They don’t call it Yeast Bayside for nothing. The beer and coffee nexus of Anderson Street gets a double shot of espresso in October when Tandem Coffee Roasters takes over the Bunker Brewing space in Portland’s East Bayside. Located a bean’s toss from their cafe/roastery, the brick building will allow Tandem to expand its wholesale business and create a campus. Take that SBUX.
Now that their globally sourced, medium roasted beans are brewed in cafes from New Orleans to Columbus, Ohio to Montreal to Bangor, the little roaster that could needs more space. Husband-and-wife team Will and Kathleen Pratt haven’t decided how they’ll use the excess room recouped in their four-year old headquarters, but a baking annex for their popular Congress Street cafe is top of mind. “Our wholesale business has doubled in the last year, so this is really about more room to roast,” said William Pratt.
Meanwhile, after five years as an anchor tenant in this emerging food and drink hub, Bunker Brewing co-owner Chresten Sorensen is packing up his tanks and heading to Libbytown.
Near Denny’s on Westfield Street, Bunker’s 800-square-foot tasting room opens Halloween weekend. There will be 10 taps flowing and a new place for hopheads to congregate. “We are not far from Thompson’s Point and where the Sea Dogs play,” said Sorensen, who will be increasing his space to meet demand for the mighty Machine Pilsner and cool craft collabs.
By gaining a deck and more outdoor space in the move, Tandem plans to have events, concerts, cuppings and other fun things that go with coffee. See ya round the campus!
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