LaVerne’s Will Open in Portland’s Woodlawn Neighborhood

LaVerne’s is coming to Woodlawn. This new bar and restaurant is part of a triune space that also includes a private event area and The Village Ballroom upstairs. They are looking to open Friday, September 19 on NE Dekum Street in Northeast Portland’s Woodlawn neighborhood.

LaVerne’s: A Bit of Space and Building History

The building was built in 1909, making it 116 years old this year. Forgotten Oregon lists out a brief history of its tenants:

• The original owners are listed as J. H. Gustiv, and W. L. Green.
• Originally it was home to the Woodlawn Furniture and Hardware Company.
• At one point is served as a clubhouse.
• It also served as the Woodlawn Odd Fellows Hall.
• It has housed The Village Ballroom since the building first opened.

Additionally:

• The Cannabis Cafe, America’s first marijuana cafe, according to The Guardian, opened in 2009 and closed the following year after only six months in business. The Mercury has an article from the time about how neighbors viewed the pot cafe.
• Prior to that, Rumpspankers was here for a few years (their original spot was on NE 42nd Avenue where Tiny Love Bakery is now), offering soup AKA “American Pho.” Along with serving soup and lunch, they were an adult entertainment venue in the evenings, hosting among other things a monthly event called “Pants Off Dance Off.”
• The tenant prior to LaVerne’s was the nonprofit Oregon Public House, which closed in 2023.

Who Is Behind LaVerne’s

A press release references the folks behind Dig A Pony and Hey Love as the same ones behind LaVerne’s. That would be Sophie Thomson and Aaron Hall. Sophie and Aaron met in the dorms during their college years and worked together first at Aaron’s Dig a Pony. Then they opened Hey Love as a team in October 2018.

In a Business Impact NW article, Sophie said, “If you have the opportunity to go into business with your best friends, I highly recommend it.” Looks like that advice continues to ring true as Sophie and Aaron open LaVerne’s.

Public ORSOS records also include three others involved in this project: Lauren Funk of PIVOT, which runs classes at The Village Ballroom; Nate Funk of Bricks & Minifigs on NE Sandy; and Noah Jay-Bonn, a real estate investor and who I believe used to be in the band Dirty Mittens.

LaVerne’s, The Hall, and The Village Ballroom

These are the names of the trinity of spaces connected together. First, LaVerne’s.

LaVerne’s

This is the main bar and restaurant, and what people will usually mean when they say, “LaVerne’s.” They are really excited about serving their Yucatan-style rotisserie chicken. A cohort whose name I only recently heard of—Texpats—are especially looking forward to the Frito Pie.

Other food items you’ll find on the menu include street tacos and a rotating spread of vegetable sides, “that keep prices down and value high.” It sounds like it will be a small but well-curated menu.

Of course there will be stuff to drink: shots and mixed drinks, spiked lemonade, slushies, boilermakers, tamarind sweet tea whiskey, and strawberry-chamoy spritzes, among others.

Blues and reds seem to be the color scheme at LaVerne’s. There’s a long wooden bar with a red top paired with soda fountain seating. A line of blue plush booths have red and blue fringed lamps hanging above. They’ll have a pool table, and they have indicated that they’ll be playing soul, jazz, and country albums on the sound system.

The Hall

This is an overflow room for LaVerne’s (and it has access to all of LaVerne’s food and beverage offerings) when things are really hopping there. It’s also a place they’ll offer for a variety of activities: small shows, intimate gatherings, and community events. It can be used for a private event (e.g., a community group, birthday party), but LaVerne’s will also use it for bingo nights and karoke.

Its design includes velvet curtains, a checkered floor, and a photo booth. The space has its own physical bar, too. It can accommodate up to 49 people and is ADA accessible.

The Village Ballroom

I like this description of The Village Ballroom from the PR folks, so I’m including it here:

“For more than 100 years, The Ballroom has been a northeast Portland anchor, where friends and neighbors come together for weddings, workshops, classes, parties, and markets. The Ballroom retains many of its original 1909 features, including original hardwood floors and milk glass lighting.”

They have a full-service bar and dedicated staff. Plus a lounge. To give you an idea of the size, it can accommodate 250 people standing and 130 seated. It is not ADA accessible.

Bar catering is done exclusively by LaVerne’s and food catering will be available from them in 2026.

LaVerne’s Is Partnering With Local Orgs

The folks from LaVerne’s believe they can inject positive energy into the neighborhood and the world by partnering with local nonprofits, arts organizations, and mutual-aid groups. “We are honored to occupy a historic building in an incredible neighborhood, and we are committed to being good stewards and neighbors,” states the press release. Current partners include Albina Music Trust and the Woodlawn Neighborhood Association.

These partnerships are not just in name only—there are benefits:

• Discounted space rentals for nonprofit and community use.
• Monthly donation nights tied to featured cocktails.
• Artist and educator-led programming that highlights regional culture, foodways, and music traditions.
  

As I mentioned earlier, their plan is open Friday, September 19. Best of luck to the LaVerne’s team as they open at the end of the week!

LaVerne’s [opening September 19, 2025]
700 NE Dekum Street, Portland
LaVerne’s website | Instagram