Toasted S'mores Bar Will Open in Downtown Portland

The makings for s’mores. Photo credits: Joy (marshmallows), Scott Ackerman (graham crackers) and James White (chocolate) on Flickr via a Creative Commons license 2.0.

Over the weekend I had the pleasure to speak with Nico Vergara about his newest project, Toasted S’mores Bar. It will open in the same location as the abruptly shuttered 1927 S’mores Company in downtown Portland.

Nico is, of course, well-known for Nico’s Ice Cream, his New Zealand-style ice cream business, which is hugely popular in Portland (strawberry with graham cracker dust and sprinkles for me, plz). I have followed Nico’s work over the years, and have been really impressed by his creativity, drive, and spirit. So I am looking forward to seeing what he does with s’mores.

How it All Started

So why s’mores? “Nostalgia of the s’mores themselves,” said Nico. “A lot of us have our own memories of s’mores. Maybe it was while camping on the beach making s’mores on an open fire. There are lots of childhood memories—sticky fingers and running around, eating way too many s’mores.”

I asked him what prompted him to consider a foray into s’mores at this moment in time and at this location. “I love the retail space—and I was a fan of the product itself,” he explained. “It’s a beautiful, amazing space. When I’d step into it, it would feel out of this world. And I didn’t want to see that go away.”

He continued, “I ended up getting in touch with the landlord and we figured out a deal to make sure it didn’t go back to being a white shell of a space.”

Or course, it’s the same space and they are doing a similar thing (s’mores made to order), but I want to be crystal clear on this detail: Toasted S’mores Bar is not connected to 1927 S’more Company, aside from the location. “We want to express to the Portland community that we have nothing to do with past ownership,” explained Nico.

The Space: Any Changes?

I wondered if Nico was going to change anything there from the previous s’mores business. “The space will look pretty much the same,” he says. “There will be minor changes—a new name, new branding.” Nico is working with a local artist to come in to paint over the wooden signs.

The S’mores at Toasted S’mores Bar

To start, Toasted S’mores Bar will offer classic s’mores: graham crackers, plain marshmallows, and chocolate (a choice of milk or dark). But there will be customization available in the form of add-ons and toppings. And later on they will be looking at incorporating different flavors of marshmallows, and have fun with that.

But opening sooner than later is important to them. “Right now I want to be open ASAP,” explains Nico. “It’s the weather for s’mores!”

He is also looking forward to creating the s’mores by collaborating with some beloved PNW companies. For instance, the graham crackers will be made by Portland’s Dos Hermanos Bakery and the chocolate is from Moonstruck, which continues to be produced in the Portland area. The marshmallows are made in the Seattle area.

He also plans to make the s’mores a little smaller compared to those offered at 1927 S’mores Company. “When I’d go in, the s’mores felt like they were too big,” he remarked. “We will make them a little smaller, and also lower the prices.” This seems fair in response to decreasing the size of the product.

They are also skipping making espresso drinks, and will stick to drip coffee and hot cocoa.

I asked him if they were doing to have any pre-packaged/takeaway options, and learned that for now they will focus on the made-to-order side of the business. “After we get our feet underneath us in the coming months, we will work on pre-packaged to-go s’mores boxes. But that will be months later.” Also, they also do not plan to do any catering.

“Being able to have a shop where the s’mores are little bit more elevated—it’s an experience where you don’t have to have an open fire and all that,” he added. “And the goal is to have s’mores in combos that people wouldn’t even have thought about. Combinations that are interesting—funky (but not too funky)—and delicious.”

Opening in Downtown Portland

Nico acknowledged that opening a business downtown has its risks, but he has a lot of love for this city and wants to see things continue to improve downtown. He is inspired by efforts being made to keep this part of Portland moving forward. “There’s a bunch of people putting in energy and time downtown,” he said. “I have been hanging out there lately, and there’s a lot of people down here! I’m excited at the end of the day.”

And from a personal POV, I was downtown over this past weekend (brunch + gingerbread masterpiece + Tuba Christmas is a great holiday combo) and it felt good to be there.

So Will You Find Nico’s Ice Cream at Toasted S’mores Bar?

I was definitely curious to see if there would be any presence of Nico’s ice cream half pints at Toasted S’mores Bar. “We will keep it separate,” he explained. “We don’t feel we need to mix ice cream with s’mores.”

As for their opening, the goal is to soft open on January 10, with a grand opening on January 11.

Wishing Nico and his team all the best as they prepare Toasted S’mores Bar to open downtown!

Toasted S’Mores Bar [opening January 18, 2025]
1126 SW Alder Street, Portland
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Updated January 9, 2025.