Category: St. Johns businesses

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St. Johns Boosters St. Johns businesses

Meet our Banner Artist, Shiref Eskander of Alsherif Design

St. Johns banner

Chances are, you probably already know Shiref’s work.  Maybe it’s a flag flying on your neighbors’ balcony, or a bumper sticker on the car in front of you.  Perhaps you met him at a craft fair and bought one of his bridge prints.

St. Johns flag by Alshiref Design
St. Johns flag designed by Alshiref Design

When the St. Johns Boosters received a Placemaking Grant from Venture Portland to add banners to electrical poles in St. Johns, our Banners Committee knew right away that we wanted to work with this popular local designer! We knew Shiref could create a beautiful and eye-catching design to help drive traffic to the Boosters’ website marketing local businesses.

Interview with Shiref

Interview by Liz Smith of Bizzy Lizzie Social Media Marketing.

AlShiref Design owner, Shiref Eskander
Shiref Eskander

I recently sat down with Shiref of Alshiref Design to talk about his design background and why St. Johns is special to him.

Q: How did you get interested in graphic design?

A: Drawing was a lifelong interest growing up. I went to college to study social service, so I have a social service degree. Ten years later, I decided I would rather do what I loved to do, so I went back to school to study graphic design in Portland. I graduated in 2010.

St. Johns Flag

Q: How did you come up with the idea of the St. Johns flag?

A: Five years ago, I was talking with my neighbors and we decided that our neighborhood needed its own flag. They said, “you’re the graphic designer, you should design it!” I came up with several ideas and shared them with my neighbors and together we settled on the design that you see now. Each part has a meaning: the bridge symbolizes connection, the circle (or sun) symbolizes community, and the river is the flow of life. You’ll see with the bridge that one leg crosses over to the other side. This is connection of us not only to each other but to other communities.

Q: What are you doing when you are not designing?

A: Cooking, playing soccer with my kids, playing with my dog Lucky, playing in a local band, or sailing on the Columbia. One day I went out on my friend’s boat and they asked me to be on their sailing team.

Q: Where can people find your work?

A: Salty Teacup in St. Johns just started carrying my products, so you can see them there. I do many outdoor street fairs including the St. Johns Bizarre, Crafty Wonderland and the Portland Saturday Market. People are also welcome to visit me in the studio, by appointment. My studio is in the Pioneer United Methodist Church at 7528 N. Charleston in St. Johns, near the library. To make an appointment, contact me at contact@alshirefdesign.com

Q: Which neighborhood projects are you working on next?

A: I am working on the poster for the St. Johns Farmers Market, which opens on May 19th. It is exciting because I did the poster for the 5-year anniversary of the market, and this year is the 10-year anniversary.

Favorite Thing About St. Johns

Q: What is your favorite thing about living in St. Johns?

A: My favorite thing is that everyone knows everyone. When you are walking down the street, everyone says hello or at the very least, acknowledges each other. This is how it is in Europe, so it is what I was used to before I moved here. In other cities where I have lived, they don’t do this. But St. Johns is a friendly place, and a great place to work and raise a family. In fact, St. Johns is like a big family.

You can see more of Shiref’s work at Alshiref Design.

Get Your Name Up Top — Sponsor the Banners!

St. Johns banner
The St. Johns banners will draw traffic to the Boosters website marketing local businesses. Each banner is 2′ X 3′ and will be hung from electrical poles in our business district.

As part of the Banners Placemaking Grant from Venture Portland the St. Johns Boosters need to raise $3,000 from sponsors. Depending on the sponsorship level you select (Bronze, Silver, or Gold), you will receive 3 weeks, 5 weeks, or 9 weeks of advertising up top in the header of the Boosters website. That will give you visibility on each page of the site, and the opportunity to get your message in front of the over 1,000 website visitors we have monthly.

Sponsorship benefits also include social media posts, and, for Gold sponsors, 1 week of your message listed on the marquee in front of the Bridge. All sponsors will receive a signed limited edition print of the poster. Only one poster will be printed per sponsor!

To participate, go to the Banners Project section of our website.

