Under Construction! It’s the Nation’s First Nonprofit BrewPub: Oregon Public House

Portland, August 15th. Have a pint, change the world. That’s the slogan of the Oregon Public House at 700 NE Dekum. Slated to open this fall, the pub will use a unique business model by asking customers to select a charity to benefit from the profits of each visit. The goal is to generate $10,000 a month to funnel to local charities.

Founders, who believe there should be synergy between Portland’s love of brews and nonprofits, say their vision is to create, “a family-friendly pub environment where our neighbors from the surrounding area can come to enjoy community around good food and craft beer while supporting great causes.”

Oregon Public House is located under the Village Ballroom in a 100 year old building. Ryan Saari, one of the people behind the idea, started the project a year and a half ago and has helped organize volunteer workers building with donated materials to keep the project debt-free.

Some of the local charities include:

• Oregon Food Bank, a food program for the hungry
• Friends of The Children, a local mentoring program
• Compassion First, a local organization fighting the sex trade
• Habitat for Humanity, the low income housing organization
• Dougy Center, which provides care for children who have lost their parents
• Portland Rescue Mission, a homeless shelter
• Friends of Trees, a local environmental organization

Here’s a video where founder Ryan Saari explains the business model is explained in the video below: (it plays best in the internet explorer browser.)

When the pub is up and running, managers will hire a few full time employees to help operate the business, but sat they will not take a salary themselves.

Interested charities can request an application to be vetted. Charities will be featured on a rotation, which will change every six months, or so. There’s still room for volunteers to help with the build out and remodeling. Organizers are also still raising money. Construction on the Oregon Public House is about 90% complete and the doors could open this fall.

The founder’s next project, building an independent brewery so the pub can supply its own beer.