14
november
vernonia’s
voice feature story
2007
A “Long” Dream Come True: Café 47
Location, location, location
Had it been any other town but Vernonia, I wouldn’t have
given it another thought,” said Bill. “The opportunity here
for restaurants is huge – there is still room for more. Com-
petition is a good thing -- it makes you better, a stronger
business. And this is a great community to do business in;
it’s a tight community where you feel both the success and
the loss of others.”
The other benefit: “With Vernonia being an easy drive to
Portland, it has become a town where everyone wants to
live – it’s a desirable location. Just like rural communities
of other cities, like Sisters is to Bend, I see that happening
here…there’s no doubt about it,” said Bill.
(Continued)
custom metal work – “he’s quite the perfectionist,” said
Bill.
Even Bill’s parents contributed, coming up from Santa Bar-
bara to spend summers here helping out. Bill said, “Even
when they were back home, they’d call two or three times
a day to see how we were coming along.”
Through yard sale finds in Portland to purchasing materi-
als at The Rebuilding Center, Bill says, “90% of the restau-
rant was built using recycled materials.” Even Vernonians
have contributed to the effort. My favorite is when Bill
mentioned to a local, “I need a Windmill for the front of
the building,” and they shot back “I know where one is!”
Within days, Bill had his windmill.
Bill believes half the dining experi-
ence is where you’re eating, so he
spent considerable time getting that
right.
Getting the inside to match his vision was critical. Café 47
is chocked full of road and travel memorabilia as well as lo-
cal artist Mike Buchan’s drawings,
a bicycle laced in lights, and mu-
sic…what road trip would be the
same without music?
spinach salad, made with bacon, egg and a special sauce
is outstanding. The Apricot-Ginger Ribs require finger-
licking in public. As for the seasonal cobbler…reserve this
when you order dinner to not be disappointed (specials
go quickly). Karla also adds a kick to the menu with her
family recipes too; the Carne Asada plate is another local
favorite.
More to come
Once the hood fan is in-
stalled, we’ll be able to add
a lot more to the menu. We
also plan to expand with an
outside dining area. When
asked about serving alcohol,
Bill said, “Yes, we will soon
be serving beer and wine but
have no plans on offering a
full bar. We want to keep this
a place where families can
dine together.”
Bill Long says it’s all about cre-
ativity, “I love to create, to see the
possibilities in my mind and make
them happen.”
“When people come out from Portland and surrounding
areas to shop and play, they need a restaurant to come to.
We’re choosing to stay open later. We encourage other
businesses to open later in the day and stay open later at
night. Sundays too.”
Inside and Out
“I’m not done yet,” explains Bill, “I
still have to put the radiator on the
wall.”
Approximately two years in development, Bill began by
focusing on the vision for what the restaurant would look
like. He had his artist friend, Mike Buchan, comp up ren-
derings of buildings around town, finally landing on the
building at 854 Bridge Street. “Café ’47 got its name from
the road many Vernonians travel every day,” said Bill, “It’s
a nice drive, gives you time to think.”
Previously a coffee shop and tanning booth, Café 47 was
created through hard work from Bill, family and friends; like
Adam Buchan, who helped Bill with the demolition work --
“I was really excited to find out that the place has 11.5 foot
ceilings!” exclaimed Bill. Enough room for the row boat
that he’s still searching for to hang from the ceiling.
Another friend and neighbor, Rob Williams at Williams
Metal Fab, helped him out with all his stainless, providing
About the food
Grandmother’s recipes for the
most part have been a big influ-
ence on Bill’s cooking; he grew up
with his mom making these dish-
es. “Recipes that were written the
old way – a scant of this – the way
they worded them is actually the
trick to making them taste good,”
explains Bill. One of Grandma’s recipes is the chocolate
cake with vanilla crème sauce – a local favorite.
The Longs are on the road two to three days each week,
gathering fresh ingredients and visiting connections in As-
toria for fresh fish and other haunts for things like their in-
credible bacon.
At Café 47 the prices are fair and the food is fantastic! Bill’s
Currently, Café 47 is a fami-
ly-run business that employs
two local residents; they will
look for additional employees as their business grows.
Looking forward
Right now it’s a lot of hard work getting the business up
and running and organized. “I look forward to expanding
the kitchen and being able to experiment everyday,” says
Bill. “Being able to create new things is everything to me.”
Bill says of wife Karla, “She knows I’m a dreamer, but that’s
what you’ve got…your dreams. Dreams do come true.”
“Bill put his heart and soul in
this place…you will feel it when you
walk in.”
Karla says,
It’s hard to put your finger on the pulse of Café 47, but I
think Bill explained it best when he said, “I enjoy seeing
people eating and having a good time; I often step back
and just take in the moment, watching people – it feels like
a bigger family – and there’s such comfort and satisfaction
in that.”
Bottom-line Bill says, “I just want to sit back and create
yummy stuff.”
Café 47 is open Wednesday through Monday, closed
Tuesdays. They open daily at 11 a.m., and close at 9 p.m.,
except on Friday and Saturday when they’re open until
10 p.m. Coming Soon! Breakfast from 4 a.m. to 10 a.m.
“Over 25 years of experience”
Basic Auto Repair
specializing in brakes & light auto repair
503-429-0280
oil change special
$19.95*
“Got Brakes?”
*most cars & trucks--
up to 5 qts.
*Transmission Service
*Rotor & Drum machine on site
*Full line of Car Ports--
[starting at $895 installed]
Monday through Friday 9am to 3 pm
saturday & sunday by appointment
62481 Nehalem Hwy 47 North (next to the old spar tree)