On June 14, the cafe at Literary Arts will celebrate its first anniversary. A year ago, Literary Arts opened the doors to the Mendoza Cafe with a vision to create a neighborhood hub for books, coffee, and community.
The cafe’s name also carries this vision forward, honoring Josie Mendoza, a former Oregon Arts Commissioner and longtime Literary Arts supporter who made a lasting impact on our mission. The Mendoza Cafe uplifts Josie’s legacy and commitment to arts, culture, and meaningful literary exchange in Portland and across the state.
For more than 40 years, Literary Arts has connected readers and writers through events, classes, and literary programming. The Mendoza Cafe expanded that vision.
A year after its opening, the cafe has become a cozy neighborhood gathering place where chance visits turn into cherished routines, once-curious passersby become familiar faces, and the community knows our baristas by name.
As part of Literary Arts, it serves as a daily front door to the literary life we’ve spent decades building. It’s a place where people can find common ground through stories, ideas, creativity, and meaningful conversations—whether they’re attending an event, browsing the shelves, or looking for a quiet place to spend an afternoon.
For AJ Gravatt, the cafe’s food and beverage manager, the cafe’s one-year anniversary signals a year of growth and a deeper connection to Portland’s vibrant creative and culinary culture.
“Since our doors opened a year ago, the cafe has grown alongside a community that has helped shape it,” said Gravatt. “Our menu is more refined, and we’ve introduced creative specialty drinks and seasonal flavors that have become favorites among our cafe regulars.”
Today, the cafe proudly serves a custom Literary Arts blend from Upper Left Coffee Roasters, pastries from Farina Bakery and an evolving menu, thoughtfully crafted by the cafe’s food and beverage manager, AJ Gravatt.
To celebrate the Mendoza Cafe’s first chapter, Literary Arts is inviting the community to join us from June 14 through July 4 for food and drink specials inspired by the literary spirit of the cafe. Visitors can enjoy special menu offerings, vote for their favorite in-house syrup flavor, and take part in anniversary promotions throughout the celebration.
Whether Literary Arts is part of your daily routine or you have yet to visit, we invite you to be part of our story. Pull up a chair, enjoy a good book and a great cup of coffee, and help us celebrate the first anniversary of the Mendoza Cafe.
Literary Arts’ Mendoza Cafe is open Monday through Friday beginning at 8 a.m. and Saturday and Sunday beginning at 9 a.m.