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St. Johns businesses

Great North Interview

Jon, Georgia, and Matt

Q: Tell me about your business here in St. John’s

Matt:

We started The Great North in January 2016 in a whirlwind of luck, scrappiness, and years of coffee experience. Though we had the idea to open a coffee shop in the backs of our minds for quite some time, it really only came together through being in the right place at the right time and being crazy enough to go for it. The short version is that we saw a business closing, we reached out to the owners and 10 days later we had negotiated a new lease, purchased the previous businesses equipment, got our LLC set up, and our permits & licences in place.

Jon:

The Great North is a combination of many years of experience between both of us. We’ve worked together in a number of different capacities in coffee. Through running shops, training barista’s, and developing wholesale programs for coffee roasters, we’ve gotten to see all kinds of businesses that serve great coffee. It’s such a wonderful product and the people we get to interact with every day in the coffee business are incredible.  That’s what led us to take the chance to open the shop here.  Like Matt said, we saw the space was available and decided that St. John’s was a perfect fit for us..  We were familiar with the standard of quality that we really wanted to offer as well as a shop that welcomed everyone into the space.  It’s so easy and trendy in a city like Portland to have spaces that only welcomed certain kinds of people.  Our entire goal for this space is that everyone feels comfortable whether it’s a mom with her children, a senior citizen, college student or young couples moving into the neighborhood. We wanted a neighborhood shop for everyone in this area and for folks that are visiting St. John’s.  That being said our focus is very much on quality and hospitality. We take both of those things really seriously.  We’re constantly striving to work with our own staff to make this place a welcoming experience and providing a drink that leaves people walking away saying wow that was one of the best coffee drinks I’ve ever had.

Pastries and treats at The Great North.

Q: You guys are obviously community-oriented.  I like the feel of your shop.  Tell me what kind of thoughts you had when designing this space.

Jon:

When we took over the space we spent a long time just sitting in here and thinking.  We wanted to work with the parts of the space that are wonderful. The skylight provides a lot of natural light.  Combine that with the classic crown molding and woodwork and the shop has incredible soul.  So when we got the space our main objective was to  simplify everything down to focus on the light and airy feel of this space.  In Portland we have so many grey dreary days that it’s nice to walk into a place that’s uplifting rather than really dark and heavy. It’s interesting that you bring up design because we’re actually in the midst of a small remodel.  We’re planning where we’re going to upgrade some of our equipment and just continue to clean up some of the static pieces of this space that we’ve been wanting to do since the very beginning. As we grow and the community changes we’ll always consider it a work in progress.

Matt and Jon in action
Matt and Jon in action

Q: You guys are passionate about coffee.  Tell me a little bit about that passion and what coffee means to people.

Matt:

I came from a small town where we didn’t have coffee shops, but when I moved to Portland for college I got pulled into the industry by friends. It was through them that I really started getting excited about learning the ins and outs of what makes certain coffees more delicious than others. I remember fifteen or so years ago cupping Stumptown Coffee. It was full, and sweet. The difference in flavor was something I had never tasted before. It was then that I was sold and not too much longer I started working in that shop.  As I grew in my understanding of coffee I kept feeling drawn toward the cutting edge and who was pushing the boundaries of what it could be.  I love the conversations that happen naturally around it.

Jon:

My interests in coffee actually started before I started drinking coffee heavily in college out of necessity.  I became very interested in the actual business around coffee and the global nature of the industry.  The fact that every single people group seems to have some kind of coffee ritual with a culture around it.  It’s a really widely consumed product and it’s grown in the tropics,  not here in Portland so my curiosity started from that place and then moved into the culinary side.  Matt and I have spent a combined 25 years working in the coffee industry and specifically the specialty coffee industry. We’ve been on the cutting edge of what’s happening and who’s sourcing the best coffees.  Our focus on quality is huge to us.  There’s been an explosion in the popularity of specially coffee and coffee shops and we’ve been right there as a part of that growth.  We spent time at Stumptown Coffee Roasters together in its heyday.  We also spent time working together at Coava Coffee Roasters, where I still hold an active role, and we’ve managed and consulted with countless coffee shops.  We’ve also played roles in wholesale support where we’ve worked with hundreds and hundreds of different coffee shops trying to help them make their coffee program successful.  We’ve been so fully immersed in coffee over the last ten plus years and in our own lives that it’s hard to draw a line where the passion starts and stops.  I think it’s safe to say that we’ve seen a lot of angles and different models in the industry and we’ve continually come back to the simplicity of genuine people with incredible coffee, which is why we use Coava Coffee Roasters.   We really take a lot of pride in the coffees that they send us to approve and it helps the farmers that they’re working with to bring those coffees to market.  We also have to spend a lot of time with our own staff making sure that those coffees are handled well once we get them.  Our aim is that whatever drink coming across the counter is going to taste delicious and it’s going to taste up to the full potential of what that coffee has to offer so it’s a labor of love in everything we do.  Specifically we want to make every single coffee taste great while always welcoming people into our space.

