Plaid Pantry

Traveling around the U.S., I’ve seen White Hens, 7-​Elevens, WaWas, and Cumberland Farms. All I can say to those other convenient store hacks is: Girl, please.
If your linoleum floors ain’t scuffed and if the cashier doesn’t smell like mentholated Kools, it’s just not a convenient store.
Enter Plaid Pantry: this place is what a convenient store in Portland should look like… You know: shabby, stocked with cheap alchy, and stuffed with stoner snacks like jerky and Cheetohs. I didn’t know places like these existed, anymore. I smacked down a ten, picked up a pack of Marlboro Reds, and high-​tailed it out of there before I was tempted to load up on Swedish Fish.
The best part, though, is the people. From the flannelled customers to the tattooed biggie working the cash register: all of it smells like Middle America, steeped in its stench of ciggies and Windex.

Friday night my friend and I were in here making a purchase, and some guy came up to my friend, from behind, and grabbed her ass. As if that wasn’t bad enough the cashier working there refused to do anything about it! And when I laid into the guy who grabbed my friend I was told that I was out of line!!! The cashier then proceeded to insult my friend, acting as if she deserved to be groped! How terrible that this was allowed to happen. What statement does that make? It’s ok to grab women at random when you want to? I am disgusted with the guy, but more so the man that worked there who basically made the action ok by not kicking the guy out. Big thumbs down to this place! Ladies I suggest you not enter this place, unless you happen to have a personal body guard with you.

It ain’t pretty. Oh, no.
But the vast drink selection at this particular pantry hooked me into morning stops 1 – 2 mornings a week.
During which I became acquainted with HIM. Morning Plaid Pantry Guy. This guy is awesome. I’m not sure what it is, but he just makes my day. You know how some people just make you smile by their mere existence in the world? Yeah, he’s that guy.
And then the other day the mister and I stopped by this place together, and I casually mentioned my fondness for Morning Guy. To which the mister fairly shouted «I KNOW! That guy kicks ass!»
So there ya go.