The Get Down Lounge is coming to 1429 SE 37th Ave in Portland’s Hawthorne neighborhood, with owners Jake and Shela Kagan targeting a mid-August opening in the former 3 Doors Down restaurant space. The roughly 2,400-square-foot spot has been quiet since the beloved Southeast Portland restaurant closed for the second time earlier this year. The Kagans are already in the middle of cosmetic updates, with a liquor license application filed last week.
The two recently moved to Portland from San Francisco, drawn by what they couldn’t find in the Bay Area anymore: a house they could actually afford, clean air, proximity to nature, and a bar scene that still had some soul left in it.
Jake brings nearly 30 years of bar experience to the project, including a stint as co-owner of Mr. Bing’s, a historic North Beach bar he sold in 2019 before the pandemic reshaped San Francisco’s hospitality scene beyond recognition. Shela works in tech as a project manager and was able to transfer to her employer’s Portland office, giving the couple the financial footing to fund the whole project themselves, no partners, no investors.
The vibe they’re building is specific and deliberate. Think big booths, lots of greenery, a DJ booth spinning Motown and blues, and a large screen showing Soul Train. A rotating gallery wall will showcase local artists. Outdoor seating is planned, and the bar is expected to hold around 60 people total. Jake told the Portland Business Journal, he will be behind the bar, not a mixologist, but someone who makes good cocktails fast and keeps the prices honest.
