Inside Innovative Ice Cream Wonderland Salt & Straw’s New Lake Oswego Digs

Nationally beloved ice cream brand Salt & Straw continues to expand, rolling down to Disneyland and up to Seattle. But Tyler and Kim Malek’s latest scoop shop will open closer to home in Lake Oswego May 4, as The Oregonian broke last week. The spot, crafted by award-winning designer Andee Hess of Osmose, is a playful take on the company’s general aesthetic, with plenty of hand-crafted touches, just like the ice cream.

Dina Avila/EPDX

Hess is the mastermind behind almost all of the Salt & Straw and Wiz Bang Bar locations. She started working exclusively with the company with the Division Street location, and since then, she’s focused on mimicking Salt & Straw’s artisan touch with local artists and craftspeople. The waffle-cone-inspired stenciling on the walls is hand-done and designed by Pattern People; the hand-painted red and white design on the windows, inspired by the usual nostalgic awnings at the other locations, was created by celebrated local Justin Reide. Locality also factors in to the design; many of the design collaborators are local to the Pacific Northwest, including a custom light fixture at the cash register by Seattle’s urbancase.

Dina Avila/EPDX

Of course, any visit to Salt & Straw almost always involves waiting in line. Hess actively factors wait times into her design aesthetic; she says the look and feel of the space should not distract in a cheap way; rather, it should acclimate guests to the business itself. “It encourages you to come in and talk. It’s not trying to be gimmicky to distract,” she says. “While you’re standing in line, you’re tasting the flavors, you’re looking at some of the partnership stories.”

Dina Avila/EPDX

Dina Avila/EPDX

Dina Avila/EPDX

Salt & Straw Lake Oswego will be located at 100 A Avenue.

• Salt & Straw [Official]
• Osmose [Official]
• All Salt & Straw coverage [EPDX]
• Salt & Straw announces Lake Oswego opening date [The O]
• Salt & Straw is going to Disneyland [PoMo]