Owning and operating a restaurant has been a lifelong dream for Sara and Patrick Strong. After they both completed culinary school on the East Coast, they traveled across the country to pursue their dreams of interning on the West Coast. They landed together at Higgins Restaurant in Portland. After some time they started dating and eventually had twin daughters. Patrick continued to work at Higgins for 25 years and Sara continued on as a barista, restaurant manager and organic food sales representative. As time went on the desire to open a restaurant grew. In 2026 they finally decided to take a leap, sign a lease and create this new cafe together.
In the News
We made the news at Sandy Standard Newspaper.
Penny Bun Cafe strives to bring fresh new option to Mount Hood
By Brit Allen, The Sandy Standard, July 21, 2026
The Rhody Subway location has sat vacant for a while now, but recently there has been noticeable activity going on at the empty restaurant. Many locals have been stopping by to get the scoop and offer help, if possible, to the new tenants.
Those new tenants — Sara and Patrick Strong — plan to open Penny Bun Cafe in the space at 70000 Highway 26, Rhododendron, in August.
The Strong’s have both worked in the food industry for more than 20 years; they actually met while both working at Higgins in Portland in 2001. And when not serving food to others, they have for years enjoyed coming up the mountain to forage mushrooms and recreate.
On their many visits, the couple has felt there’s something missing from the food scene on Mount Hood. While several places on the mountain offer great burgers, pizza, and other popular dishes, the Strong’s see a need for a place where folks can go before or after a day in the wilderness and get something fresh.
“We feel like this community is ready for something new,” Sara said.
Penny Bun Cafe — named for a type of mushroom that can be found locally —- plans to offer a drive-thru for coffee, tea, and breakfast pastries and sandwiches in the morning, and American sandwiches with house-smoked meats in the afternoon. Sara described the soon-to-be featured fare as “classic French-style, produce-heavy cooking, featuring seasonal (ingredients).”
“We’re trying to target people hiking around here,” Sara explained. The couple also plans to eventually offer takeaway meals that visitors can take home, heat, and eat as well.
Though they plan to have a drive-thru, the Penny Bun will also feature an indoor dining space.
The Strong’s plan to have the cafe open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day but Tuesday.
The couple said they’ve already felt very “welcomed” by the community.
“I’m looking forward to being part of this community, and putting smiles on people’s faces with our food,”Patrick said.
“We just want good, accessible food,” Sara added. “Our menu is going to be what we like to cook. We’re classically trained, but want to make accessible food for all types (of palates).”
Our Name – Penny Bun
We have been getting quite a few questions asking why our cafe is called Penny Bun. The history actually started with a mushroom. From above, the cap of a Porcini mushroom resembles a bread roll and therefore gained its nickname as “Penny Bun”. Way back, these bread rolls were sold by street vendors in England for a penny. Penny Buns were so common that old nursery rhymes featured them. The term appears in the first complete published version of the “To Market, To Market” rhyme in 1805 as “To market, to market, to buy a penny bun, Home again, home again, market is done” in “Songs for the Nursery.” The nursery rhyme “London Bridge Is Falling Down” has a version which includes the line “Build it up with penny loaves.”
Patrick and Sara (owners) decided to call their cafe Penny Bun because they share a passion for hiking and hunting mushrooms, as well as using them in cooking. So Penny Bun felt like a perfect fit, celebrating history and food that brought people together. And while we do love mushrooms, you’ll also find great coffee (Puff), sandwiches, ice cream (Tillamook), smoked-on-the-premises meats, and plenty of sweet and savory baked goods waiting for you.