MILWAUKIE, Ore. (KPTV) – A Portland-area small business owner is rebuilding after his beloved mobile coffee truck was stolen and later found badly damaged.
Scott Brewer, the owner of Gotta Have Coffee, said he was devastated when he discovered his truck missing from outside his Milwaukie home Friday night. “I raced to the house, and it wasn’t here. Pretty upsetting,” Brewer recalled. “I just couldn’t believe that someone would come to my property and steal my coffee truck.”
From Old Mail Truck to Coffee on Wheels
Brewer, an automotive master technician turned barista, started Gotta Have Coffee in 2017. His business idea began with a 1970s mail truck he purchased and restored a year earlier. Since then, he’s become known for serving coffee with a smile across the Portland area.
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“The best thing about it is socializing with everybody and just talking with people,” he said. “If someone’s having a bad day, I’ll just give them a cup of coffee and say, ‘Have a great day!’”
But that joy was put on pause after the theft. Without his truck, Brewer had no way to operate his business.
Community Steps Up to Help
Brewer took to social media for help, and the local Facebook group PNW Stolen Cars quickly joined the search. By Monday morning, community members spotted the missing truck in Portland’s Lents neighborhood.
Although Brewer was relieved to recover it, the sight was heartbreaking. “They defecated in it, they ransacked it, stuff was all over the place,” he said. “They stole machinery, a generator—just a lot of things.”
Finding Hope After Damage
Despite the mess, Brewer said the truck was still drivable and the damage was manageable. “I thought it was going to be all dented up and burnt and crushed,” he explained. “Kinda happy to see it the way it is. This is fixable. I can fix this in not too long of time.”
He plans to make the repairs himself and get Gotta Have Coffee back on the road soon.
Grateful for Community Support
While the experience has been discouraging, Brewer said it also reminded him of the kindness still present in the community. “It felt really good that there are good, caring people out there,” he shared. “When I was younger, I was in the reggae scene and we all kind of looked after each other—it felt good that the spirit is still around.”
Brewer hopes to reopen soon and continue serving the Portland metro area. “Once I’m back up and running,” he said, “I hope people will come by for a cup of coffee and a smile.”
