW Thurman and 24th Avenue.

More on Lei Brilla

The person behind Lei Brilla is Riley Riotto, a yoga instructor with experience in digital media marketing—something valuable for an entrepreneur. She calls opening this cafe “the next journey in life,” and posted the highly personal origin story on her Instagram page:

“The meaning of Lei Brilla comes from the heart. My father has texted me ‘Shine’ every day since I was a sophomore in college. In my late teens to early twenties, I was navigating my way through life with trying to find that all-encompassing light within me that my father reminded me every day to find. Living in Portland for the past 4 years, I have found myself in more ways than one. I have found peace and my home in this city, amongst friends and my community.”

She explains that “Lei Brilla” means “she shines” in Italian.

What To Expect

Lei Brilla is not a late night spot, opening at 7am on weekdays, 8am on weekends, and closing at the latest at 7pm. When she talks about the cafe being a hub for meaningful connections, I’m reminded of Ever AFter. It is nice to hear places talk in overt way about supporting community and connections—Riley also emphasizes “lifting the spirit”; I wonder if this is a result of the isolation people felt during COVID.

As I mentioned earlier, they look to offer light, healthy fare—-breakfast, lunch, and other bites. She believes “great food brings people together.” She adds, “I aim for each dish to be thoughtfully crafted to deliver not just a meal, but a celebration of vibrant flavors over conversations crafting memories that linger long after the last sip or bite is taken.”

For breakfast, they’ll offer artisanal breakfast sandwiches, toasts, and egg bites. They also plan to do espresso drinks using Upper Left Coffee Roasters beans. Salads will be made with locally-sourced greens and seasonal vegetables (I’m assuming the sandwiches will also have local and seasonal products in them). Their “bites” are lighter option, and look like boards, appetizers, and nibbles. Beverages include wine, artisanal beer, ciders, and non-alcoholic options. Since they’ve applice for a full, on-premises liquor license, they’ll have the option of developing cocktails, too (and hopefully mocktails).

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes … To the Interior.

I took a look at the permits filed for this location and a bunch of things are being done inside the space. First, the occupancy has changed from M (Mercantile) to B (Business), which doesn’t make sense to me (B does not really include restaurants) with my cursory understanding of occupancy codes, but okay (if anyone wants to explain this, feel free to leave a comment). Update 8/20/24 from Riley: “The change in occupancy load was to be able to increase the number of occupants allowed in while having a constant staff.” The previous tenant was Solabee Flowers & Botanicals.

Other changes done or in process include: