Rose City Book Pub

Rose City Book Pub is a bookstore and bar in Portland, Oregon. Owner Elise Schumock started the business in 2018. It was described as the only business of its kind in the city in 2022.^[1]

Rose City Book Pub
The shop's exterior, 2022
Restaurant information
Established	2018 (2018)
Owner(s)	Elise Schumock
Street address	1329 Northeast Fremont Street
City	Portland
County	Multnomah
State	Oregon
Postal/ZIP Code	97212
Country	United States
Coordinates	45.5483°N 122.6521°W / 45.5483; -122.6521
Website	rosecitybookpub.com

Description

Rose City Book Pub is a bookstore, bar, and cafe on Fremont Street in northeast Portland's Sabin neighborhood. The business hosts comedy^[2] and musical acts, open mics,^[3] poetry readings,^[4] trivia, writing workshops, and other activities regularly.^[5][6] Rose City Book Pub has indoor and outdoor seating.^[7] A sign above the bar reads, "You're allowed to exist!"^[8]

The menu includes soups and sandwiches, with gluten-free and vegan options,^[9] as well as spaghetti with meat sauce.^[4] Drink options include beer, cocktails,^[5] wine,^[10] coffee, tea, and sodas.^[6] Rose City Book Pub has served iftar during Ramadan. Offerings included chicken kebsah with tzatziki, hummus, pita, and tabbouleh, as well as a mezza platter as a vegetarian option.^[11]

History

Owner Elise Schumock started the bookstore and bar Rose City Book Pub in 2018,^[12] with 7,000–8,000 used books available for sale. She opened the business in a space that previously housed County Cork.^[13][14] Some funds were raised via Indiegogo.^[15]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Schumock applied for but did not receive Restaurant Revitalization Fund support from the Small Business Administration.^[16][17][18] An auction held in 2024 to help the business financially raised approximately $28,000.^[19][20][21]

Reception

Elise Herron of Willamette Week wrote, "Rose City Book Pub has all the makings of a Portland cliché—craft brews, staged poetry readings, rows of old and obscure books and bargoers chatting in hushed tones about their favorite James Joyce and Virginia Woolf novels. But don't be deterred by appearances. The simple bar manages to fuse two of the city's trademarks—beer and used books—without a drip of pretension."^[22] April Choi included Rose City Book Pub in Eater Portland's 2022 overview of eight eateries in Portland for "book lovers".^[1] The website's Levi Rogers also included the business in a 2023 overview of the "fundamentals" of Fremont Street.^[2]

See also

• Oregon portal

• List of independent bookstores in the United States
• Used bookstore

References

1. Choi, April (2022-03-15). "8 Portland Restaurants, Bars, and Cafes for Book Lovers". Eater Portland. Vox Media. Archived from the original on 2023-09-28. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
2. Rogers, Levi (2023-07-13). "The Fundamentals of Portland's Fremont Street". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2023-09-29. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
3. Landeros, Analisa (2023-04-26). "Portland literary open mic shines spotlight on local writers". Portland State Vanguard. Portland State University. Archived from the original on 2023-06-08. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
4. Uffindell, Carrie (2019-01-22). "Warm Up at These Cozy Portland Restaurants and Bars". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2023-10-23. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
5. "Portland book pub hosts auction to bounce back". KGW. 2024-03-10. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
6. "Portland Bars for the Sober and Sober-Curious". Portland Monthly. ISSN 1546-2765. Archived from the original on 2023-10-17. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
7. Wastradowski, Matt (2023-12-05). Moon Oregon: Coastal Getaways, Craft Beer & Wine, Hiking & Camping. Avalon Publishing. ISBN 978-1-64049-716-0.
8. "Rose City Book Pub, at 1329 NE Fremont St., is part coffee shop, part pub, part book store". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. ISSN 8750-1317. OCLC 985410693. Archived from the original on 2024-03-12. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
9. Swindler, Samantha (2018-11-02). "Portland's Rose City Book Pub, a bookstore and bar, now open". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2022-02-08. Retrieved 2022-09-01.
10. Russell, Michael (2018-09-26). "Everything you need to know about Portland's first 'bookstore bar'". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2021-04-12. Retrieved 2022-09-01.
11. Wong, Janey (2023-03-31). "Double Mountain Brewery Will Take Over the Former Lucky Labrador Space in North Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2023-03-31. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
12. Olson, Karli (2024-03-09). "Community holds auction to keep Rose City Book Pub open in NE Portland". KPTV. Archived from the original on 2024-03-09. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
13. Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2018-09-20). "Portland's First Real Bookstore Bar to Open in Sabin This Month [Updated]". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15. Retrieved 2022-09-01.
14. "Rose City Book Pub turns page on County Cork space in Sabin". Northeast and North Portland Neighborhood News. 2018-10-25. Archived from the original on 2020-08-24. Retrieved 2022-09-01.
15. "A Combination Bar and Bookstore Is Opening on Northeast Fremont This Month". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2022-01-10. Retrieved 2022-09-01.
16. McCurdy, Christen. "Oregon Business - SBA Closes Restaurant Revitalization Fund". Oregon Business. Archived from the original on 2021-11-22. Retrieved 2022-09-01.
17. "Elise Schumock of Rose City Book Pub on the Restaurant Revitalization Fund". KBOO. 2021-06-22. Archived from the original on 2023-07-30. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
18. "Federal relief money pulled away, hurting Portland businesses". KGW. 2021-07-07. Archived from the original on 2022-08-14. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
19. Wong, Janey (2024-03-01). "Vegan Cafe Harlow Is Moving Its Flagship Southeast Location, But Not Far". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2024-03-01. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
20. Swindler, Samantha (2024-03-08). "To save Rose City Book Pub, patrons are offering up whatever they can for an auction". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2024-03-12. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
21. Swindler, Samantha (2024-03-13). "Community auction raises $28,000 for Rose City Book Pub. The top item? A single bean". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2024-03-14. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
22. "Rose City Book Pub is Portland's Cozy New Bar-Bookstore Hybrid". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2022-01-09. Retrieved 2022-09-01.

External links

• Official website