Customers sit at a counter in GeekEasy Anime Cafe overlooking NW Third Avenue, Portland, Ore., Feb. 6, 2025. Co-founders A.T. Nguyen and Tommy Ly say they grew up coming to the area, which they knew as Chinatown, and want to bring business back to the neighborhood.
Anna Lueck for OPB
Two entrepreneurs opening a restaurant in Portland’s Old Town have a vision to help revitalize Chinatown.
The GeekEasy anime cafe is an opportunity for the owners, two second-generation Asian Americans, to share their niche interests to draw in loyal customers: geeks and nerds who could bring some life back to an area of the city that was once a hub for Asian Americans in Portland.
The big windows of GeekEasy’s storefront feature colorful neon characters looking out over the corner of NW Davis and 3rd in Portland’s Old Town neighborhood. Co-founders Tommy Ly and A.T. Nguyen say they have fond memories growing up visiting Chinatown with their families. But Ly acknowledged the area looks a lot different now than it did when they were younger.
“My parents actually used to work at the restaurant right next door,” Ly said. “But it’s just that Old Town got hit so hard by the pandemic. A lot of businesses closed. This particular location, the very first owner here, Red Robe Teahouse, was like a nice community spot back then. I remember coming here when I was in college, I would just grab a Boba tea and work on my homework.”
From left, GeekEasy Anime Cafe co-founders A.T. Nguyen and Tommy Ly behind the counter of the cafe in Old Town Portland, Ore., Feb. 6, 2025. Nguyen, who met Ly through working on digital marketing for his other business, Stumptown Otaku, says both of them had separately been developing the idea of an anime cafe before realizing it was an idea they shared.
Anna Lueck for OPB
They see the cafe as more than just a business.
“Downtown — Chinatown — it actually holds a lot of significance,” Nguyen said. “For not only Tommy and I but the greater Asian-American population in Portland.”
Sarah Shaoul, founder of business consulting firm Bricks Need Mortar, says there’s real opportunity in Old Town.
“There’s all this real estate in the central city — beautiful old storefronts,” Shaoul said.“ And you could argue it either takes guts or naivete to jump into something like that.”
Shaoul explained that Ly’s experience running an anime themed store a few blocks away called Stumptown Otaku could give him an advantage.
“It’s a little bit courageous, but he’s obviously got vision,” Shaoul said. “And he’s doubling down on his initial investment, right? One business alone, it’s challenging. But once you have a whole community of businesses, you have more reasons for people to come down. That’s what a community, a neighborhood, needs.”
Ly and Nguyen have renovated the cafe with a mural designed by Ly and tons of anime memorabilia. Manga, plushies and figurines line the store’s many shelves: from Pokémon’s Pikachu to Dragon Ball Z’s Goku.
“I’m trying to make it more anime themed,” Ly said. “Everything from like a steamed bun in the shape of Totoro ... I’m trying to recreate some of the dishes from Studio Ghibli movies.”
Figurines from Dragon Ball Z and Chainsaw Man decorate the shelves behind the counter at GeekEasy Anime Cafe in Portland., Ore.
Jess Hazel / OPB
The focus on building community has already brought in business to GeekEasy.
Strawberry Pickle lives nearby and came to one of the soft opening dates to try the food. They’re also a customer at Stumptown Otaku and found out about the cafe through the store’s social media.
“I would just love to see Old Town come back to life,” Pickle said. “I’ve seen so many efforts to do it, and then I’ve heard there’s going to be some more efforts to get the buildings rented. But Old Town needs this. It’s so beautiful. I think it’s just such an important place in Portland.”
Even the opening event for the cafe has collaboration and community built into the plan.
“In addition to us opening we’re having a vendors market right outside of our doors here,” Nguyen said. “It’s part of our initiative, our plan: to help bring business back to Chinatown because we want to show there’s opportunity here.”
GeekEasy’s grand opening is set for March 22.
