Taproot Lounge and Café is not just a place that serves food. It’s a place that focuses on supporting local farms and businesses, while providing an additional outlet for musicians and artists to perform in, and display, their talents.
Taproot does its best not to live in a box. Closest to the door is the café, serving fresh vegetable and fruit juices. Interested in breakfast? Taproot offers it at 7:00 a.m. every day, along with local coffee and loose-leaf teas. The Café leads then turns into the Lounge, which crafts house-made cocktails and local beer.
The Origins of Taproot
Topher Holland knew he wanted to open a restaurant after working in the restaurant industry for the last decade. One day, he was looking at plants in his house, and he saw one specific plant had made its way down, circled itself around an object and had grown all the way into a glass of water on the floor.
The purpose of a plant is to find nutrients, and that’s what the little plant did. “A taproot is the main vein that feeds the organism. It allows things to thrive, and the entire business name (LLC) is actually ‘Under One Tree’. It’s a symbol—being under a tree, gathering together.” Holland believes business is an integral part of that gathering. “Business is an extension of life—it’s a philosophy.”
Investing in the Bigger Picture
Taproot doesn’t want to just feed customers. They want the community to thrive together.
In the beginning, Holland opened a Kickstarter project to gather funds to help with the renovation of the space. They had taken over Pete’s Place, and the HVAC and electrical needed updates. In 35 days, Taproot had 224 backers who had pledged nearly a thousand more than the initial funds needed. If Holland could tell the Salem community one thing, it would be, “Thank you for allowing us to be here.”
Taproot has a dedicated a wall for the Salem Art Association to manage and display a rotating gallery of local artists to promote the exposure of local art. It also serves as a venue for local musicians to come play
Stop by for a juice or light and healthy meal at 356 State Street Salem, Oregon 97301 or look them up online at taprootloungeandcafe.com