A new Portland, Oregon, showroom and training space called Session Room is bringing specialty coffee equipment demonstrations, in-person education and fresh roasts under one roof.

Located in two connected rooms at the front of roasting company Roseline Coffee’s Portland headquarters, Session Room is led by coffee machine maker Ratio, which is using the space to showcase its home drip coffee machines and related products.

Espresso machine brand La Marzocco and Italian grinder-maker Mazzer will also display products at the Session Room, while in the longer adjoining room, Bellissimo Coffee Advisors is returning to in-person business and barista education programming.

Walk-ins will be welcome during open hours, though Session Room is built mainly around free appointments for focused equipment demos and questions.

“It’s difficult to get that in a retail store because people are busy. Maybe you’ll get five minutes of attention, but do you get half an hour?” Ratio Founder and CEO Mark Hellweg told Daily Coffee News. “We all have the same need, which is talking to our customers in a way that’s authentic and real.”

Melbourne-based customization studio Specht Design will also display a customized espresso machine in the showroom and may consult with U.S. customers on future projects.

In the adjoining room, Bellissimo Coffee Advisors Co-Founder Matt Milletto and other instructors will lead individual and small-group barista workshops, along with half-day and full-day sessions on cafe operations and business coaching.

The programming brings Bellissimo back to the hands-on training it moved away from during the COVID-19 pandemic, with updated coursework for today’s beverage trends, startup costs and digital-first cafe operations.

“The demand and need for hands-on physical training, accompanied by a lot of resources online and in-person, is stronger than ever,” Matt Milletto told Daily Coffee News. “It takes a team to offer great education again, in person, that really took a hit in the pandemic.” 

Session Room joins a small but growing number of specialty coffee equipment brands trying to make online-first sales more personal. In Portland, the closest comparison is Clive Coffee, whose showroom offers espresso equipment demos, training and repair support. Fellow has also leaned into retail as education through its Store + Playground in San Francisco, where customers can brew, take classes, talk shop and book one-on-one consultations. Meanwhile, online sellers such as Prima Coffee Equipment have ventured into in-person brick-and-mortar sales. 

Hellweg said if the Session Room model proves successful, Ratio may look to replicate it with other U.S. roaster partners. 

“Roseline has a devoted local audience. We have a national audience,” Hellweg said. “So we can, as a company, re-envision retail, especially in a post-COVID world of very high costs, and bridge the gap between ‘online only’ and ‘in person’ in cooperation with roasters.”

Roseline coffees roasted fresh next door will serve as the default coffees for Session Room demos and training.

“I get to associate our hard work and efforts on the roasted coffee side with its use on amazing home consumer equipment, and for people to get exposure through us by coming into the Session Room and interacting with that home equipment,” Roseline Coffee Co-Owner Keith Schuman told Daily Coffee News. “And I get the benefit of enjoying seeing my friends Mark and Matt succeed.”

The Session Room is located at the Roseline Coffee headquarters at 321 NE Davis St. in Portland, Oregon.

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