Function Closing NW 23rd Taproom as Owner Plans Garden City Campus

Function announced that the original NW 23rd Avenue pop-up taproom at 919 NW 23rd Ave will close at the end of March 2026, a move the brewery shared via its @function_pdx Instagram account and in coverage on March 2, 2026. The Alberta location at 2006 NE Alberta St will remain open, narrowing Function’s Portland footprint back to a single site after the two-location experiment that began in 2024.

Owner and founder Casey Armstrong framed the closure as a strategic pivot toward an off-site project near Boise. Armstrong said, “We are under contract on a piece of land just outside of Boise in Garden City along the water - we plan on building a mini Function Hospitality Campus with bar, restaurant and (2) small airBnBs. Targeted open date is Spring/Summer 2027.” Newschoolbeer reported that the Garden City site will be a ground-up construction designed to Armstrong’s vision and that the pop-up residency model will focus on Oregon breweries already distributed in Idaho or seeking a presence there.

Function’s rotating-residency model grew quickly after a 2024 build-out that expanded the NW 23rd basement taproom to the second floor and launched Function Alberta at 2006 NE Alberta St. The concept taps non-local breweries and cideries to run a Function location for about a month, providing branding, draft lists, cans and bottles for take-home, and exclusive events. Armstrong told Craft Brewing Business that “The brewing industry is such an amazing community, which is one of the reasons our model has evolved to hosting two breweries a month, rather than just one.”

Past residencies illustrate how the model worked in practice. Craft Brewing Business reported that Pure Project Brewing and Radiant Beer Co were scheduled for April 3–30, 2025, with Pure Project at Function NW and Radiant at Function Alberta, and that triple-branded merchandise from Pure Project, Radiant and Function was to be sold at both pop-ups while supplies lasted.

Operational programs differed between the two Portland locations. Newschoolbeer noted that Function NW had added spirits, a cocktail program, and regular food options, while Function Alberta did not have those programs as of reporting. Armstrong and his team are “looking into adding those programs to the remaining taproom,” Newschoolbeer reported, which indicates a possible transfer of the NW service elements to Alberta before or after the closure.

The change to a single Portland location will alter guest brewery scheduling. Newschoolbeer gave one concrete example of that reshuffling: “For example: April was originally set for both Other Half Brewing and Equilibrium, but will now focus on just Other Half at the Alberta location while Equilibrium moves to June.” The closure was described by Newschoolbeer as “a big surprise to the fan base.”

Function’s NW listing showed strong local support; Yelp excerpts in Function’s listings displayed a 4.8 rating with 146 reviews and reviewer lines such as “Small, but brilliantly, curated rotating selection of elite craft beer. Super friendly and well informed staff.” Function’s Portland hours as listed on business pages are Mon–Fri 3:00 PM – 9:00 PM with an extended Fri night to 10:00 PM, Sat 12:00 PM – 10:00 PM and Sun 12:00 PM – 9:00 PM. The NW address appears as 919 NW 23rd Ave Ste A, Portland, OR 97210, and the Alberta address is 2006 NE Alberta St, Portland, OR 97211; Function’s phone appears as 503.278.5798 in public listings.

Armstrong’s timeline sets a clear next chapter: Function will shutter the original NW 23rd pop-up at the end of March 2026, keep the Alberta location running in Portland, and pursue a Spring/Summer 2027 opening for the Garden City mini-hospitality campus that will extend Function’s rotating-residency model into Idaho.