Christopher David the Latest Shared Space Café Concept in Portland

Portlanders are loving the shared space concept. I think Coava Coffee was the first to do it up big, and do it up right, with its flagship shop located inside Bamboo Revolution, a flooring and wood concept store on Southeast Grand Avenue. Within the cavernous, industrial showroom, Coava is located on the side opposite the Bamboo Revolution customer service area. As is one of the chief motivations behind sharing space, coffee enthusiasts often meander over to the Bamboo Revolution side of things, maybe consider using bamboo in their home. And customers looking for sustainable flooring might decide to have an espresso, which may lead to a new appreciation for Coava Coffee.

I wrote earlier this week about 2005 United States Barista Champion Phuong Tran putting her longtime, successful cafe, Lava Java in Ridgefield, Wash., up for sale. But even after Lava Java has changed hands, Phuong will continue to operate her coffee cart ”called Maglia Rosa ”located inside West End Bikes in downtown Portland. Again, coffee buyers might decide to check out the bikes since they’re already inside, and similarly, bike customers might become coffee converts after an espresso (she serves Stumptown) from Maglia Rosa.

Now I’m crazy about the concept of the Christopher David Experience Design, which is located in Portland, Ore.’s bustling Pearl District. CDExD is a design firm specializing in residential and commercial interior design as well as floral design. Owner Chris Giovarelli knew when he started the business that he wanted CDExD to have some extra ooomph, so he created a cafe within the space, and hired longtime coffee professional Kevin Nichols to run it.

With experience from the London School of Coffee as well as Water Avenue Coffee here in Portland, Kevin has created a space within a space for the cafe. It blends seamlessly into the rest of the design space, where customers can peruse home decor, gifts, and furnishing, while maintaining its own identity. Unlike Maglia Rosa and Coava, the cafe at the CDExD is actually part of the larger business. With a beautiful La Marzocco Linea, a line of Water Avenue Coffee offerings, and a well-trained staff of baristas, the cafe at the CDExD offers patrons the same top-quality experience they expect at Portland’s best cafes, all while a magnetic environment of high design surrounds them.

Next time you’re in Portland, stop by the Christopher David Experience Design, 901 NW Tenth Ave. It’s the newest, coolest addition to Portland’s vibrant shared space cafe offerings.