At Bridgetown Bites, we’ve long been fans of FIKA desserts, a sweet (literally and figuratively) cottage bakery tucked into the heart of inner SE Portland. Founder and creator Joe Futschik is the talent behind an impressive lineup of treats—from yeasted pastries and scones, to empanadas, cream buns, cakes, tarts, cookies, and an array of handmade truffles. One scroll through his menu gallery and you’ll find yourself fully tempted. Joe’s creations are perfect for celebrations, gatherings, or simply treating yourself!
We recently had the chance to visit Joe in his charming home bakery, where we got to see his craft and creativity on full display. It was also great to sit down with Joe for a more detailed chat about his growing business. Read on for a delicious deep dive into FIKA.
Tell us a little bit about yourself. Also, please share with us more about how you came to live in Portland and what you love about it.
(Joe) Hi, my name is Joe, and I’ve lived in Portland for 30 years. I’m a designer by trade and I design lamps and wall art. It was probably around 2020 when I decided to learn how to bake.
Prior to living in Portland, I lived in San Francisco. When I moved here in ’95, I thought I made a huge mistake because there was not much of anything going on in Portland in terms of culture, food, and such. But starting in 2001, the food scene just exploded! Navarre was one of the pioneers for that.
Over time, Portland’s creative energy really shifted east, so much so that I rarely felt the need to go downtown. The city’s food scene took off, alongside a growing community of independent designers working across fashion, furniture, and more. I was lucky to be part of that through local design shows, with my lighting and wall art being selected early on by Portland restaurant icon Clarklewis, where the pieces were showcased in their space.
What stands out most is how supportive the Portland small business community is, and how accessible it’s become to start something new. With the rise of food carts, pop-ups, and cottage bakeries, there are now real opportunities to build a business without the heavy financial lift of a traditional storefront.
Share with us more about your business, FIKA and why you started it.
(J) I’ve lived in my house for 25 years, and for just as long, I’d been wanting to redo the kitchen because it was completely stuck in the seventies! In 2020, I finally had the means to make it happen, and we kicked things off in early March, a week before the lockdown. It turned into the perfect COVID project, and once the kitchen was done, I found myself at home with this beautiful new space and not much else to do.
I decided baking would be the perfect way to keep me busy and productive during the lockdown, so I dove in starting with croissants. It quickly became an obsession, and I was making everything by hand and ending up with batches far too big to keep to myself. So I started putting my baked treats on Facebook to friends and seeing if anyone would be interested in them.
The response was immediate, and I started baking more frequently and even expanded my menu into many other items. At a certain point, I realized this isn’t just a hobby anymore, “I’m turning it into a business!”
Why did you name it FIKA?
(J) I originally called it JEF Designs, like my design business, but I started thinking more intentionally about the name. I didn’t want something that felt random or overly trendy like those hipster spots with names like ‘Craftsmen & Wolves’ and such. At the core, this project came from my love of making things and sharing them with people, especially during COVID when I really missed that sense of connection and community. That’s when I came across the term FIKA, which means to take an intentional break to socialize and connect, and it felt perfect.
When I first chose the name, the term wasn’t widely known here yet, but now it’s everywhere. Still, it captured exactly the feeling and experience I wanted to create!
Can you tell us more about your background in food and hospitality?
(J) I’ve worked in the food and hospitality industry since I was 20, mostly front-of-house roles like serving and catering. For artists, musicians, and creative people, restaurant work offers the flexibility to make money while still having time to pursue your passion. That lifestyle suited me for a long time.
Even though I spent years around food, I never really cooked much myself. I knew what I liked, but between restaurant meals and living mostly on coffee, cooking just wasn’t a big part of my life. That changed during COVID. I started having people over for dinner and really began experimenting in the kitchen, learning everything from Asian to Indian recipes. Baking led naturally into cooking, and now I’d say I’m a pretty solid home cook.
What I enjoy most is the social aspect of it all. I live alone and work alone, which I love, but cooking and sharing food gives me a way to connect with people a few times a week and create some balance.
