A family affair: New owners take over Woodburn’s Café La Onda

Published 11:36 am Wednesday, May 28, 2025

By Sophia Cossette

Café La Onda, a beloved coffee staple in Woodburn’s Metropolis Marketplace, is now under new ownership.

Longtime café patrons may recognize the same warm atmosphere and familiar menu, but the Yoshihara family is quietly adding their own energy to the mix.

“Before purchasing the café, I used this place as my office every day for a year-plus and met all kinds of great people in this community here,” said Andrew Yoshihara. “I ended up meeting the two co-owners, and we just became friends. So, when I had the opportunity to purchase the cafe, I was like, this is awesome.”

Andrew and his wife, Desiree, along with their daughter Mia officially took over the café last month from Carisa Gottuso and Luis Lamas, who had built the business into a vital hub for Woodburn’s Hispanic community.

Before they were café owners, the Yoshiharas were already versed in working side by side. For over a decade, the family has worked together on Bustin Barriers, a Portland nonprofit Andrew Yoshihara founded to create inclusive sports opportunities for children with disabilities. Andrew Yoshihara, a longtime basketball coach, saw a gap in accessibility and built the organization to help normalize play and physical activity for all youth.

“I would say working together has made us good at communicating,” said Desiree Yoshihara. “At times if we are working through a challenge or frustrations, we say the things, work it out and move on. At the end of the day, we are all very goal focused and care about the kids and the program, so we try to remember our goals and not take it personal.”

Their teamwork is now extending to Café La Onda. Mia Yoshihara, their oldest daughter, runs the creative side of the shop and works as the barista, playing a central role in the café’s evolving vibe. She greets customers with a smile, hand-paints the new menu and brings a personal touch to each drink she serves.

“Luis and Carisa built a really good brand and a really good business. And so I just feel lucky that I can step in and continue to grow that business and keep it community-based and not change a lot of stuff,” said Andrew Yoshihara.

While honoring the roots of Café La Onda, the Yoshiharas are introducing subtle additions. They plan to expand the matcha offerings — an influence from Andrew Yoshihara’s Japanese family — and explore new breakfast items, such as additional sandwiches and French toast. A food cart and wholesale coffee may also be on the horizon.

These updates reflect a bigger vision: to build on the foundation of what already works, while deepening the café’s role in the community.

“Moving here, I wanted to be really conscious of the community — I kind of came in guns blazing, ready to meet people,” said Andrew Yoshihara. “There’s a lot of nuance, and you’ve got to respect those who came before you and are putting in the work.”

Café La Onda still remains a destination for coffee lovers seeking flavors from home. Beans are sourced from regions across Mexico, including Chiapas, Guerrero, Oaxaca and Veracruz. The café de olla, spiced Mexican coffee served and prepared in a small clay pot, is a crowd favorite. Other popular offerings include the horchata latte, Mexican mocha, chai and housemade lemonades.

“ This place is important because Carissa and Luis built it on the foundation of keeping it very much a community space,” said Andrew Yoshihara. “And I think this should always be a space where people can come and talk about what they want to talk about and be able to have a place to meet and discuss things happening here in the community.”

Café La Onda is open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and closed Sunday.

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