Caryn & Mike Nelson, Together with Toby Roberts, and Carrie Lind opened Guilders in 2017. Mike is in charge of coffee, and Caryn does all the admin and marketing.
Mike has been working in the specialty coffee industry for 13 years for companies in Portland, New York, and Sweden. He has also studied coffee production together with coffee pests & diseases at university on graduate programs. He has also worked in non-profit and the hospitality industry.
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A Modern Cafe Offering Plenty of Seating and Work Space
The cafe has a beautiful modern interior spread over two floors with a balcony giving extra seating space upstairs. The outlet has retail space in front of the counter and then casual seating down the left side to the back.
At the front of the store to the left is the stairs leading to the balcony. They have set up the balcony for people to work or study. A combination of white walls and varnished wood floors and woodwork give the premises a beautiful clean look, and the high ceiling makes it very airy.
The Owners Have a Long History of Working With Coffee
They started roasting coffee as “Juniors Roasted Coffee” in Tallahassee. Mike returned to Portland in 2016 to start looking for a coffee shop location. The cafe name was inspired by the children’s book “The Princess Bride.”
Open 12 Hours a Day from 7am to 7pm
The coffee shop, which formerly housed Mikey Lynch’s Mars Wine Bar, is open 12 hours a day from 7 am to 7 pm. It serves coffee, espresso, Smith tea, Tanglewood chai, and juice. They are always seeking out new drinks and adding them to the menu.
They Offer Vegan and GF Pastries Along With Amazing Coffee Selections
On the food side, it has pastries from Fleur de Lis Bakery, vegan/GF pastries from Shoofly Vegan Bakery in St. Johns.
It also has a small breakfast and lunch menu. Alcohol was added recently to the offerings of Guilder, and they have a cocktail of the day.
The Staff Has Great Customer Service
They have an enthusiastic staff who are treated very well and are great with the general public. You will often find Mike spending time talking coffee with random customers.
You’ll never leave there feeling like a number. Portland is full of nice coffee shops but I found that this one stood out because of the interactions with the friendly staff
This Cafe Has the Love For Their Community and Environment
I was blown away by the sense of community created by this campaigning cafe. Not only do they buy local whenever they can, they actively promote other local businesses and local artists.
They are also very involved in the campaign to get more secure income for coffee producers who have been suffering a hard time recently. Guilders work with over 30 local businesses providing local people with jobs and improving the community.
From the very beginning, Guilder has supported non-profits and assists with free coffee and services to events where it can. The company also is solid in helping education, especially coffee-related topics, and runs classes.
Mike is possibly the most knowledgeable coffee shop owner in Portland, and Caryn has a fantastic way of creating events and working with the community.
It’s a tremendous partnership and has created a very welcoming coffee shop that serves the locality well. It’s a place to socialize or work, to campaign on issues, and to learn. It is an excellent asset to the community.
Address
2393 NE Fremont St. Ste. B, Portland, Oregon
