Chik & Chuck’s Coffee joins Fork and Spoon on Sandy
Something new is brewing on Sandy Boulevard in the heart of the Historic Parkrose District.
Chik & Chuck’s Coffee, 10634 Sandy Blvd., opened for business this October, in the same building that houses the Filipino restaurant Fork and Spoon Food House. Named for her granddaughter, Chik, and grandson, Chuck, the coffee shop is the brainchild of Fork and Spoon co-owners Erwina Barney and her husband, Michael Barney.
“We have a big space,” Erwina says, as she talks in a booth in the new coffee shop, which is situated in a room adjacent to Fork and Spoon. “We thought about what we could do to get more business here. I thought a coffee shop would be a good shop for this space. I heard it was a good income.”
The new coffee shop is open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and features espressos, lattes and drip coffee, as well as hot chocolate and steamed milk drinks. Patrons can also enjoy pastries, cookies and iced drinks and flavor their beverages with a variety of syrups. Meanwhile, Fork and Spoon serves traditional Filipino cuisine, including various rice and meat dishes, and is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
Erwina says Chik & Chuck’s has already drawn customers from the neighborhood as well as commuters from Vancouver, and she adds that the coming winter may prove beneficial to her business.
“People will be looking to come and sit down in the winter when it rains.”
Her nephew, Logan Willhite, works as a barista in the new shop, and says he likes serving coffee to customers.
“It’s a lot better than working FedEx,” he says with a laugh, adding that such Chik & Chuck’s specialties as the Bonfire Latte, with roasted marshmallows and chocolate, are already a hit with customers.
From Luzon to Portland
A native of the Philippines, Erwina says she grew up with her grandmother in Cavite, Luzon, and credits her and an aunt for teaching her how to cook. In effect, she says, everyone who eats at Fork and Spoon and enjoys treats at Chik & Chuck’s are tasting her home cooking as well as that of her family members.
“It’s like automatic for me to be in the kitchen,” she says. “I love to cook. I love to serve people. It feels good.”
She adds that being a chef – one who has studied at the Oregon Culinary Institute – inspired her American husband to fall in love with her. The two met in 2007 through mutual friends when he was visiting the Philippines, she says, adding: “He’s actually a good cook!”
Other family members who help out with the business include her granddaughter, Chik, 11, who created the bibingka treats – a rice cake with coconut milk and cream cheese — the coffee shop sells.
Erwina started her culinary adventures in Portland by running a food cart in Beaverton from 2012-16. Fork and Spoon opened in 2018. In addition to her family helpers, Erwina credited funding from the organizations Historic Parkrose and Micro Enterprise Services of Oregon for helping establish her business as well as stay afloat during the pandemic and helping she and her husband to open the coffee shop. The Philippine American Chamber of Commerce of Oregon has helped the Barneys with technical support and grants, Erwina says. She also praised Rocky Butte Coffee Roasters for helping train the baristas at the shop, and noted Chik and Chuck’s will be selling Rocky Butte coffee.
She adds that Fork and Spoon/Chik & Chuck’s space is available to rent for private parties with karaoke on Sundays and Mondays, and noted the new coffee shop opened with a blessing from members of her church, Crosswind of Hope. Congregation members participated in a housewarming party in October for the shop, which sports a variety of inspirational pictures and banners with Scriptural messages.
“I believe it’s important to ask for God’s blessing on our business,” she says.
To learn more about Chik & Chucks, visit facebook.com/chikchuck21, or call 971-379-6244.
To learn more about Fork and Spoon, visit forkandspoonpdx.com or call 503-867-7716. The restaurant offers takeout in addition to sit-down dining.
Freelance writer Rob Cullivan wrote this story!
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