Support April and Steven's Unique Tattoo & Coffee Venture

Who Are We?

We are April and Steven, endeavoring to bring Empress Tattoo and Café to Roseburg, Oregon! Wait, tattoos and coffee? Yes!

While it seems like a strange blend of businesses, coffee and tattoos go hand in hand! Enjoy a drink and nibble on a pastry while you're waiting on your appointment, come in for some tea and browse the art portfolio and maybe finally decide to take the plunge and get a tattoo! Both concepts lend themselves to socializing, an artisan ethos, while indulging in meaningful rituals and being present in the moment.

April is a licensed tattoo artist who attended Pacific Northwest College of Art and Point of View Tattoo School. She ran a micro-boutique tattoo shop in Portland, Oregon until COVID19 restrictions and life circumstances caused her to shutter her shop and move back to her hometown to help her elderly mother deal with lockdown and emergency home repairs. After lockdown lifted and the dust settled, she and Steven are staying in town for the long haul and she has decided that she will continue her tattooing career in beautiful downtown Roseburg. While there are a few tattoo shops scattered around town, her vision of a cozy, inviting and aesthetic space that anyone can feel comfortable in (regardless of if you're there for your first tattoo or you've been collecting tattoos for years) is unique in this town.

Steven is a passionate coffee nerd who has over 25 years of experience in the service industry, and he has seen a lack of warm and welcoming coffee shops here in Roseburg. Are you looking for a place to get an espresso and a pastry and do a little writing? Looking for a place to stop in for an iced coffee while you're out shopping? Need a hot cup of tea on a cold autumn morning? We aim to create a space that feels vibrant and welcoming - a space where community gathers and connects. We strive to be inclusive, holding space where you can be comfortable while enjoying art or a good beverage.

What Is The Plan?

The building that we are working to purchase is an 1885 original brick single-story storefront from the earliest commercial street in Roseburg. However, it, along with much of downtown Roseburg suffered damage in the Blast in 1959 and the frontage was modernized when it was repaired. While the façade has changed over the years, the original character of the building shows through inside, with exposed original brick, plaster and timber beams. The interior was also recently remodeled in such a way that it's already set up for a café, and a tattooing space. There is also a private back patio and garden area that we will be utilizing for outdoor seating and community events.

It sits at the north end of Jackson Street, in the core of the Downtown Historic District and would further anchor an already vibrant and growing downtown business population. The revitalization of downtown Roseburg is staggering. Having grown up here and living through the economic downturn of the timber industry, both Steven and April were amazed to see how active and alive the commercial district is now, full of passionate and friendly people who are all trying to build a dream of a bustling and walkable shop-lined downtown core.

April wants to see her dream of Empress Tattoo reborn, while adding the café in this iteration. She still has all of her equipment ready to go as soon as she has space. Her first shop was successful, but very small, and this new space would be larger, more accessible and better suited for her particular style of tattooing. Anyone who has been tattooed in a traditional shop knows they can be quite overwhelming to the senses, for both the client and the artist! No one wants to be tattooed in a "fishbowl", and the design incorporates privacy screens and sound insulation for a one-on-one experience. While it seems counterintuitive to add a café to the sensory mix, the café section will be physically separated from the tattooing area to abide all health code and state law regulations. They are just conveniently located in the same building!

What Do We Need?

We have already secured funding for the bulk of the building purchase, however we have come up $20k short on the necessary cash down payment. This is the final hurdle before we see our dream materialize in reality. Everyone we have talked to locally is extremely excited about this endeavor and asks us when we'll be open!

This is where you come in!

For those who know us personally, we are hoping that all of you who have believed in us over the years, those of you who know we can do great things when we are given the chance will help us achieve this dream so we can share this with all of you.

If you don't know us personally, we hope our passion and excitement for bringing this project to life and add to the collective revitalization efforts of a small town inspires you to help us in any way you can.

Every little bit helps!

Please share this with anyone you know who would like to help us make this dream a reality. We sincerely thank each and every one of you for taking the time to read our story.