Jon Felix-Lund, Matt Brown, and Frank Marzetta, author.

Q: Why is it important to support local businesses?

Matt:

I think it’s important to support local businesses because they are the people that are going to be the most invested in improving and protecting a neighborhood. If we see trash out on the sidewalk we’ll be the ones to pick it up because this is our sidewalk and we want to help the community.  I think one of the greatest values of supporting local businesses is what can happen when they come together. Whether it’s to support a local school or starting a fund to help somebody in the neighborhood, people really can rally to do astounding things.  Just recently we had a family here in St Johns whose home caught fire and tons of businesses chipped into a fund to help them get back on their feet.Local business it’s just that, it’s all about the people who live there.

Jon:

Local business is one of the bedrocks of creating a vibrant community in my opinion, especially if you consider it in the context of St. Johns.  Some of the things that people value most is walkability and things to do close to their neighborhood. We have restaurants, concert halls, gorgeous parks, a farmer’s market, annual bizarre, and public pools.  It’s all kind of built upon the backs of local businesses that are there day in and day out.  They’re generally the ones that are supporting those events, either with money or resources or donations and everyone in the community benefits from it.  I think the wonderful power that everyone in a small community has is to being aware of the option they have to change their purchasing habits and know they can buy at local businesses rather than chain restaurants or online.   Everyone needs to make their own decisions, but we highly value the folks that make a conscious effort to support the businesses that are right in their neighborhoods because it really does stay in the neighborhood in a way that it doesn’t if you’re if you’re buying from a big box store.  There’s a lot that goes into running a small business that most people don’t ever see, but it’s rewarding and it’s rewarding mostly for those people that come in the door every single day.  You appreciate what they’re doing and you get to make a connection with them and that leads to a healthy, connected community.

Great menu featuring Coava coffee
Great menu featuring Coava coffee

Q: All three of us have lived in Portland for a very long time.  Why did you choose St. John’s and what do you like about our neighborhood.

Matt:

I love St. John’s because it feels like a small midwestern town. People know each other’s names.  They smile at one another and make eye contact.  They’re not just running off to the next thing to do.  Folks are friendly here and I like that familiarity.

Jon:

St. Johns has always been a unique place in the city and kind of unique place in my heart. There’s been this incredibly creative and strong willed unique culture that’s been birthed here. It’s just a lot of fun to be around.  Many of the folks that live in this area are quirky, passionate, fun and totally weird in the best kind of way.  We’re also close to some of the things that I love, like going to Forest Park or getting out to Sauvie Island.  Honestly, it’s a beautiful escape from the city life rat race. In St. John’s it kind of feels like a little oasis. The rest of the city has no idea how special it is up here.

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St. Johns businesses

Stumptown Chiropractic has your back!

Dr. Melissa Bartoszewski in front of her Stumptown chiropractic office.

Wellness is a big part of our community.  When we feel better, we live better.   A great source to serve the wellness our community is Stumptown Chiropractic.

I was able to sit down recently with Dr. Melissa Bartoszewski, affectionately known as Dr. B, for a chat about her business.  Here’s an excerpt of our conversation.

Q: Tell me a little bit about your business.

