Public Domain Coffee

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Public Domain Coffee
Public Domain Coffee logo.png
Public Domain Coffee (cropped).jpg
The coffee shop's exterior, 2014
Public Domain Coffee
Restaurant information
Established2010 (2010)
Owner(s)Coffee Bean International
Street address603 Southwest Broadway
City Portland
County Multnomah
State Oregon
Postal/ZIP Code97205
CountryUnited States
Coordinates 45°31′12″N122°40′46″W / 45.5200°N 122.6795°W / 45.5200; -122.6795

Public Domain Coffee was a coffee shop in Portland, Oregon. Coffee Bean International opened the cafe in 2010. The coffee shop closed during the 2020s.

Contents

Description and history

Coffee Bean International (CBI) opened Public Domain in 2010, following a rebrand of Portland Coffee House. The coffee shop on Southwest Alder served as CBI's "showcase cafe" [1] and specialized in pour-over coffee, according to Grant Butler of The Oregonian . [2] The name was derived from the business' mission, which is "to roast exceptional coffees and cultivate a passion for coffee among the public". [3]

Nick Brown of Daily Coffee News called Public Domain an "upscale retail bar concept". [4] Lonely Planet described the coffee shop as "a swanky downtown outlet with shiny high-end espresso machines, owned by long-time indie roasters". [5] In her Insiders' Guide to Portland, Oregon, Rachel Dresbeck said Public Domain had "beautifully roasted single-origin varieties and a state-of-the-art Slayer espresso". [6] [7]

Public Domain began offering private cuppings and guided tastings in 2010. [8] In 2012, the coffee shop hosted tastings in conjunction with an SCAA event described as "the specialty coffee industry's largest annual gathering". [9] Public Domain competed in NWRBC in 2013, [10] [11] and was CBI's only retail outlet, as of 2015. [12] Farmer Brothers acquired CBI. [13] [14] [15]

In March 2021, Molly J. Smith of Eater Portland wrote, "Public Domain Coffee downtown appears permanently closed with boarded-up windows, but its Facebook page has been advertising subscriptions as recently as February 2020 and Google lists the closure as temporary." [16] The Portland Business Journal said Public Domain "remains closed up tight", as of September 2022. [17] In 2025, artist Mike Bennett opened a play space for children where the coffee shop used to operate. [18]

Reception

In 2010, Hanna Neuschwander of Willamette Week said Public Domain was "exactly what you'd expect of a carefully, but cautiously designed corporate coffeehouse for high-quality coffee". [19] Condé Nast Traveler 's Alexandra Jacobs called Public Domain a "purist’s café". [20]

In Left Coast Roast: A Guide to the Best Coffee and Roasters from San Francisco to Seattle (2012), Hanna Neuschwander said CBI "largely flew under the public's radar until 2010, when it opened Public Domain, a flagship café in downtown Portland". She wrote:

CBI and Public Domain invert the commonplace idea that bigger equals badder. Though only about 5 percent of CBI's coffee meets the highest standard of quality, the green buying team spends up to half its time finding and perfecting these gems, which are sold at Public Domain. The café is also among the few places to get great coffee in Portland's downtown core. [21]

Alexandra E. Petri included Public Domain in The Daily Meal 's 2014 list of 7 coffee shops to visit in Portland. [22]

References

  1. ↑ Distefano, Anne Marie (2010-04-23). "Info on Public Domain Coffee Filters In". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2022-04-17. Retrieved 2022-04-17.
  2. ↑ Butler, Grant (2017-01-01). "What Portland coffee culture was like before Starbucks". The Oregonian . Archived from the original on 2022-01-07. Retrieved 2022-04-17.
  3. ↑ Schneider, Robert (2016-03-29). Coffee Culture: hot coffee + cool spaces. Images Publishing. ISBN   978-1-86470-620-8. Archived from the original on 2022-04-17. Retrieved 2022-04-17.
  4. ↑ "After More Than a Century in California, Farmer Brothers Plans North Texas Move". Daily Coffee News by Roast Magazine. 2015-04-29. Archived from the original on 2022-12-07. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  5. ↑ "Public Domain Coffee | Portland, USA Nightlife". Lonely Planet . Archived from the original on 2022-04-17. Retrieved 2022-04-17.
  6. ↑ Dresbeck, Rachel (2011-03-01). Insiders' Guide® to Portland, Oregon, 7th. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN   978-0-7627-7477-7. Archived from the original on 2023-04-21. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  7. ↑ Dresbeck, Rachel (2017-03-01). Insiders' Guide® to Portland, Oregon. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN   978-1-4930-2822-1. Archived from the original on 2022-04-17. Retrieved 2022-04-17.
  8. ↑ "Coffee Playtime in Portland". Barista Magazine Online. 2010-07-23. Archived from the original on 2022-12-10. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  9. ↑ House, Kelly (2012-04-13). "Portland abuzz over hosting coffee's biggest event". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2022-08-10. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  10. ↑ "NWRBC Round One Recap Rodeo Hoochie Koo". Sprudge. Archived from the original on 2023-04-21. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  11. ↑ "Competition: The Very Best of Day Two From NWRBC". Sprudge. Archived from the original on 2023-04-21. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  12. ↑ "Peek Inside the Secret Facility at the Heart of Portland's Coffee Scene". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2022-07-02. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  13. ↑ "Farmer Bros Unveils Massive New Texas Headquarters". Daily Coffee News by Roast Magazine. 2017-05-04. Archived from the original on 2022-09-30. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  14. ↑ Bell, Jon (August 23, 2017). "Texas coffee giant that's buying Boyd's has an even bigger footprint in Oregon". Portland Business Journal. Archived from the original on April 21, 2023. Retrieved April 21, 2023. After its acquisition of Coffee Bean International, Farmer Brothers opened up the Public Domain coffee shop...
  15. ↑ Hardie, Anne-Marie (2017-10-04). "Farmer Bros. New Texas-Sized Roastery". STiR Coffee and Tea Magazine. Archived from the original on 2023-04-21. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  16. ↑ Smith, Molly J. (2021-03-16). "One Year In: The Places We Lost". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2022-07-27. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  17. ↑ Bach, Jonathan (September 26, 2022). "Why optimistic investors have poured nearly $1B into this downtown Portland corridor". Portland Business Journal. Archived from the original on September 26, 2022. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  18. ↑ "Mike Bennett to Open Permanent Downtown Play Space for Kids". Willamette Week. 2025-03-07. Retrieved 2025-03-10.
  19. ↑ Neuschwander, Hanna (2010-04-28). "DRINK: A Peek at Public Domain Coffee Shop and Portland's First SLAYER". Willamette Week . Archived from the original on 2022-04-17. Retrieved 2022-04-17.
  20. ↑ "Bonus Photos of Portland's Food, Art, and Vintage Everything". Condé Nast Traveler . 2012-10-04. Archived from the original on 2021-09-17. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  21. ↑ Neuschwander, Hanna (2012-01-01). Left Coast Roast: A Guide to the Best Coffee and Roasters from San Francisco to Seattle. Timber Press. ISBN   978-1-60469-284-6. Archived from the original on 2023-04-21. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  22. ↑ Petri, Alexandra E. (2014-08-07). "7 Coffee Shops to Visit in Portland, Oregon (Slideshow)". The Daily Meal . Archived from the original on 2020-09-20. Retrieved 2022-04-17.
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