Alberta Donut Cafe is opening at 2805 NE Alberta St, a space that has been home to two previous donut shops, Angel’s and Tonalli’s. Owners Thomas Angel and his wife, Nicole Ly, confirmed to What Now Portland that construction is underway on what was a completely gutted space when they took it over, with an opening targeted for the end of the year, ideally in time for the holidays.
Angel described the concept as a step up from a typical grab-and-go donut counter, built instead around specialty coffee, matcha and a broader selection than the traditional shop it’s replacing. He said the goal is for Alberta Donut Cafe to function as a genuine community gathering spot, a place people bring a friend, stop by after work, or even go on a date, rather than just grabbing a donut and leaving.
Both owners bring food industry roots to the venture. Angel grew up working in cafes and comes from a family that owned restaurants in California, while Ly has a culinary background and has been immersed in food and baking her whole life. Angel spent years working in finance for large companies before deciding to return to the restaurant world with his wife, describing Alberta Donut Cafe as their first venture together as a small, family-owned shop.
According to city permits filed this year point to a full buildout, including new kitchen equipment like a doughnut case, glazer, sheeter, jelly filler, espresso machine and ice cream maker, alongside updated ADA-compliant restrooms and a new exterior entry marquee designed by Studio Eccos Architecture. The layout includes roughly 27 seats.
“Especially on that part of the street where Alberta ends, there’s really not a whole lot of spots there to go (End of Alberta St), and we want to open up our doors to offer that and be a welcoming place to be,” Angel told What Now.
