Cosmopolis Coffee, a small Portland roaster, is opening a cafe at 2005 NE Broadway St, taking over the former Saint Simon space on the southern edge of the Irvington neighborhood. Owner Conor Carrigan is targeting a late October to mid-November opening, with hours planned from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Carrigan named the shop after the concept of a cosmopolis, a city built from many cultures and peoples, a theme that traces back to his own path: born in Ireland, work stints in Switzerland and Latvia, human rights work in Colombia, and a law career in New York before eventually landing in Portland’s coffee scene. His connection to Colombia runs deeper than professional history too, tracing back to his great-uncle, a coffee farmer in the Tolima region who practiced polyculture farming to boost income for his land. Cosmopolis sources its beans primarily from small Colombian farmers and cooperatives, paying above both market rate and fair trade standards.
According to Bridgetown Bites, Carrigan is working with Mike Nelson, founder of Guilder and Junior’s, to help train staff, including himself, as he makes the leap from roasting and sales into running a full retail cafe for the first time. The shop will keep much of the space’s existing layout, including the bar and window seating, while refreshing the walls with a warm off-white finish and touches of Cosmopolis’s signature earthy red.
Beyond coffee, the cafe will serve tea, chai, matcha and a rotating batch brew, alongside a pastry lineup of muffins, scones and possibly quiche. Cosmopolis beans are already sold at Alberta Co-Op, Barbur World Foods, Kaah Market and Cafe Eleven in Woodlawn.
