REVIEW: Back to the Grind with Raleigh Hills’ “The Coffee Shop”
The Coffee Shop’s September chalkboard design.
Under the back-to-school buzz, anxiety about getting “back to the grind” is brewing.
Thankfully, The Coffee Shop, mere minutes away from Jesuit, is here— an aesthetic environment for productivity that serves quality food and drink sourced from local companies while exemplifying the concept of customer service.
Steve Bonfiglio and his wife May Flores opened The Coffee Shop in 2019 after quitting their careers in law to pursue the dream of opening a coffee shop in their home suburb of Raleigh Hills.
“It’s an underserved area in terms of quality food and drink places. I wanted the shop to fill a gap I had noticed throughout living here,” Bonfiglio said.
Extending the mission beyond Raleigh Hills, Bonfiglio prioritizes collaborating with other Portland businesses to source ingredients. Coffee beans come from Thornton Family Coffee Roasters in Beaverton, and pastries, bagels, and bread are provided by Portland bakeries such as Kenny and Zuke’s, Grand Central, and Bee’s.
The variety draws rave reviews from Jesuit students.
“The breakfast tacos are my favorite item,” senior James Booth said. “The ingredients are always fresh, and I enjoy knowing that it’s made on the spot.”
It’s no secret that Portland is a robust coffee market. Bonfiglio cultivates his staff’s customer service skills in order to distinctively set the shop apart.
“What is different about our shop is our attention,” Bonfiglio said. “We’re pretty dialed into the community. That’s the key— when people come here, they know it will be us behind the counter most of the time, or at least a heavy footprint from us. It’s not something corporate out of California or Seattle. The community we’re from, and in turn, serve, is our biggest drive.”
This drive manifests in Bonfiglio and The Coffee Shop staff truly prioritizing attention and intention to customers.
“It’s that level of care that makes people come back. They give us their money in exchange for something they could make at home, so they’re trading their money for a 5 minute window of treatment,” Bonfiglio said.
Decreasing restrictions from the pandemic, as well as a recent expansion, allowed The Coffee Shop to open up more room for customers to work and dine in-house. Bonfiglio is pleased with how the expansion is affecting customer experience.
“All of a sudden, there’s a bunch of new faces— there’s now the tech executive taking calls at the shop, there’s moms meeting for breakfast, and there’s overall new communities forming as a result of expanding room,” Bonfiglio said.
Supporting small businesses leads to excellent products and true service. Seniors with off-campus privileges will find the Coffee Shop as a great resource to utilize during Prep periods and lunch. Beyond that, all students can use the space for project collaboration or decompressing over lattes ($4.50) and avocado toast ($7.00) after a long day of classes.
Connect with the shop further at their site or @thecoffeeshoppdx, and come see it for yourself at 4712 SW Scholls Ferry Rd, Portland, OR 97225.
