Reflections on the Stone Soup PDX Café Opening

By Ronit K Gerard, Co-Founder and Board Member, Stone Soup PDX 

When we opened the doors at Stone Soup PDX in 2019, we were excited to share our food and mission with the public. The space gave us an opportunity to meet the supporters of Stone Soup, whether they were there to share a meal, host an event, or join one of our many graduations. There was always an energizing atmosphere in the café during these times, and it felt good to serve others who shared our mission and values. I remember one of our Guest Chef nights with Jason Vasquez from Bless Your Heart Burgers. Welcoming our community into Stone Soup for this event was wonderful. But what made it incredibly special was that one of our graduates was working at Bless Your Heart, and it was so fun to invite him back into Stone Soup and cook with him again. It shows the importance of broad community support and follows the ethos of our name-sake story, namely if we all chip in a little, we can solve big problems.

When we closed the doors to the Broadway café in March 2020 because of COVID-19, the closure severed the face-to-face customer connections. Digital media allowed us to tell our story and stay in touch, but in-person connection is long-lasting; those connections brought so many positive outcomes, some that blossomed into new opportunities, created dedicated volunteers, and built friendships. 

With the opening of this new space at Glisan Landing, we have that opportunity again. I look forward to creating new partnerships and motivating Stone Soup enthusiasts. Participants will be able to connect the food they make to the people they serve it to. It’s instant gratitude when someone praises the food they are eating. This new space will give our customers an opportunity to see who they are supporting by purchasing our products. I look forward to rekindling the atmosphere we had at 306 Broadway. I look forward to the new conversations, the laughter, the sharing of stories from our participants. It is these moments that foster community and cooperation. 

(From Left To Right: Glen Levy, Prescoln Visathep, Caryl Zenker, Ellen Damaschino, Christina Putterman and Max Schneider)

Stone Soup has been through a lot in the short six years since we opened, but we’ve survived and thrived because our shared values align with those of our community. Our participants and our fans are what make Stone Soup successful. For those that continue to give, we can’t wait to share a meal with you again. For those that we haven’t had a chance to meet in person, we hope you will stop by the café during opening week and say hello. Let us put a face to a name. We can’t wait for you to meet our talented participants and staff. Your support is helping build economic stability for people experiencing barriers to employment. It takes a village.

Stone Soup PDX Café (7400 NE Glisan Street, Portland OR 97213) is now open. Hours are t-f, 7-2pm. You can enjoy coffee, pastries, sandwiches, soups and salads. Can’t wait to have you!