New cocktail bar and coffee shop opens in Kerns
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The colorful interior of Dear Sandy on opening day. Photo: Meira Gebel/Axios
After nearly a decade of standing vacant, an iconic building on the southwest corner of NE 28th Avenue and Sandy Boulevard has a new occupant.
Driving the news: Dear Sandy opened earlier this month offering "coffee, cocktails and community" in a sprawling, colorful space decked out with vintage furniture and whimsical decor.
- Owners Kate Marotta and Kyle Clark first announced Dear Sandy on New Years Day 2022 but pushed back the bar's opening after a series of permitting delays.
State of play: The menu features all-day beverages like coffee, espresso, chai and matcha, as well as specialty cocktails — with boilermakers, hot toddies, and unique twists on tonics.
- Food options include salads, sandwiches and charcuterie with gluten-free and vegan alternatives available.
What they're saying: "We wanted to make a space that was warm and welcoming to anyone any time of day," Marotta told Axios. "We do consider ourselves more of a 'space' than a bar or coffee shop."
- Marotta said Dear Sandy hopes to host art shows, movie nights and community events in the near future.

Flashback: The exterior of the building Dear Sandy now occupies — which is diagonal from The Zipper and soon-to-be Pop Blocks— remains nearly identical to when it was built in 1915 with its floor-to-ceiling, north-facing windows and pastel pink facade.
- For Marotta, that was the appeal — anytime she would pass the building she would "daydream about how epic the space could be with all of the natural light."
Details: Dear Sandy is located at 2800 NE Sandy Blvd., and is open Thursday through Monday, 8am to midnight.
