Oui Presse Will Close (Sort Of) in Portland

The entrance to Oui Presse. — Soon to be closed, the entrance to Oui Presse. Photo credit: Oui Presse.

Oui Presse is closing …. UPDATE: Well, sort of. After 14 years in business, the original owners sold it to a new owner. Public records indicate that new business was registered as Rose City Pour. Turns out the new owner is keeping the Oui Presse name. The final day of service for the OG Oui Presse will be Saturday, May 31.

A Short History of Oui Presse

Shawna McKeown opened Oui Presse in 2010, offering coffee, food, artisan products, and magazines. Portland Monthly really liked their PB&J royale sandwich, “complete with crusty-soft Japanese white bread right from the oven, fresh-ground peanuts, flavorful jam, a schmear of butter, and, for good measure, flaky sea salt.”

I enjoyed this interview Brett Warnock did with Shawna in 2015, which summarized her background in publishing: “Shawna worked at two different alternative newsweeklies—a few different jobs at Seattle Weekly for an eight-year run, then at Willamette Week after moving to Portland. By the time she had left in 2010, in addition to skills honed in graphic design and production, she’d risen to the role of associate publisher.”

She also said this—and I know a number of folks can relate to it—around the time she parted ways with Willamette Week: “Working for another company—or any company—made no sense to me anymore. Those days were completely over for me, as was any idea of job security I ever had. And since my personal version of armageddon was actually happening to me, I didn’t feel I had much to lose by trying to build something of my own.”

As Shawna anticipates the end of her chapter of Oui Press, she encourages you to come by, enjoy the space, food, and drink, and say goodbye before the close of business on Saturday. “I will express my thoughts, feelings and gratitude in person while you enjoy some of your favorite Oui Presse classics—before the menu and ownership change,” she wrote.

What Happens Next?

It is expected that the new owner will complete the sale by the end of the month. It was unfortunate that Shawna could not give more of an advance notice publicly of the closing but she was under a gag order as the business deal went through its process. Update: It looks like the place re-opened in June 2025.

She is working with the new owner to keep the staff employed there. As for who that is, ORSOS indicates that Alisha Ragsdale is the Registered Agent, but that is likely not the owner.

If you have a Oui Presse gift card, you will probably be out of luck starting June 1. Unlike the case with the closing of Lil’ Shalom, Oui Presse is not part of a restaurant group, so when it’s gone, it’s gone. The best course of action is to stop by and spend that gift card before Saturday, May 31.

Shawna mentions she’d like to write a cookbook/memoir of Oui Presse, too.

Wishing Shawna all the best as she winds down the business, and I send good wishes to the new owners, who I hope will bring great things to the neighborhood.

Oui Presse [closed May 31, 2025, reopened in June 2025]
1740 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland
Oui Presse website | Instagram | Facebook

Updated August 7, 2025.