A: I opened this practice in 2013 and love being in the St. Johns neighborhood.  I moved here from Texas where I previously had a practice.  I also practiced in North Carolina for a year before that. I have a general wellness practice, and specialize in NeuroKinetic Therapy.  I also work with athletes at some local gyms in the area.  I’m really here for St. Johns residents so they can walk into to my office and get the care that they need here in the neighborhood, without having to travel.   

Q: Why did you become a chiropractor?

A: I knew since 2nd grade that I wanted to be a doctor but, just wasn’t sure what type of doctor.   I was always fascinated with science and anatomy. In undergraduate school I was exploring different avenues like dental school, med school and PA school.  I really liked the idea of chiropractic helping people without the use of drugs or surgery.  I never liked taking medications growing up and decided to learn more about it.  I talked to some current student that were in chiropractic school and decided that it was the right place for me.   

Q: What kind of help do you give people with their backs?   

A: The main thing with chiropractic is that your back gets adjusted.  When you hear a pop sound, it is gas being released from the joints.  It’s not cracking bones like some people think.  That adjustment helps put motion back into the spine.   Old injuries, poor posture, desk jobs and repetitive motions can cause your spine to stop moving properly and get out of alignment. The adjustment puts that motion back into the spine.  The nerves, muscles and joints all work together, so if the joints are not moving properly they can irritate the nerves in the area and cause muscle spasms.  The goal is to put motion back into those joints and get people moving well again.  Chiropractic also helps with disc injuries (bulges, herniations), numbness/tingling, headaches, knee/elbow/ankle pain.  Chiropractors don’t just work on backs.

Stumptown Chiropractic treatment room
Stumptown Chiropractic treatment room

Q: What is NeuroKinetic Therapy?  

A: The brain will create dysfunctional movement patterns from old injuries.  Maybe it’s something you might have done as a kid or from past surgeries and scars.  NeuroKinetic Therapy helps find what muscles or movements aren’t working properly.  It finds the muscle or movement pattern that’s over working in your body.  You might think your back is always hurt, but maybe the problem is from something in your hip or due to sitting all day, and certain muscles getting turned “off”, so to speak.  Sometimes your glutes aren’t working so something else will pick up the slack and eventually you’ll have pain somewhere else.  The NeuroKinetic therapy technique helps to “reset” these patterns and actually correct them instead of just working on the area that hurts.  It helps to correct the dysfunction, allows your body to move properly and not have these issues come up time and time again.   

Q: What made you open your own business?

A: I worked for a practice, as an associate, right out of school and just saw many, many patients daily.  I got burnt out quickly.  I like the freedom of being able to practice how I want, set my own hours and do my own thing.  I moved to Texas for a few years and opened my own practice and then decided to come to Portland.  It’s the best of all the places I’ve lived in and to practice in.  Portland feels the most at home for me.  I feel welcome and comfortable here.  Oregon is a great state for chiropractors to practice in and the people here are familiar with chiropractic care.  They’ve usually been exposed to it at some point in their life, so they’re not skeptical of it.  I like being my own boss, which does have some challenges.  I don’t have any employees, and like that I can offer one-on-one care from scheduling to check out.  

Q: What makes your practice unique?  

A: I don’t have any staff at my office so I do all the billing, the treatment, the scheduling and I think you get a really nice one-on-one interaction experience being at my office.  I’m the one that greets you, treats you and checks up on you!  I don’t think you get that at a lot of chiropractic offices or clinics that have multiple providers and multiple staff members.  I like to have that intimate one-on-one experience. My sessions are usually 30 to 60 minutes, so it’s a great educational experience for patients. My patients can ask me as many questions as they want and not feel like they’re rushed or not getting the full experience that they were looking for.  I really get to know my patients and understand their health goals.

Q: What is the most gratifying part of your job?

A: Being able to have patients walk in with pain, crouched over or with a severe headache and then walking out feeling like a totally different person!  They were struggling when they walked in and afterwards can easily get up off the table without prescribing any drugs and they didn’t have surgery.  An adjustment to their spine can provide so much relief.  Some people have had pain for years; they’ve tried different medications, gone to numerous doctors and had no relief.   When they get adjusted and have instant relief, it’s just amazing to know I did that with my hands.  

Q: What advice would you give to someone wanting to open their own business?

