A dozen years of slow mornings,
one cup at a time.
Morning Grind started in 2014 with a folding table, one espresso machine, and a bet that a block of Portland could use a better corner. It's still a corner shop — just with better light, deeper roots, and a bench outside that's always full.
- Cups poured
- 1.2M+
- Farm partners
- 7
- Baristas trained
- 48
- Neighbors on a first-name basis
- ∞
From folding table to neighborhood fixture.
A quick walk through the moments that shaped Morning Grind — the decisions, the gambles, and the mornings that refused to end.
-
The folding-table era
Maya sets up a single-group espresso machine outside her mother's bookstore on Linden Avenue. 14 drinks on day one. A line forms by week two.
-
The corner shop opens
A 640 sq ft lease next door comes up. We move in with secondhand chairs, a donated piano that nobody plays, and a whiteboard menu.
-
Direct-trade from Oaxaca
First direct-trade contract with the Ruiz cooperative in Oaxaca. Every bean we pour today still traces back to a farm we've visited by truck, on foot, or both.
-
Staying open, barely
We pivot to a walk-up window and a 50-subscriber bag-a-week program. The regulars show up. The window is still there — check the side of the building for the hand-painted menu.
-
Our first roaster
A 5‑kilo Diedrich arrives on a Tuesday. We drop the first roast by Thursday. Every bag sold since has been roasted in-house, usually by someone singing off-key.
-
Still here, still grinding
Twelve years in. Same corner, same bench, same philosophy: good beans, fair wages, and a chair for anyone who needs a minute.
The crew behind the counter.
Small team, deep bench. Everyone here pulls shots, pulls weight, and answers to their first name.
-
Maya Alvarez
Founder & Head Roaster
Spent a decade on farms in Oaxaca and roasteries in Portland before she ran out of other people's ideas and started her own. Picks every lot herself.
Favorite pour: Single-origin espresso, no milk, no sugar, no conversation until the second one.
-
Dev Okafor
Lead Barista & Training
Former mechanical engineer who built the bar layout in his spare time. Runs our barista training program and keeps the La Marzocco happy.
Favorite pour: Flat white, ristretto base, oat milk on the side.
-
Priya Shah
Pastry Program Lead
Trained at Tartine, came home for the mornings. Runs the 4:30 AM bake and is the reason the cardamom buns sell out by 9.
Favorite pour: Cardamom cortado, warm from the pass.
-
Theo Marsh
Sourcing & Green Buyer
Lives out of a duffel half the year visiting farms in Ethiopia, Colombia, and Guatemala. Writes the tasting notes you read on every bag.
Favorite pour: Pour-over, whatever just landed from the latest trip.
A few things we're proud of.
We don't chase awards — but when someone sends one in the mail, we pin it to the corkboard behind the register.
-
2024
Best Independent Roaster
Portland Coffee Guild — voted by a panel of 40 local shop owners and cuppers.
-
2023
Top 10 Cafes in the PNW
Sprudge Pacific Northwest list — called out for our direct-trade program and, weirdly, our chairs.
-
2022
Living Wage Employer
Certified by the Oregon Workers Alliance — every barista, baker, and dishwasher.
-
2021
Neighborhood Business of the Year
Riverside District Merchants — for keeping the walk-up window open through the whole long year.
Got a question?
We've probably got an answer.
Wholesale orders, private events, press, collaborations, or just a nice note — drop us a line and someone human will write back within two business days.
- Email [email protected]
- Phone (503) 555‑0134
- Visit 214 Linden Ave, Portland OR