Slow Haste Coffee Joins Collector Bar Daily in NE Portland

Slow Haste is the latest in a series of Portland coffee shops opening in bars and the like—they’ve been popping up at Collector Bar at The Ocean restaurant pod since last November, and on Saturday, May 31 they’ll be offering coffee and pastries there full time. I reached one of the owners, Troy Arias, to learn more and here is what he shared with me.

Two Great Tastes That Occupy The Same Space Together

As I’ve mentioned in the past, this kind of “double occupancy” arrangement is something I find fascinating. It kind of reminds me of having housemates in NYC—a necessity due to the economics of that city (and increasingly in Portland, too) that in some cases yields unexpected and cherished results.

And from the standpoint of a person looking to eat and drink something good, having two great food/drink businesses in one space is pretty brilliant. For instance, I love stopping by Guilder at the Upright Beer Station—great coffee in the morning, and excellent beer later in the day. And Hi-Top’s new morning coffee service also comes to mind.

The Origins of Slow Haste

Slow Haste is a coffee project that was started by four friends: Adam Stansell, Joshua Nance, Ethan Nance, and Troy Arias. They all have worked in the service industry, and together dreamed of opening a place that celebrates coffee and community. Collectively, they have over 50 years in the hospitality industry.

“Ethan and Josh are brothers, and Adam and I have been friends for 10+ years,” said Troy. “We all met when Ethan and Adam worked together at a coffee shop on NE Alberta three years ago. We’ve worked across 4+ cafes here in Portland, from No Preference to Roseline.”

Another reason they wanted to do this project is to work with people and businesses they loved and respected. That includes Luna Pastries, No Preference Coffee, Proud Mary, Diverso Coffee Roasters, Sunday Coffee Project, True Tea, and, of course, Collector Bar.

What Does “Slow Haste” Mean?

On Instagram, they explained what “slow haste” means to them, which includes specifics related to the hospitality industry, and permission to make it

what you will:

“We feel like it embodies the coffee industry beautifully—anyone who has worked behind the bar knows it’s all about the balance of putting as much care as possible into each action, as quickly as possible. Transcending the industry, we feel it also speaks to a greater truth of life. At the end of the day, Slow Haste means whatever rings true to you.”

Troy expanded on that, “Each founder has their own take, and we encourage anyone to reflect on the name and what it means to them. To me, a coffee routine is a chance to slow down and enjoy yourself and your company before the haste of the day from one thing to another.”

In an interview with KOIN, they said the name of the project/business was one of the hardest things to come up with when it came to Slow Haste.

The Slow Haste Location

They’ve really enjoyed doing this work at Collector Bar and they love the space. “The space has been the perfect location for our pop-ups so far, and the morning light and summer days make it even better!” exclaimed Troy.

He continued, “We approached Jesse, one of the owners at Collector, about doing a pop-up at their sister wine bar, Company. They suggested we do it at Collector instead because of the plumbing and power required for our espresso machine.”

He also says that both the Kerns neighborhood and neighbors at The Ocean have been very welcoming and supportive. “They’ve been waiting for a shop like ours to come along and are eager to have a daily operation start up!” said Troy.

The Pop-Ups

They did a total of five weekend pop-ups at Collector Bar: Their first one was November 9 and 10. Troy said, “After the first one was such a mutual success, we continued with monthly pop-ups until we agreed to take it full time!”

Those successive monthly pop-ups were the weekends of January 18 and 19, February 22 and 23, March 29 and 30, and April 26 and 27.

Coffee and Pastries at Slow Haste

The Coffee

During the pop-ups they used a variety of roasters and that practice will go forward in this new phase. “We plan to rotate both our coffees and pastries to highlight the variety of talent across Portland (pastries) and the country (roasters),” Troy explained.

During these pop-ups they also tried out a variety of specialty espresso drinks, letting their creativity run wild. Some of the drinks they came up with have great flavor combinations: red miso caramel; black-sesame date; orange cinnamon vanilla; Fluffernutter; spiced pear; and mango and passionfruit (matcha). They also did an eggnog affogato.

“We’ve had nearly 20 seasonal flavors, and these have been my favorites from the beginning,” explained Troy. “The experimentation in creating these has been such a joy for us.”

For the grand opening they’ll be using Sunday Coffee Project beans.

The Pastries

They also used a couple of sources for pastries: boh made things like a creme brûlée donut, Pao de Queijo, and a Burnt Black Sesame Cheesecake. Luna Pastries also provided some very interesting items: a citrus bun, a sesame cherry dark chocolate scone, a rye chocolate chip cookie, and a Jasmine tea madeleine.

They’ll be using Fleur de Lis bakery for pastries as they move into their regular presence at Collector, but for their grand opening weekend, they’ll be serving Luna Pastries. 

Coffee Drinks for the Grand Opening

They’ll bring back fan favorites for the grand opening: Orange Cinnamon Vanilla, Charred Strawberry Black Pepper, Banana Caramel, and Funfetti. “This combo really highlights the journey of our pop ups, which included a vote for the crowd favorite each time, said Troy. “Personally, I can never get enough of the Orange Cinnamon Vanilla.”

Creating their seasonal flavors and a special beverage or two has really worked well for them, according to the feedback they’ve received. “We have several options, but not an overwhelming menu,” said Troy. “Plus, everything is made from scratch.”

You can see their various seasonal drinks on their website.

Additionally, they will offer a coffee mocktail. “We’ve created a clarified milk brew coffee mocktail for our grand opening,” Troy explained. “Inspired by the craft coffee scene in Japan, this cold-brew adjacent beverage is made in a similar way, but with milk that’s later clarified like some cocktails, leaving a clear drink with complex flavors.”

The Slow Haste Special Sauce

Troy mentioned how well the quartet works together as a team, “With four founders, our collective brains are always running and we work together so well. We’ve organically split responsibilities and continued to bring great ideas to the table.”

He also talked about the experiences they’ve had that add a richness to what they have to offer. “We’ve gotten syrup recipes from friends that are bartenders, and been inspired by a trip to Japan,” he said. “We’ve nearly perfected our caramel technique with inspiration from a family’s banana bread recipe, and pulled from our experiences across industries to continue to deliver something unique even in the crowded coffee scene here.”

Some Final Thoughts

“Since the founding of Slow Haste, our goal is consistently serve high quality products but remove any pretentiousness that’s often associated with the Portland coffee scene,” said Troy. “We want you to fully enjoy your morning with us and feel like you truly belong there.”

“Even if you can’t make it the grand opening, we’d love to serve you this summer.” said Troy. “This is a huge endeavor, and like all locally owned spaces here in Portland, we’ve poured our heart into making your experience truly special.” 

The Grand Opening Details

Starting Saturday, May 31, Slow Haste will be open daily inside Collector Bar from 7am to 1pm. Collector Bar opens at 4pm.

They are grateful for the support the Kerns neighborhood has shown them and are excited to be a more regular presence in the area. Wishing Adam, Joshua, Ethan, and Troy all the best as they get closer to their grand opening and daily presence in the area.

Slow Haste Coffee [grand opening May 31, 2025]
2341 NE Glisan Street, Portland
Slow Haste website | Instagram