Function closing NW Portland taproom and opening Idaho destination
Portland’s influential pop-up brewery taproom Function is closing their original location at 919 NW 23rd Ave at the end of the month.
Function owner Casey Armstrong expanded the basement level taproom to the second floor of their 3-floor building in 2024. The business concept which taps a non-local out-of-state brewery or Cidery to take over the bar including branding, draft list, and cans/bottles for take home has proved such a success that they opened a second location in the Alberta Arts neighborhood at 2006 NE Alberta St. With two Portland locations, Function started highlighting 2 different visiting breweries each month with one taking point at each location.
The closure of the original Function location comes as a big surprise to the fan base. There is a broader story to the decision to close it says owner Casey Armstrong.
“I'm sure we'll bum out some people, but it was time,” says Armstrong. “The building owner is moving back to California and selling the building. After many long nights of consideration, it felt like the right time to make the adjustment and focus on a growing NE Alberta location. Landlord changes can be difficult, which also was a key factor in the decision.”
Armstrong’s focus has also shifted towards the Boise, Idaho area where he relocated to with his family in 2024. For nearly 2 years Armstrong has been looking for the right space to open a Function in his new hometown, and has finally found it.
Casey Armstrong at the soon-to-close Function NW taproom
“We are under contract on a piece of land just outside of Boise in Garden City along the water - we plan on building a mini Function Hospitality Campus with bar, restaurant and (2) small airBnBs. Targeted open date is Spring/Summer 2027,” says Armstrong.
It will be a ground-up construction project, designed to Armstrong’s vision instead of fitting Function into an existing space. The pop-up concept will be the same, but instead of breweries from California, North Carolina, or New York, the Garden City location will focus on Oregon breweries either already distributed in Idaho or looking to have a presence there.
The airBnB's that will be on-site are a part of the vision to get breweries even more involved and invested in the pop-ups by giving them a place to actually stay adjacent to their temporary taprooms. It’s also an investment into Garden City as an up-and-coming food, beverage, and arts city in the Boise-area. The goal is to make the shared concept of pop-up, Airbnb, and restaurant a destination location.
In addition to a brand new Garden City location of Function, Armstrong is also launching a mobile bartending / draft trailer in Idaho in April or May.
Function Alberta taproom will stay open in NE Portland
Function NW 23rd relatively recently had added spirits and a cocktail program and regular food options which Function Alberta does not have. With the transition to a single location in NE, Armstrong and his Function team are looking into adding those programs to the remaining taproom. The contraction from two to one location also means that Function will reduce their monthly showcases from one brewery to two in most instances. For example: April was originally set for both Other Half Brewing and Equilibrium, but will now focus on just Other Half at the Alberta location while Equilibrium moves to June. Expect a fresh announcement in the coming weeks about the new schedule of pop-ups coming to Function.
“At this point, we're focused on doing the right thing at NW 23rd until it's closed,” adds Armstrong. “For me, I'll continue to work with our employees from afar on the Portland operation while working on building our footprint here in Idaho.”