Tucked within the warehouse district on the west side of Eugene is the ever-unorthodox Caffè Pacori. Its walls decorated with local art, a tight-knit staff, an arcade room and, of course, its delicious coffee are just some of the reasons it stands out among Eugene’s cafes. Beans imported from Central America are roasted in house by both gas and wood roasters and are served in bags decorated with original art as well as by the cup.
Pacori was not always a storefront. Owner Erice Pierce originally started as a floor sweeper in 2004 before purchasing the roaster in 2015. Back when he was an employee, the company mainly specialized in selling coffee to businesses. When COVID-19 shut down their main source of income, opportunity came knocking.
“People started showing up here randomly; they’d knock on the door,” Pierce said. “It’s not a great neighborhood so (if) someone’s knocking on the door, I got a bat behind the counter. I’d answer the door and there would be people like ‘hey, can I buy beans from you?’ and I’d be like ‘you guys came all the way out here to buy beans?’”…