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From a coffee shop passport challenge to Chicago deep dish landing near campus, plus chain expansions and reopenings and a new downtown candy store, Eugene and Springfield are serving up plenty of dining options.
Coffee Shop Hop
During the month of October, participating coffee shops are offering a Coffee Shop Hop passport. Get a sticker and a discount for purchasing a coffee or tea from each of 13 Eugene and Springfield coffee shops and four rural coffee shops. Earn a Walktober sweatshirt with a filled passport. Plus, each sticker enters you into a raffle for a $25 coffee shop gift card.
Most of the coffee shops are accessible within a few blocks of downtown Eugene. Rural shops on the passport include Stomping Grounds (Lowell), Hot Shots Coffee (Creswell), Nana’s Caffe (Coburg) and Blue Valley Bistro (Coburg and Creswell).
Mountain Mike’s Pizza coming to Eugene
Eugene is getting a Mountain Mike’s Pizza. The chain was established in 1978 in Palo Alto, California, and has grown to 300 locations across the western United States, according to the company’s website. In Oregon, locations include Roseburg, Grants Pass, Klamath Falls, two in Medford and one in Salem. A Eugene building permit application shows the company is pursuing space at 1079 Valley River Way in units A and B. Dickie Jo’s is located in unit C. Currently, Dickie Yo’s frozen yogurt shop is located in unit B, but is in the process of relocating to the event space within Dickie Jo’s. Unit A, formerly occupied by a Subway, is currently vacant.
Sourdough & Co. bringing two locations to the area
The website of Sourdough & Co. indicates two “coming soon” locations, one at 1079 Valley River Way in Eugene and one at 2820 Gateway St. in Springfield. Sourdough & Co. is known for sandwiches, salads and soups. The company currently has locations in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin. In Oregon, the existing location is in Medford.
Anne’s Chicago Pizza coming to Eugene
Anne’s Chicago Pizza announced on its Instagram Sept. 25 that it would be opening a location on the University of Oregon campus. A sign on the door of the location at 682 E. 13th Ave. confirms the opening Oct. 15. The 13th Avenue location was formerly occupied by Ume Grill Gimbap House.
Shout! Candy Company opens in 5th Street Public Market
Tony Atkinson, the owner of Candy Corral in Sisters, has opened Shout! Candy Company upstairs in the Eateries area of 5th Street Public Market. Atkinson told Lookout on opening day, Oct. 10, that representatives from 5th Street Public Market reached out to him in the spring about expanding into a second location in Eugene. He chose the name Shout! to fit Eugene’s vibe and incorporated a college theme with sports team pennants hanging on the walls.
“I’ve owned the store in Sisters for about five years, but about 12 years prior to that, I started falling in love with the whole candy idea,” Atkinson said. “There’s about 6,000 different candies. … I just kind of keep my ears open and find out what people like.”
The store features trendy items such as pickle-flavored cotton candy and Lil’ Nitro gummies for those who like the hottest candies out there (9 million Scoville units!). He also stocks Dubai chocolate bars and angel hair chocolate bars, which rose to fame earlier in the year. The store also includes a large section of bulk candies including gummies and taffy, chocolate bars, and a dedicated Harry Potter merchandise area.
“There’s a little bit of everything for everybody,” Atkinson said.
Eateries at 5th Street Public Market
296 E. Fifth Ave.
The Annex to open on campus
Teased on Instagram as coming sometime in October 2025 is The Annex, on the UO campus at 1236 Kincaid St. An Instagram post by @justincalluh said The Annex will have Monday movie nights, a weekend DJ, three food trucks, a retail store selling Ninkasi beers, and many drinks. Pizzeria DOP is already parking at The Annex Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 8 p.m. EZ Eatz, which is known for crispy pork sandwiches and steam buns, will also park there.
Meraki Coffee Co. to reopen soon
Meraki Coffee Co. is preparing to reopen following an extensive remodel aimed at improving efficiency and expanding capacity.
Owner Alex Marchant, who co-owns the business with her mother, Cindy Rasavage, expects to welcome customers back by the end of next week. Delays in important things such as countertop installations have pushed back the opening date.
“I am hesitant to give a date, but I can almost guarantee our first day open will be next week,” Marchant said. “We hope for Tuesday, but that depends on some things lining up still.”
Customers at the popular coffee shop have experienced long wait times, up to a half hour, said Marchant, because they had only one espresso machine.
“When you’re serving specialty coffee you can only go so fast,” Marchant said.
The renovation should alleviate that crunch while also giving the business space to prepare more food and drinks. Plans include expanding the menu to offer breakfast burritos, soup, breakfast sandwiches and other grab-and-go options. Marchant, who is 33 weeks pregnant, said she didn’t plan on combining pregnancy with the remodel.
The name Meraki is a Greek word that translates to something like soul, creativity or love, and also has a connotation of putting something of yourself into your work, Marchant explained.
“I’m not Greek, but it just really spoke to me, because I don’t know an English equivalent to that,” she said. “And when I do something, I really try to put everything into it.”
Marchant’s husband, Thomas Marchant, and her sister, Monét Bittrolf, also work at the store, making it a family affair.
The remodel has included artistic touches, including a mosaic installation and wallpaper printed from a design made by Bend artist Karen Eland, who paints with coffee.
1203 Willamette St., Suites 110 & 120
541-844-0254
The Kiva celebrates 55th anniversary
The Kiva, a natural grocery store in downtown Eugene, is celebrating its 55th anniversary this month. The Kiva was founded in 1970, initially as a bookstore. That history shows in the shelves of books for sale alongside local organic produce. The original location was a row of shops called Scarborough Fair, which hosted other tenants including The Birkenstock Store, Golden Temple Foods, and Lazar and Rosie Makyadath, who later founded Lazar’s Bazar and Shoeaholic. The Kiva moved to its current location at the corner of West 11th Avenue and Olive Street in 1983.
125 W. 11th Ave.
541-342-8666
Starry Bites now parked at Oakshire
The Starry Bites food truck is reopening and will now be parked at Oakshire Public House. Starry Bites is known for sandwiches and burgers using buns from Red Hen Kitchen and beef from Knee Deep Cattle Co., soups and salads. It also serves open-faced pizzas on Red Hen Kitchen’s focaccia.
Before opening at Oakshire, Starry Bites was parked at The Hybrid. Find Starry Bites in its new location at 207 Madison St. mornings and afternoons from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 to 9:30 p.m. Fridays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 to 8:30 p.m. Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sundays, and Mondays and Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Sweet Cheeks seeks public’s help in selecting a Lane County nonprofit to support
Sweet Cheeks Winery launched its third annual Charitable Cheers campaign and on Oct. 8 asked the public’s help in choosing one of three local nonprofits that will benefit from the program. Voting is open through Oct. 17.
Each year, Charitable Cheers donates 100% of tasting fees in November and December to three Lane County organizations. One is selected by Sweet Cheeks Wine Club members, one by the Sweet Cheeks Winery staff and one by the public.
To date, Sweet Cheeks Winery has donated more than $130,000 to community causes through Charitable Cheers and its partnership with the Motiv8 Foundation, founded by former Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota.
Supporters can help choose the third nonprofit by voting at https://bit.ly/CharitableCheers2025. Guests who visit Sweet Cheeks Winery during November or December and purchase a tasting flight receive a token which can be used to support one of the three organizations. Supporters can also purchase $5 donation tokens.
In 2024 Charitable Cheers benefitted Burrito Brigade, CASA of Lane County and Wiggly Tails Dog Rescue.
