Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

PCC sees first retail partnership in new Terra Verde Cafe at Willow Creek Center

Photos and story by Christine Egan

• 
• 
• 

October 28, 2013
Written by Christine Egan

Hillsboro Mayor Jerry Willey, the Chamber of Commerce, PCC Board Member Ken Madden, Rock Creek Campus President Birgitte Ryslinge and other staff members took part in the ribbon cutting Grand Opening  of Terra Verde Cafe located on the ground floor of the college’s Willow Creek Center.  The day-long October 18, event celebrated owner Roger and Susan Worf’s long-time vision for a cafe at the site.  They first contacted the college about opening a retail food establishment at the college’s Beaverton center in December 2009.

“The location actually chose me. After owning a fireplace shop just a few miles away for years, I thought I’d never do retail again.  But the site drew me in. It had good potential for a college cafe. Before moving into the new space, I had a coffee cart inside the building for three years,” said Roger Worf.

Terra Verde opened its physical “cafe doors” to customers last month (September 2013) as it was completing interior finish details. The cafe is open from 7 am to 7 pm Monday through Friday and 8 am to 2 pm on Saturdays, offering breakfast, lunch and dinner. “We use locally grown and sustainable products from local providers. For example, we serve Longbottom coffee from Hillsboro. – in keeping with the sustainable LEED Platinum rating of the Willow Creek building.”

“My idea is to help as many people as I could with as little resources as I had.”  In its new 1650 sf cafe space, Terra Verde does just that by offering pizza, “build your own” sandwiches, soups, coffee drinks, pastries, grab-and-go foods, ice cream, drinks and sundaes. They also do catering for events and meetings looking to serve building users, faculty, staff and students, the Washington County Workforce Training Center, as well as TriMet bus and MAX light rail passengers using the adjacent Park and Ride lot.

Terre Verde Cafe marks the college’s first foray into the world of mixed-use retail into its buildings. The concept of greater integration of college and community goes beyond the courses and partnerships that it has long enjoyed with many area businesses.  Ground floor retail opportunities have been built into the design of the new student commons building and Library currently under construction at the the college’s Southeast Center.

PCC’s 2008 voter-approved $374 million bond program is increasing opportunities for residents to access quality, affordable higher education close to where they live and work. Additional classrooms, updated equipment and technology, and advanced workforce training programs are helping to pave the way for future employment options. For more information, visit www.pcc.edu/about/bond/about.