Tuesday, April 17, 2007

New downtown coffee shop

I was walking down South Third Street the other day and noticed signs in a building on the west side of the street - "Coming Soon: Porpoura Coffee House." I'm not sure if this is a relocation of the Porpoura in Columbia Mall or an additional location.

While I'm on the subject of downtown, I also walked around the Elite Brownstones project which is nearing completion. Recently, there has been some discussion over siding used on the back of the building and in small locations on the north and south sides of the building. Personally, even though I am usually very picky over such things, I have no problem with the use of siding on these areas of the building. The back faces the alley and I think the siding looks pretty appropriate for an alley. I should add that I wouldn't want to see any siding on the front of the building, but I have no problem with siding on the building's rear or in small locations on the north and south sides. The complex is looking great...this is going to be a wonderful addition for downtown.

33 comments:

Anonymous said...

As I understand it, the Porpoura Coffee House downtown is in addition to the one in Columbia Mall. I believe a third location is planned as well.

Anonymous said...

I haven't heard anything about a third location but as of now, Porpoura does plan on keeping open the Columbia Mall location as well as the downtown location. The downtown location is set to open May 1st

Anonymous said...

Coffee Guy, you're losing your edge. This post has been up for hours and you haven't slammed them yet.

Coffee Guy said...

I wish them luck.

Anonymous said...

That's a kick ass website they have. I wonder whose child made that in fifteen minutes?

Eric J. Burton said...

Won't that cut into the Urban Stampede. I remember there was another coffee shop New York, New York back in 2002 and it didn't make it. They had good stuff too.

dale said...

I always thought that New York, New York's schtick was bagels. That's what I always bought, anyway.

Decent place, and their soup was pretty good. But I always felt that their prices were a little high for what they were doing. It runs into the discussion over on my blog about whether a big enough market exists for a true deli in Grand Forks. I wish it did, but experience has indicated otherwise.

As for competition with Urban Stampede, probably, but I do think that there's a big enough market downtown for multiple coffee shops.

Anonymous said...

Will the former Red River Cafe see new life? I peeked in the window because it appears they are remodeling, and I saw a stack of t-shirts on a table that said Subway on the tag.

It would be nice to see the space filled, but with something more original than a sub shop. We'll see what, if anything, takes shape there.

Anonymous said...

It will be a Subway...

dale said...

Subways, cell phone shops and, apparently, auto parts stores. Can we never have enough?

(Although I'll give them credit for finally opening an outlet downtown.)

Anonymous said...

I believe Subway has been under lease, paying rent, at the property for years.

I could care less. The odor alone of a Subway sucks my appetite away. I don't what it is. Some trifecta of cleaning chemicals, stay-fresh veggie chemicals, and fake bread.

Yuk!

Anonymous said...

The property is owned by the same people who own the subway franchise, which is why Red River Cafe had to close in the first place -

I'm with you on that NASTY smell that accompanies all Subways. It makes my stomach turn.

Anonymous said...

mine too - but in talking with an employee at the south columbia store, a downtown subway is only a matter of time...a short time, according to her.

Anonymous said...

Ditto on the Subways...hmm: subways, smell...seems a correlation there, somehow. :o)

And how about the pretzel kiosk in the Columbia Mall? Oftentimes, the odor from that is also overpowering.

Of course, if one is hungry...

Coffee Guy said...

Speaking of the smell at the pretzel kiosk, why does it always smell like vomit in that area? Is it something to do with making pretzels, or just a lingering vomit odor?

Anonymous said...

That vomit smell at the pretzel kiosk is Parmesan cheese.

Coffee Guy said...

Butyric acid is a clever little devil!

It's odd that I only smell it on the approach from the Macy's wing, but not when I'm standing near the actual stand.

Anonymous said...

I can't stnad the parmesan cheese smell from the pretzel stand! It smells like stinky dirty nasty feet!

Dale Kulas said...

One of my coworkers recently quit and told me he is going to start up a new Subway he said that is opening downtown in either May in June, so there you go.

Anonymous said...

"One of my coworkers recently quit and told me he is going to start up a new Subway he said that is opening downtown in either May in June, so there you go."

I thought one family owned all the franchise rights to Subway in GF.

Beth Lemer said...

Nope, they sold it to the guy who owned the subways down in fargo, however I'm not aware if he will own the one downtown also....

Anonymous said...

GRAND FORKS RULES!!!!!!!! all we need is another coffee shop that will probably go out of business in a month. What we need is a new jeanies restaurant with the same uniforms they wore before. I strongly believe that whoever owns a coffee shop doesnt deserve to live. ESPECIALLY when theres no jeanies restaurant.

Anonymous said...

DOWN WITH AMERICA

Anonymous said...

Where is Grand Forks.

Anonymous said...

Grand forks looks like a hick town.

Anonymous said...

50,000 people. Thats Measly.

Anonymous said...

does grand forks have electricity or cars? cause ive heard from minnesota you guys dont.

Anonymous said...

the flood of 97...... god wanted you guys to leave. not come back to his sacred land. Minnesotan scientists believe

Anonymous said...

No one really cares about a cofee shop, its not like its going to bring any more foot traffic downtown or anything, am I right? Maybe a starbucks or another nationwide coffee-shop chain, but not that dang Porpoura!

Anonymous said...

I must have forgotten how truly beneficial it is to support corporate America, afterall - they are SO in favor of supporting us!

If you check out Porpoura's shop in the mall, you can see their slogan : "Serving coffee, serving our community". So, until some of you think of a better idea to support the underserved in our community - let is rest. There is a good cause being served and amazing people backing it...

Anonymous said...

What kind of coffee is Porpoura serving? Is it any good? Has anyone tried it?

Anonymous said...

I believe the coffee is organic and roasted somewhere in ND. I also think I saw that it is fair trade and all that good stuff.

I have tried their stuff and I personally think it is better than the other coffee shops in town. Then again I have never been one for Starbucks.

Anonymous said...

I'm curious to know if all of the people on the coffee poll have actually went out and tasted all of the coffee shop coffees listed, to base their votes on? How fair and balanced is the poll?