In Restaurant Roundup, Em Chan shares some local restaurants' latest updates. Have a question about a restaurant you'd like Chan to look into? You can send her your inquiries at echan@gannett.com .
Cafe Brarlin
Cafe Brarlin in Independence is closed after almost eight months in business.
Owner Alice Kollinzas and her husband, Ben Jackson, opened the cafe in September. The two said in a Facebook post that the building's landlord would not renew their lease due to unaligned expectations.
Jackson said they're especially sad because they had spent months renovating the space. The two said they're grateful for their customers and the regulars they had began building relationships with.
The cafe's baked goods and other items will still be available as the couple plans to sell them at the Independence Farmers Market on Saturdays and the West Salem Farmers Market on Thursdays. They said they are looking for another space to reopen the cafe.
For more info, check out the Facebook and Instagram page, @cafebrarlinindy .
Address: 413 S Main St., Independence
La Familia Cider
La Familia Cider Co. is expanding and opening a taproom in Portland. The new location is the first outside of Salem for the Mexican cider company.
The business is owned by Jose and Shani Gonzalez and their adult children Jazzelle and Jay Jay. The family opened the first taproom space in downtown Salem in 2020.
The new location will be at the former Portland Cider Co. taproom on southeast Hawthorne Boulevard. Jay Jay will be the Portland taproom's manager.
The Gonzalez family had been on the lookout for a second location for about a year. When the opportunity came up, they couldn't turn it down, Jose said.
"When we learned that our friends Jeff and Lynda Parrish were considering not renewing their lease, we began talking with them about how it could work for us to takeover," Jose said.
The two companies have had a relationship prior to La Familia opening. The Parrishes mentored the Gonzalez family in cidermaking, and La Familia is still on tap at Portland Cider Co. locations.
There is no firm opening date yet, but the goal is to open by Cinco De Mayo, or at least sometime in May, according to Allison McGillivray, the cidery's public relations representative.
The ciders are inspired by aguas frescas flavors, like Jamaica (hibiscus) and guayaba (guava).
The Portland taproom's menu is in the works and will use local suppliers like Salem's Don Froylan, Jose said. The location will also be family and pet friendly.
For more updates on the new taproom, check out the website, lafamiliacider.com , Facebook and Instagram page, @lafamiliacider .
Address: 3638 SE Hawthorne Blvd., Portland
5 Star Donuts
5 Star Donuts is now open in downtown Salem in the former Bearscat Bakery on High Street.
The donut shop is owned by sisters Mai Thao, Vang Thao, Song Thao, Yee Thao and Sheng Lor. The five in the shop's name is representative of the five sisters. At the shop, you can find specialty donuts with decorations on them in classic and fun flavors. Also on the menu are mochi donuts, cookies, cupcakes, coffee (no espresso), boba drinks and soda.
The downtown location is the second location for their bakery. The first is in Stayton, in the former Bearscat Bakery space as well. Song said they had always wanted to run a bakery and donut shop and opened the Stayton location last summer.
Each month will feature a donut of the month, correlating with any holidays.
The bubble tea options for now are coconut, strawberry, taro and mango. The options will expand once they are more settled in the space, Song said.
For more info on the donut shop, check out the website, 5star-donuts.com and Facebook page .
Hours: 6 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday to Saturday
Address: 190 High St. SE
Sewell Sweets
Sewell Sweets is expanding from its downtown location and opening a food truck at Beehive Station.
The high end cake shop is owned by Cat Sewell. She said the expansion was something she had been considering for about a year. Her downtown shop celebrated its first anniversary in November.
She said she didn't plan to open a food truck, but she and her husband, Chad, said it's a good stepping stone into the neighborhood in south Salem. The two originally purchased the truck to bring to private events to offer additional baked goods. But they found out there was a spot open at the Beehive Station and pivoted: the cart will be parked at the food pod part-time, taken out whenever needed for events.
"We know there's folks who don't like or want to come into downtown and we're trying to serve everyone," Sewell said. "A food truck is more reasonable for us than a second location right away."
The cart is pastel pink and tiny, Sewell said. The selections will be limited as there is no cold case. Items will include cookies, brownies, muffins and something potentially in cake form. Some of the items will be location-exclusive, she said.
Sewell said they plan to open around mid-May and are excited to be at a place they personally enjoy going to.
For updates on the new location, check out the Facebook and Instagram page, @sewellsweets .
Address: 1510 Fabry Road SE
Em Chan covers food and dining at the Statesman Journal. You can reach her at echan@gannett.com and follow her on X @ catchuptoemily.
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Openings, closings: Cafe Brarlin, La Familia Cider, 5 Star Donuts, Sewell Sweets
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