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by Andrew Jankowski
Even Thor Drake still confuses See See Motor Coffee Co. and One Moto Cafe.
It’s a fair mistake. Drake started See See in 2009, with a series of art shows and motorcycle gatherings following shortly thereafter under the umbrella of The One Moto Show. This turned out to be a fortuitous move after Drake’s relationship with his investor, Sortis Holdings, soured and Drake separated from See See in 2022.
“It’s just a tough situation,” Drake says. (Sortis Holdings did not respond to WW’s interview request.)
At its height, See See was a growing chain of coffee shops in Portland and Beaverton—with one location in Reno, Nev.—that hosted motorcycle shows, displayed outlaw-inspired original art, and sold motorcycle accessories and gear. One location even had an adjoining dealership. But as Sortis Holdings’ financial troubles grew, as WW has previously reported, See See locations closed down. The St. Johns location also closed and was redesigned as the Wonderwood Cafe before artist Mike Bennett took full ownership in 2023, while the flagship store on Northeast Sandy Boulevard shut down in May for nonpayment of rent.
“I was hesitant to join the whole thing in the first place, but was encouraged by others that it was the right way to go,” Drake says of his partnership with Sortis.
Then Drake saw a chance for his brand to roar back to life baggage-free. He assumed See See’s lease and closed for a month for a deep clean to kick off One Moto Cafe. The walls are a little whiter, and the adjoining merchandise store carries some new brands, but Drake is happy to have One Moto Cafe up and running in the location where he got his start.
The changes aren’t the kind new patrons would notice, or even regulars would easily detect, but there’s a new brightness in the space. Should you visit this week, the cafe’s concrete floors may still have a reflective shine, even after the out-the-door-busy grand opening party One Moto Cafe hosted on July 26. Drake says See See never had a grand opening, so the party commemorated not just One Moto’s grand opening, but the brands’ 15 years mixing the passionate fandoms of coffee lovers and motorcycle enthusiasts.
“I’m not necessarily a coffee guru or whatever, but I love building out the spaces [and] putting the personal touch on them,” Drake says. “How can we invent a job we love and make it something unique and cool?”
Puff Coffee, the new brand by Stumptown founder Duane Sorenson, is One Moto Cafe’s new coffee supplier. As with the deep clean, Puff gives One Moto’s lattes a more nuanced flavor, unlocking the cafe’s seasonal drink menu to reach its full potential. Aside from a new chai and bagel supplier, One Moto Cafe still sells pastries from Jen’s Bakery, as it did before, still roasts weenies for its hot dog happy hour ($6 solo, $8 with chips), and still features a sprawling, full-wall mural of orange and turquoise snakes slithering like the winding, open road. Drake says One Moto Cafe has rebuilt trust with most of See See’s original vendors, who went unpaid during that cafe’s final months.
Drake says One Moto Cafe has entered a new lane that See See didn’t cross into. One Moto Cafe supplies coffee and other refreshments for Live Nation artists at some of the region’s largest concert venues.
“We get to meet all the rock stars and serve them Portland’s finest,” Drake says.
GO: One Moto Cafe, 1642 NE Sandy Blvd., 503-212-1201, onemotopdx.com. 8 am–3 pm daily.