A small but enthusiastic group of local business owners braved the snow this morning to meet for the first Bayside Business Breakfast Club event at Isa Bistro, hosted by Chef Isa and Suzie St. Pierre. Also in attendance was Sam Dooley of Maine Clay Collaborative, Stacy Begin of Two Fat Cats Bakery, Kendra Haskell of The Knickerbocker Group, and Peter Leavitt of Leavitt & Sons Deli.

Topics included wayfinding signs, neighborhood branding, collaboration with Creative Portland, Portland Downtown, Chamber of Commerce, and other local organizations, pedestrian safety, connection to the downtown district, and more. We talked about modes of communication and online organization, but all agreed that nothing beats getting together in real life and making the personal connections that make Bayside a vibrant and welcoming community. So… we’re doing it again next month! In February we’ll meet at Two Fat Cats Bakery, and look forward to growing together. If you’re a Bayside business owner and would like to join us, reach out to breakfastclub@baysideportland.org and let us know what days/times work best and we’ll keep you in the loop.