Otomi Ceramics Café is coming to 3777 SE Belmont Street in Portland this summer, taking over the former Soma Kombucha space with a concept that is equal parts café and creative studio. Owners Saira Ishikawa and Steven Le are behind the project, which will serve matcha and coffee in the mornings and wine and beer in the evenings, while offering paint-your-own pottery and ceramics workshops throughout the day. An exact opening date has not been set, with Saira telling What Now Portland the team will share more details once a date is confirmed.
The concept is a refreshing take on what a neighborhood café can be. Rather than just another coffee shop, Otomi is building a space where people can linger, create, and leave with something they made themselves. The ceramics workshop model has found a passionate audience in cities like Los Angeles and New York, where drop-in pottery painting has become one of the most popular date-night and group activities around, but Portland’s SE Belmont corridor is a natural fit for something like this.
SE Belmont, one of Portland’s most walkable and eclectic commercial strips, continues to attract new and independent concepts that reflect the creative character of the surrounding neighborhoods. Otomi Ceramics Café looks like a welcome addition to that mix.
