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Employees at Water Avenue Coffee, the Southeast Portland roaster and retailer, learned Aug. 16 that the company would have new ownership.
Late last week, employees at Water Avenue’s retail outlets downtown and on the Central Eastside and at its roasting operation got a message from Sortis Holdings, the company that until last week owned Water Avenue Coffee.
“As of tonight, August 16, 2024, at 12:01 am, ownership of Water Avenue has transitioned to Harder Day,” said the message from Dustin Guzman, chief human resources officer for SoHi Brands.
For Water Avenue, founded in 2009, the transaction means an opportunity to move on from Sortis Holdings, whose struggles WW and other news media have chronicled, and join a company that’s growing. The principals of Harder Day, Brody Day and Dustin Harder, founded Steeplejack Brewing in 2020 and launched their coffee company earlier this year.
Sortis acquired a number of coffee operations in recent years, including See See Motor Coffee and Water Avenue Coffee. As WW has reported, See See is independent again, operating as One Moto Cafe. Sortis Holdings has faced lawsuits and financial challenges in recent months, public records show.
Related: What the Struggles of Sortis Holdings Mean for the Popular Brands it Bought
Brody Day, one of the owners of Harder Day, confirmed the purchase of Water Avenue Coffee, LLC. Harder Day will absorb Water Avenue’s 22 employees, Day says, and continue to use the Water Avenue name.
“We are excited to embark on a new chapter for Water Avenue,” he says.
Sortis Holdings did not immediately respond to a request for comment.