A: It would be to ask everyone and anyone for advice and suggestions.  Everyone has their own personal experience and you can only learn from that.  Don’t afraid to go out on your own.  A lot of people are afraid to start their own thing because of money and some are concerned with lack of business experience.  You just have to remember you have the training to do it and that’s what you went to school for.  Have a business plan and marketing plan prepared.  Don’t be afraid to take the risk.  Know that you can be successful and it’s just up to you how much blood, sweat and tears you want to put into the production. It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it in the end.  It will take persistence and a lot of dedication, but it can be done.

Q: Why is it important to support local businesses?

A: Supporting local businesses helps the community on many levels; everybody benefits from it.   Small businesses are people that are just trying to make a living by doing what they’re passionate about.  Another reason to support local businesses is to get a better experience.  You get that one-on-one experience with people; they recognize you and know you by name; you see them at different establishments, sometimes at their own businesses and bump into them on the weekends around the neighborhood.  You don’t get that experience at big box stores.  You feel like you’re a part of a close-knit family.  When you support local, most of that revenue stays in the actual neighborhood.  People support my business, and in turn, I am supporting the local coffee shops, restaurants, massage therapists, artists, etc.  We can all help one another.   

Q: What do you like most about living and working in St Johns?

A: I love being able to walk to work and home for lunch.  I like to run into patients I know around the neighborhood.  I’m a board member for the St. Johns Neighborhood Association and enjoy seeing my patients at the meetings.  I can see that they are passionate about improving and preserving the feel of St. Johns, just like I am.  I’m happy that they see that I’m involved in St. Johns.  Volunteering is an important aspect of my life and I took over organizing the annual leaf cleanup.  It’s awesome to help out the community with fellow neighbors! There are so many things I love about just being in this neighborhood.  Everyone’s so friendly and it just feels like a big family.  Also, being able to take my dog to work with me is a huge bonus.

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St. Johns businesses

Night on the Town Returns for 7th Year

Night on the Town, St Johns, Portland Oregon

Night on the Town, St Johns, Portland OregonThe popularity of Night on the Town, a home-grown St. Johns event, continues to grow. This year the event includes an additional day, 75 local participating businesses, and hundreds of dollars in prizes and gift certificates.

Join in the fun both Friday and Saturday, November 18th and 19th. Friday businesses are open until 8:00 pm and Saturday the event runs all day!

Stop by any participating business with balloons on their door and pick up a St. Johns Night on the Town + 1 passport. Ask for the passport to be stamped at each business you enter — it will list additional participating St. Johns businesses.

If you travel outside of the three-block radius of the downtown square — across Ivanhoe or down Lombard to Ida — each participating business will stamp your passport twice!

Once you have all eight squares stamped, turn it into the shopkeeper and ask for a new passport. Each completed passport will give you a chance to win a basket of local merchandise and gift certificates with a value of $200. There will be eight or more baskets this year.

Gift baskets in the Man's Shop.
Some of the many gift baskets donated by local businesses.

While you are shopping, remember that for every $100 you spend at independent local businesses $70 stays in our local economy. Compare that to shopping online where less than $1 stays in the local economy, and that is assuming the delivery driver is local.

Look around while visiting the businesses. You might just get some fabulous holiday gifts, yummy food, and good cheer. Get out enjoy and discover all that St. Johns has to offer!!

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St. Johns businesses

Help Make St. Johns Shine this Holiday Season

Help make St. Johns shine this holiday season.
Go to About the Boosters/Support Us to donate today!

St Johns holiday lights poster. Help make St. Johns shine this holiday season.

Each year the St Johns holiday lights on our street trees brighten, beautify and improve safety along our main street. This is an important tradition because it dresses up our downtown, making it a nice place for people to hangout in the evening hours. It helps our many small and family-owned business stay afloat by keeping customers coming in during the winter months. By lighting our street trees we make the area more welcoming to shoppers.

Costs of Holiday Lights

It costs $250 per tree to install lights. We are permitted by the City of Portland to keep these lights going all year to keep our downtown safe and bright. We currently have 38 trees lit and have designated an additional 75 trees to light in the coming years. Trees also need to be maintained annually, replacing strands that may have burned out and adjusting the horticultural tape that is used to secure the lights to the trees.

