Photo of Tuyen Phan

A new locally-owned coffee shop is set to join a wave of hotels and restaurants emerging in the Yamhill Historic District. 40 LBS, the brainchild of former computer engineer Tuyen Phan, will occupy 1,200 square feet of retail space in the 2&Taylor building, located at 824 SW 2nd Avenue. 40 LBS will open alongside neighboring restaurant High Noon, and Q, the new restaurant venture from the chef and staff of the Veritable Quandary, scheduled to open in late fall.

Phan previously worked for a nearby educational software company and found the area lacking in coffee options. Often walking several blocks to try local coffee purveyors, he sensed a business opportunity for a willing entrepreneur—himself.

He left his engineering job after 17 years to pursue his passion for coffee. To educate himself, he worked as a barista in several local coffee shops and traveled across the country to attend coffee industry trade shows. “Pursuing my coffee passion is not just about business but it’s what I love doing,” said Phan. “I’ll be standing at the bar pulling shots and making latte art. I want this to be a place where people feel welcomed and have something delicious to sip on.”

Base coffee beans will come from Stumptown Coffee Roasters and signature sweet pastries will be provided daily from Mindy Simmons of Decadent Creations. In 2015, Simmons was crowned Champion of the Food Network show Chopped. 40 LBS will serve everything from ready-to-go drip coffee to luxury pour-over coffee.

40 LBS is the latest addition to the growing retail and hospitality entries in the Yamhill Historic District. The shop joins neighboring restaurants Luc Lac, Mod Pizza, and High Noon, and the under-construction AC Hotel by Marriott located at SW 3rd and Taylor. The 40-seat location is expected to open in July 2016.

2&Taylor is Melvin Mark’s creative office and retail redevelopment of the former Yamhill Marketplace. Jama Software is the property’s anchor tenant occupying more than 53,000 square feet of office space. With the 40 LBS lease finalized, the building has approximately 2,000 square feet of main floor retail and 3,260 square feet of basement space available for lease. Peter Andrews and Nick Ehlen represented the building in the transaction.