Riverside Kiosk Launch
A walk-up espresso kiosk on the Riverside path — coffee, pastries, and a place for the neighborhood to gather by the water.
For nine months the permits sat in a queue. This month they finally cleared — which means the Riverside espresso kiosk is really happening. We're building a small walk-up counter on the river path, the stretch where the morning walkers, the stroller crowd, and the after-work runners all cross. There's nowhere to get a good coffee out there today. We want to change that.
The plan is simple and specific: build the counter, plumb in water and power, dial in a tight menu — espresso, drip, a couple of seasonal pours, and pastries from Emma's kitchen — and get to opening week. We've already lined up the cart fabrication and a used-but-loved two-group machine. This raise covers the counter build-out, the health-department fit-out, the first three months of beans, and the little things that make a place feel like a place: stools, a chalkboard, and string lights over the water.
We're doing this out in the open. Every backer lands in our supporters channel where you'll see the build happen week by week — the good days and the permit-delay days. Founding backers help pick the opening menu, and on opening morning the first hundred pours go to the people who got us there.
This is all-or-nothing: if we don't hit the goal, no one is charged and we go back to the drawing board. If we do, we start building the week the funds clear. Come help us open.
Emma Hayes
Bakery owner turned systems nerd · Portland, OR · LVL 9
Riverside Kiosk LaunchEmma thanks every backer personally — supporters get first word on updates, launch invites, and behind-the-counter progress.
City sign-off on the waterfront vending permit — the hardest gate, and it’s behind us.
Cart framed, plumbed and wired with a local maker team. Counter and canopy going in now.
Espresso machine, grinder and cold-brew rig installed; two neighborhood baristas trained.
A preview weekend for backers and neighbors before we open to the public.
Doors open every morning on the Riverside path — coffee, pastries, and a place to gather.
“We walk the river path every morning and there’s nowhere to stop for a coffee. This is exactly what the neighborhood has been missing.”
Dana R. · Neighbor, two blocks up“Emma’s bakery already runs like clockwork. If anyone can pull off a kiosk that actually stays open, it’s her.”
Marcus T. · Early backer“I backed at the Founding Member tier the day it launched. Watching it come together on the board has been the best part.”
Priya S. · Founding memberThe Riverside Kiosk is built by the team on our Focus Board — the same people planning, building and opening it together. Say hi.
Building a walk-up kiosk on public waterfront comes with real challenges, and we’d rather be upfront about them.
Weather and seasonality: Portland winters are wet, and foot traffic on the river path drops. We’re planning a covered counter, a heater, and a cold-season menu (hot cider, soups) so the kiosk isn’t dependent on sunny days.
Permitting and inspections: the vending permit is cleared, but health and fire inspections still gate the opening date. If an inspection pushes us back, the soft-open timeline moves with it — we’ll tell backers first.
Supply and staffing: we’re sourcing beans and pastries locally, which we love, but small suppliers can hit their own hiccups. We’ve lined up a backup roaster and cross-trained two baristas so a single sick day never closes the window.
Our commitment: if anything slips, backers hear it here and in updates before anywhere else. Nobody is charged until the goal is met.
Your name on the opening-day wall and a spot in the founding backers list — the people who made the very first pour possible.
A prepaid drinks card good for six drinks, plus the launch sticker set — coffee on us your whole first week.
Everything above, plus access to the private supporters channel and a first-run kiosk mug pulled from the very first batch.
A private planning session with the team — help shape the menu, the hours, and opening week — plus every reward above.
Five die-cut Riverside Kiosk stickers, mailed to you.
A guided tasting flight for two during opening week.