We need the funds by November 25th in order to maintain the trees that are currently lit and, hopefully, expand to include more street trees.

Ways to Donate

Donate in the cans set out at local businesses. They are picked up weekly. Or donate online using one of two options:

[button link=”https://stjohnsboosters.org/about-the-boosters/support-us/”]PayPal button on our website[/button] [button link=”https://www.gofundme.com/makestjohnsshine”]GoFundMe[/button]

Our entire neighborhood will appreciate your support. Come visit us in St. Johns and enjoy a delightful holiday shopping experience, restaurants and our holiday lights!

 

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Events St. Johns businesses

Return the Serve Play-Day Scheduled for July 15th

Girl returning a serve at the St. Johns Racquet Center.
Learning to play tennis is part of the "education" at Portland Tennis & Education.

Portland Tennis & Education is hosting a free play-day for children and youth ages 5 – 18 on Friday, July 15th from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm.

Return the Serve is sponsored by J.P. Morgan Chase and Co. and will include A.C.E. (academic creative engagement) games, tennis games, fun fitness, “Let’s Move It” Dance, a nutritious lunch, and lots of prizes! Location is the St. Johns Racquet Center at 7519 N Burlington Ave. and home to PT&E.

Return the Serve spots are limited

[button link=”https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1muKKtVawiXhn8KO-FVFROZHO18b_HpOPaGTd1q9lZL0/viewform?c=0&w=1″]Register Today[/button]

Or call 503-823-3629 to reserve a spot for your child or youth. Or email Stephanie Haas at program@PTandE.org.

Children with hula hoops at the Racquet Center.
Hula hoops are part of the fun and exercise at Portland Tennis & Education.

PT&E has a twenty-year record of success delivering services that significantly impact the lives of underserved children and their families. It is a non-profit organization that exists to strengthen and inspire families to reach their potential through the delivery of its year-around tuition-free program specifically designed for underserved children (K-12).

Child running on tennis court.
Students from James John School are part of Portland Tennis & Education at the Racquet Center.

The United States Tennis Association Foundation’s National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) network ranked PT&E as a “Best in Class” program for the quality and impact of our low-cost tennis, education, and life-skills programming. PT&E is recognized as one of the top NJTL Chapters of the over 500 chapters in the country. Participants regularly receive scholarships and class honors for good behavior and academic progress.

The USTA Foundation, the national charitable organization of the United States Tennis Association (USTA), and their longtime partner and US Open sponsor, JP Morgan Chase and Co. will be awarding PT&E with $10,000 to support the organization’s efforts to continue excellence in their year-around tennis and education programming.

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Favorite Businesses St. Johns businesses St. Johns Favorites

Salty Teacup, a St. Johns Favorite

Entrance to Salty Teacup and painted sign

“Better together,” could be the unofficial slogan for Salty Teacup. What started as two stores on separate side streets has evolved, with the combined strengths of owners Emily Stanfield and Karen Urban, into a St. Johns’ favorite.

On May 14th at the St. Johns Bizarre, the Boosters conducted a survey to find what the public believes are the favorite shops, restaurants and service professionals in our business district. Salty Teacup came away with the most votes and the win in the Shop category.

Salty Teacup’s official slogan, “Provisions for the modern life.”, is a curated mix of clothing, jewelry, gifts, cards, and art.

Karen and Emily, in their own words

Salty Teacup entrance sign, clothing, jewelry and giftsOur shop is designed to create a fun laid back, treasure-filled experience, like falling down the rabbit hole in Alice’s Wonderland. We are a bit of an escape from the everyday where modern meets eclectic and things are continually changing.

Our success is due to the loyal support of our amazing customers. We continually work to evolve our space and our product mix to meet our customer’s needs, and be responsive to changing trends and what customers are not finding at other boutiques.

This includes clothing in size ranges that are typically not well served by boutiques as well as jewelry, accessories and other objects created in house.

We love to include local artists and designers, even some that live in St Johns. Michael Barley, Francesca Bernini of Unusual Cards, The Portland Tarot, Wynn Gunter, Singing Blackbird, and Rebecca Russelle all live and create in St. Johns.