Have you worked at different restaurants in Portland?
(J) When I first moved here, I worked at Bastas in Northwest, an Italian restaurant that’s no longer around. After that, I spent a year at Navarre before transitioning into catering work, which I liked even more because it offered a lot of flexibility without a set schedule.
What sets FIKA part from other small batch bakeries in Portland?
(J) I really admire everyone’s creativity right now, especially businesses that have become known for doing one thing exceptionally well. For a long time, I worried that I was more of a ‘jack of all trades, master of none’ because my interests are so varied. But I’ve started to see that as a strength instead of a weakness.
What makes FIKA exciting is that it gives me the freedom to create and sell all kinds of different things. As the bakery grows, there will eventually be staple items people can always count on, with rotating flavors and specials. But right now, I love the flexibility of exploring different cultural inspirations through my desserts each week, one week it’s Japan, the next it’s Italy! That variety and creativity are what set me apart.
What’s your favorite thing on the menu?
(J) I’m still narrowing down favorites across each category, but right now I’d say the ham and cheese croissant is at the top for pastries, and it’s really what started the bakery. There’s a lot of other things I love, including what we’re about to eat (the chorizo potato cheddar empanada), but that one feels foundational.
For dessert, I’d choose the Basque cheesecake. A friend of mine has me make it for her birthday each year after finding a recipe she loved. Aside from the classic cheesecake flavor, I also love experimenting with different variations like the pandan coconut, for example.
And for truffles, I have to go back to the one that started it all, the bourbon salted caramel. Years ago, I tried a liquid salted caramel from a small Portland chocolate shop, and it completely blew my mind. My mom made chocolates for a living, so when I started my own work, I wanted to learn how to make something similar but with a new twist. That caramel truffle became the inspiration, and it’s still my favorite to this day.
Are you planning any collaborations with other small businesses in Portland?
(J) The collaborations that have worked best for me are pop-ups, which I’ve done in a variety of settings with really interesting businesses. Some of my earliest were with friends who own Memento and Gold Door on Hawthorne, who later opened a curated vintage shop called Curios. I’ve continued doing pop-ups since then, now about two to three a year.
I tend to gravitate toward cafes, but it really depends on the owner’s vibe and how their menu is structured. A full cafe-bakery isn’t usually the right fit, but I love working in spaces with a tighter menu where I can bring in something complementary. For example, I’m currently doing a twice monthly residency at Puff Coffee, where I create items they don’t already offer. I’ve also done pop-ups in other places, like Fat Straw, a popular boba shop on SE Hawthorne.
What are you most looking forward for FIKA as summer approaches? What about the fall?
(J) I’ve had some dream goals over the past year and a half that honestly felt more scary than exciting at first. As things have grown, I want to give a shoutout to MESO for being an incredible source of advice and funding, and to a close friend who’s essentially my life advisor. She usually talks me out of things, but recently encouraged me to fully lean into my business!
Right now, I’m focused on opening my own bakery by late fall, ideally with set hours and in-store inventory, so I can move away from pre-order bake sales. Between now and then, my main priorities are saving as much capital as possible and continuing to use pop-ups as a form of organic marketing. They’ve been incredibly effective, and each one brings in new people, and I usually get around 20 new mailing list sign-ups per event. At this point, those two things are really the focus.
Is there anything else that Bridgetown Bites readers should know?
(J) Just that Portland is incredibly creative, and I think it’s important for people to go out and support that. It’s easy to default to places like Peet’s or Starbucks, but I’d encourage people to try something more unique, independent, and handcrafted.
A huge thank you to Joe for his time and generosity in talking with us and sharing his story, as well as for the delicious goodies he served as an added bonus! You can find Joe and learn more about his pre-order bake sales on his website, or by joining his mailing list, which is the best way to stay up to date on what he’s making next.
Thanks again, Joe—we’re ready for a much-needed FIKA right about now!
FIKA
Private home address in Southeast Portland
FIKA website | Instagram | Facebook
Judith Rich
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