North Portland is getting another coffee shop—Living Room Coffee. It is run by the same people who are behind Living Room Wines and is, in fact, operating in the same space as the wine shop. Justin Sedor and Fabrizio Barbagelata are the duo behind the new coffee shop.
Living Room Wines
Living Room Wines, in the University Park neighborhood, opened in November 2024 and is a community-focused wine bar and bottle shop. They have been embraced by the surrounding community, and they believe that a coffee shop would be received similarly.
“In the four months we’ve been open, we have felt so welcomed in the neighborhood with people telling us every day how grateful they are that we opened,” said Justin. “We greet our guests by name and have packed out our Pinot Pansies queer social events with people hugging and excited to connect with each other.”
Living Room Coffee: A Welcoming Space, Too
Justin says they want to encourage that same dynamic for the coffee shop. They envision it as a place “to create a space where people can stay a while, work, take meetings, and create in-person connections.”
They also do not want to chase people out—sometimes that is done in other places with awkward seating, loud music, and an antiseptic vibe. “We have ample (and comfortable) seating and want to buck the trend of coffee shops discouraging remote work or lingering too long,” explained Justin. “We aim to create a super welcoming space with the highest expression of hospitality and become an inclusive neighborhood hub, morning and night.”
What Else You’ll Find at Living Room Coffee
Along with community, approachability and warm hospitality, you’ll find coffee from Portland roaster Dear Francis. They’ve put together a full menu of classic espresso drinks, drip coffee and cold brew, along with seasonal drink specials. Look for dairy, oat milk, and soy milk options; they also make their syrups in-house.
As for food, they will offer breakfast sandwiches, burritos, oatmeal, and chia pudding, among other things.
Why They Chose Dear Francis
There are a lot of coffee roasters to choose from in Portland (Travel Oregon cites 80 roasters), but it is an alignment in values shared among the people behind Living Room Coffee and Dear Francis that fit the bill. They realized this was a match after encountering each other at a Landmass (wines) pride event.
“Their coffee is about inclusivity and accessibility,” said Justin. “And we want to make coffee approachable and enjoyable regardless of experience or knowledge, much like we do with wine,” said Justin. They also appreciate that Jason Wahlberg, one of the owners of Dear Francis, “thoughtfully blends his coffee to craft a consistent product year round.”
So Why Coffee, Anyway?
Some might think that working in the world of wines and running a wine bar would be enough—so why add coffee? Part of it has to do with using the wine bar’s space more effectively and efficiently.
In January they started talking with Mike Nelson (formerly of Junior’s Roasted Coffee and Guilder—in fact, Junior’s is rebranding as Guilder), who encouraged them to use the space for coffee shop when not in use as a wine bar/shop. If you’ve been by the Upright Beer Station, you know that Mike is very familiar with the setup of coffee in the mornings (Junior’s/Guilder) and adult beverages in the afternoon/evening (Upright Brewing).
Utilizing the Space All Day
Living Room Wines doesn’t open most days right now until 1pm (and they will be open at 3pm for wine service every day once the coffee shop opens), so using the space in the mornings is not disruptive to the operation of the wine bar/bottle shop. And Justin and Fabrizio wouldn’t need to do much in the way of changes to the space, even though the building itself is 100 years old (built in 1925). This is a real bonus.
“The space is so comfortable and currently isn’t being used during the day, even though it’s perfectly suited for daytime use,” remarked Justin. “We recognize that not everyone drinks wine, but most people like coffee (or tea), so this new business will allow us to create a more inclusive space that’s welcoming to all, as well as becoming more integrated in the community in North Portland and University Park.”
He continued, “We’ve heard from parents that they need a place to meet with friends that are kid-friendly, and we have the perfect study spot for University of Portland students. We also are on a main road (North Lombard) and have a big parking lot, which makes it an easy stop for people on their way to work.”
Living Room Coffee’s Grand Opening
They’ve decided to open Living Room Coffee on Saturday, May 10 with an official launch party from 10am to 1pm. They’re calling a Spring Ritual Refresh Opening Party that “encourages attendees to refresh their rituals.” You’ll be able to do that through tarot readings, a DIY flower bar, free journals and journal prompts, take home sage bundles, and free coffee samples.
There will also be a DJ spinning summer tunes.
Living Room Coffee + Living Room Wines continues a scenario that is growing in Portland—think Broder and Estes in the Eliot neighborhood, LORO Coffee and Ranch Pizza in Montavilla. And the aforementioned Junior’s/Guilder and Upright Brewing in Roseway/Cully.
Living Room Coffee will operate daily from 7am to 3pm. Also good to know: People will be able to buy bottles of wine to go at any time, including when the cafe is open. And again wine by the glass will be available when the wine bar opens at 3pm.
Best of luck to Justin and Fabrizio as they get ready to launch Living Room Coffee!
Living Room Coffee [opening May 10, 2025]
4818 N Lombard Street, Portland
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Meg Cotner
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All the innovative coffee places seem to be on the eastside of PDX. But, worth the trip! Nothing satisfies like great coffee! It gets me going…. keeps me going.