Rose City Coffee Co.

We live in the neighborhood and are so glad Rose City Coffee is here!

It has been great to see the shop transform under the current ownership. It went from a weird space with books everywhere and awkward seating arrangements to a welcoming, open space where people gather or sit to work/study. I also love how they sell products from local makers and artists to further support our community.

We buy coffee by the pound to drink at home but are always looking for an excuse to walk over for a latte, breakfast sandwich, and a hot chocolate with whipped cream and sprinkles for our son.

TL;DR The menu board doesn’t show prices and hasn’t for six months, per another reviewer. As of January 25, 2022, there is currently no way to know what you’re paying before check out.

The intent of this review is to advocate for ethical business practices at Rose City Coffee. When this changes, I will update my review.

I visited RCC last week for the first time. While ordering a coffee and bagel, I noticed the menu board didn’t show any prices, nor were they listed anywhere else. I asked the person at the register about it, who is also the owner, Kristy. She explained that a new menu board was being printed and would arrive soon. Okay, cool.

First visit: friendly service, hearty breakfast sandwich, pleasant space, underwhelming café au lait. 4/5

I went in again this morning, excited that this coffee shop has early hours. This time, I felt bothered by the no-prices menu, and here’s why: I noticed the “old” menu board never had prices (see photo). As in, it was printed without prices. Weird.

I’m a curious human. I sat down with my coffee and popped over to their reviews. Six months ago, Dale Hanson wrote, “Its our local coffee shop and we've enjoyed getting fresh beans and the occasional drink here but they just changed their menu above the cashier so that prices are not displayed. Not a fan of that choice.”

Okay, not cool. Here’s why: it’s classist. Some customers are on a budget. Maybe someone doesn’t have $9.25 to pay for a bagel? Or $4.25 for a coffee? Taking away the freedom of choice (showing prices) shuts out folks who can’t afford to not know what they’re paying until they check out. Further, it doesn’t take six months to reprint a menu board.

Again, I asked Christy about this, this time showing her the review from six months ago. Her response was, “I don’t actually know if we’re going to list prices, because things keep changing. I think we’ll eventually have a QR code where you can go and look at prices.” So at this time, no prices. I expressed that while I empathized with her experience as a small business owner in a pandemic, I was advocating on behalf of folks who, by her not listing prices, couldn’t afford to come into her business. What’s a good way to keep low income or houseless folks out? Don’t post your prices.

I told Christy I was posting this review and why, and that I’ll update it when she posts prices. She let me know there were a lot of other coffee shops I could go to.

Second visit: Unethical business practice, dishonest owner. 1/5

The coffee shop is full and was last week as well. This review isn’t going to adversely affect their business, but hopefully it’ll offer a point of reflection for equitable, inclusive business practices.

Really nice staff, excellent sandwiches, good coffee. This place is chill and we always feel welcome.

Great space, with the friendliest baristas. Coffee is fantastic, they usually offer a dark, medium, and light roast. The owner has turned the space into a cozy, warm place to chill or get some computing done.

Varieties of foods and drinks
Staffs are friendly
Sandwich is huge :)
Great place to chill

Also many gift shop to buy

I popped in here one evening to get some work done. They have super cool/friendly staff, plenty of space, good WiFi, and they're open relatively late for a coffee shop. They have a solid drink menu and pastry selection. I enjoyed my iced matcha with oat milk. I tried some complimentary pastries, so why not talk about them: Brownie was super soft, almost cake-like in texture, with rich and delicious dark chocolate chips. I'd come back for that. The puff pastry was nice and buttery, but a little dense for my taste. Summary: Cool shop!

The staff was friendly and welcoming. The shop is super cute and Aesthetically pleasing! The coffee was out of this world. I got an oat milk latte with one pump of dark chocolate and it was not too sweet! So delicious definitely one of my favorite coffee shops I tried in Portland

After 5 years in Portland I’ve finally found the coffee shop with the ‘vibe’ I’ve been looking for. The staff is always friendly and courteous. The environment is clean without being sterile and comfortable without being indulgent. They feature local Whimsey chocolate and caramel as well.

Best organic coffee in town! Women owned, the BEST employees. Cute, fun hangout, yummy eats AND THE BEST COFFEE❤️❤️❤️

This place is great, staff is always so friendly and the drinks and food are awesome. Hearty recommendation, I’ll be back!