The Crew
FRANCISCO
OPERATIONS MANAGER
Francisco comes from a history of public service and advocacy. He is a longtime customer of ours. Francisco has a unique and sophisticated sense of style and humor. Some of his passions include thrifting and his collection of vintage clothing, Mid Century Modern furniture, and rare books. He is excited to learn the ropes and train to be our Operations Manager.
CHELSEA
Roastery Manager
Chelsea moved to Portland in 2021, joining us from Baltimore, Maryland. A life long coffee-lover, Chelsea is a natural at roasting and can be found rocking out with Rosie (our roaster) to 60’s psych rock; R&B; emo pop-punk, and everything in between. When she’s not roasting, Chelsea loves to indulge in creative and artistic pursuits, as well as enjoy the vast amount of outdoor activities Portland has to offer.
AUSTIN
Caffe manager, alder street
Austin comes to Spella with a wealth of knowledge and experiences around coffee. He placed second in Peet’s Coffee’s company-wide barista competition (He is exceptionally good at drink execution and milk foam). Austin is authentic and grounding, a Portland native whose other career is as a mental health counselor. He loves hiking, playing video games, and tinkering with a well-loved La Pavoni espresso machine at home.
DS
barista
DS (short for Debbie Sue) is friendly and energetic—she has been a long-time customer of Spella since the cart days! DS has a distinguished career in some of the nation’s most recognized food establishments as well as professionally mastering the use of a manual espresso machine. She started a family with her partner and they established a permaculture farm in Lents with her 6-year-old daughter, 40 fruit trees, two dogs, and dozens of quail. She embarked on a 600-mile odyssey through Italy, Spain, and France on foot where her appreciation for artisan food and drink soared. She is passionate about social justice and addressing food insecurity in her community.
JULIA
barista
Julia was born in Portland and has lived here her whole life. She's worked in the food and beverage industry within the city since she was nineteen and enjoys it immensely. Outside of making coffee, she loves taking photos for her photography business, reading for her book club, knitting, attending college at PSU, bartending at her other job, snuggling with her cat, and indulging in the rich food and beverage culture that Portland has to offer.
CHIARA
mARKETING MANAGER
Chiara first worked for Spella in early 2010 when the espresso cart was still open. She fell in love with the manual espresso machine and the espresso Andrea made her. Originally born in Puerto Rico, she grew up in Tucson and spent some years in the Washington mental health field as a Peer Support Specialist and support group facilitator. Her joys include desert expeditions with her canine companion Leo, prep cooking at a women’s shelter, and collaborating with friends on art projects.
ROSSALINA
rOASTER EXTRAORDINAIRE
Rosie has been with Andrea for 15 years and is an amazing, long-time staff member of the Spella Caffè Roastery. She can handle 5.5 kilos or approximately 12-pound batches of green coffee beans at a time and helps develop the signature flavor found in Spella’s espresso. Rossalina loves dancing with Spella’s human roasters who lovingly manage and maintain her well-being and mental health. She is happy, loved, and cherished in her home in inner SE Portland where she fills the air with warm, roasted coffee aromatics.