Other local Portland and Oregon based designers include:Salty Teacup welcome and interior

  • Forge + Fire
  • MapleXO
  • New Refined Basics
  • Hubris Apparel
  • Vivid Element
  • Bridge Nine Candle Co.
  • Verbena Botanicals
  • Trixie & Milo
  • Badge Bomb
  • House of Six Cats
  • Eartha Forest
  • Whimsey Chicks

Canvas mounted prints by Deanna Cantrell, also the official photographer for the St. Johns Boosters, grace the shop walls.

Still, product is not enough. No shop can be a “favorite” without excellent customer service. Meet, Tracy Weber, Sales Associate Extraordinaire.

Tracy’s kind and bubbly attitude is part of Salty Teacup’s success. She knows how to direct a customer to that perfect piece to complete an outfit or the “just right” gift for a friend. With so many products in this delightful shop, having a sales associate who knows where everything is and how to make a customer feel special is important.

We would be no where near as successful without Tracy. We definitely miss her when she is off.

Emily Stanfield
Salty Teacup owner

The best idea

Salty Teacup closeup of sweater and hatWhen asked what generated the idea of joining forces into one shop, Karen and Emily mentioned that being located on side streets made it harder for customers to find them. The opportunity to team up in one bigger space was too good to pass up.

Salty Teacup, at 8416 North Lombard, is easy to find.

One more reason Emily and Karen are better together:

We each have different strengths that together form a strong team dynamic. That, along with our amazing staff, keeps us relevant in an ever changing retail economy.

Karen Urban
Salty Teacup owner

Stop by Salty Teacup and see all it has to offer. This shop, along with the many other retailers, restaurants, coffee shops, and service professionals in our business district, is part of what makes St. Johns a thriving community.

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National Small Business Week St. Johns businesses

St. Johns Celebrates Small

Salty Teacup owners at their downtown St. Johns shop

Every year since 1963 the President of the United States has issued a proclamation announcing National Small Business Week to recognize the contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners.

More than half of all Americans work for a small business, and small businesses create two out of three new jobs in the U.S. each year.

National Small Business Week May 1 – 7

We are right in the middle of 2016’s small business week and taking the opportunity to support and promote the many small business that make St. Johns a great place to live, shop, and play! All week we are sharing photos of our business owners on the St. Johns Boosters Instagram account along with some of the many reasons to shop the small businesses in St. Johns.

Reasons to Shop St. Johns

  • Small businesses donate to local causes two-times more than national chains.
  • 70% of every dollar you spend at a small business stays in the local economy.
  • 97% of Oregon’s employers are small businesses.

In the St. Johns business district there are over 200 small businesses that support our economy, employee our residents, and make our neighborhood a better place to live, shop, and play.

St. Johns Celebrates Small

Enjoy these images of some of our many small business owners, then get out there and join us in celebrating National Small Business Week.

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Favorite Businesses St. Johns businesses St. Johns Favorites

Favorite Shops in St. Johns

The Olive & Vine shop with a display of gourmet olive oils and aged vinegars.
The Olive & Vine in St. Johns
The Olive & Vine shop with a display of gourmet olive oils and aged vinegars.
The Olive & Vine in St. Johns

The Oregonian has spoken … well posted, actually, their 10 Favorite Shops in St. Johns. Leading all the rest is The Olive & Vine, our very own gourmet specialty store.

If you haven’t visited, you should. Owner Kim Shaw is delightful and knowledgable.  She sources organic olive oils, aged vinegars, sea salts, herbs, spices and fine teas for the shop as well as for her home kitchen. She is brimming with ideas that will liven your table with deliciousness.

The Olive & Vine is more than a job for us. Food has always meant family, friends and love in our home. The shop is really an extension of our home. It’s a look into our pantry and our lives. We use these products and enjoy sourcing new items and sharing them with our customers.

Kim Shaw, Co-Owner
The Olive & Vine

No wonder The Oregonian picked The Olive & Vine as a favorite! Link to The Olive & Vine hours, location, phone, etc.