Back in 2022, The Oregonian reported that La Osita , the Mill Park breakfast taco cart from Elizabeth Guerrero, would open a brick-and-mortar in Montavilla’s former Taylor Court Grocery.

That’s a long time ago, even taking into account the usual delays that come with opening a new restaurant. Long enough that some might have assumed the project was dead.

But last week, La Osita’s little cafe quietly opened in this historic grocery store in a residential stretch of Southeast Portland. So what exactly happened?

“Inexperience and lack of funding,” Guerrero said from behind the register at La Osita. “It took more money than we thought. And we were trying to cut out the middle man by not hiring a contractor. Looking back, we should have just hired one.”

With a little help from friends a

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