The Bandit Café at Clatsop Community College will be serving up a new menu this fall under new management by Wade Padgett and Kendall Padgett-McEuen, the owners and operators of the Green Door Café in downtown Astoria. The pair plan to split their time with Wade primarily managing the Bandit Café and Kendall keeping the Green Door operating downtown. The Green Door Café will continue serving their inclusive menu and incorporate some of those alternative options at the Bandit Café to support student and staff dietary restrictions alongside serving some of the more classic college favorites.
“The menu I’m putting together will take a lot from our sister cafe the Green Door, that is to say healthy, allergen friendly options. We will also be taking into consideration budget options for students with options for add-ons and upgrades,” stated Wade. “I’m very excited about the new space and the potential it holds for us and the college.”
Following the announcement that the previous operators of the Bandit Café would not be continuing their contract, the college immediately started reaching out to interested parties to ensure there would be food options for students once the fall term started. Wade and Kendall have been transitioning into the college café space since mid-September and are excited to offer food to students, employees and the community starting September 24th. They plan to serve breakfast and lunch Monday- Thursday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Bandit Café is located in Columbia Hall on the 2nd floor on the Lexington Ave. campus. While the café primarily caters to the student and employee crowd at CCC, the café is open to the public and a great meeting spot with incredible views of the Columbia River.
The Astoria Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Bandit Café on Wednesday, September 25th at 1:00 p.m. All are invited to attend.
Wade and Kendall have been serving up an accessible menu for those with dietary restrictions at the Green Door Cafe since 2020 and have worked in the service sector for much of their professional careers. Kendall has 20 years in the service industry, winning Best Server at two separate establishments. Wade has worked in the food industry for 18 years, and in that time was head chef at TPaul’s Urban Café as well as the Supper Club, Astoria Coffee House, Carruthers, Lead Chef at the Columbian Café, and Chef and Owner of Green Door Cafe.
In addition to Wade’s impressive resume in the food industry, he also briefly worked as a work-study student at CCC’s café when he was a student at the college. “I’m pretty sure it was 2010 when I was a work study student while taking classes. I was working full time and leading the ROV club at the college that year. It definitely feels like things are coming full circle to be back and running the cafe myself.”
