Outdoor dining area with colorful chairs and wooden tables under a canopy, featuring a bar with blue tiling and pendant lights, surrounded by trees and a street view.

Hinterland

  • The owner of Hinterland, a new bar and food cart pod in Southeast Portland, approached Owen Gabbert, LLC to transform a 100-year-old house into a vibrant commercial gathering space. Located on SE 50th between Hawthorne and Division, the 1908 building was in rough shape after living many lives—first as a single-family home, and later as an acupuncture clinic.

    Preserving as much of the former structure as possible for both budgetary and environmental reasons, the Owen Gabbert, LLC team transformed the building and outdoor space into a welcoming and casual neighborhood dining spot. The team strived to reestablish the building as something totally different while capturing as much value from existing conditions as possible. An adaptive reuse project, the footprint mostly stayed the same while the existing building was entirely reconfigured.

    The client, an avid traveler and neighborhood resident, wanted Hinterland to activate the site and serve as a hub for the best food carts in town. To draw those carts, individually metered electrical, gas, and water connections were provided along with a shared underground grease trap, trash enclosure, and dishpit inside the building.

    Working alongside Design Department Architecture + Interiors, the Owen Gabbert, LLC team vaulted the ceiling to open up the space, added custom wainscoting, and installed a bar and tables made from reclaimed lumber salvaged from another of the owner’s properties. They also created a large ordering window—inspired by social distancing measures put into place during construction—which now serves as the center point of the whole complex. Timber frame front and back porches, also made from salvaged lumber, offer ample covered outdoor seating and a comfortable destination to enjoy a wide selection of food and handcrafted drinks.

    Owen Gabbert, LLC served as general contractor on the project, and also provided its expertise as a development consultant by creating preliminary feasibility studies, identifying financing options, and managing consultants. The project was highly collaborative with the client, contractor, and architect working closely together to achieve the best result possible within the constraints of budget and site.

    Since it opened in January 2022, Hinterlands has been considered one of the top 5 food cart pods in the city and was named the #1 food cart pod that year by Oregon Live. Situated near Mount Tabor, the location is easily accessible by foot, bike, and bus.

Outdoor patio seating area with wooden tables and colorful chairs, adjacent to a bar with a service window under a partially covered pergola.
Outdoor seating at a small bar with wooden deck, blue stools, and string lights, located next to a parking area and surrounded by greenery.
Outdoor patio dining area with wooden beams, colorful chairs, string lights, and tables under a covered roof.
Outdoor food court with food trucks, string lights, and a decorative elephant sculpture on a roof corner.
Outdoor patio dining area with wooden tables and blue chairs, wooden beams and ceiling, overhead lights, and a fan.
Outdoor dining area with wooden tables and chairs, blue chairs, metal ceiling fans, pendant lights, a wooden overhang, and surrounding walls.
Outdoor patio of a restaurant with wooden tables and colorful chairs.
Modern dining room with blue and orange chairs, wooden tables, pendant lights, and a plant on a shelf, featuring a skylight and a flat-screen TV.
Interior of a modern cafe with teal walls, wooden tables, blue chairs, and a skylight. A potted plant sits on a ledge, and a hallway leads to another room. An industrial-style hanging light fixture and a small service area with glasses are visible.