Rick Spielman, z”l, passed away in his sleep following complications from Parkinson’s disease on July 5, 2022, at age 76. Spielman is survived by his sons Raf and Kenji Spielman.
Spielman was the co-founder of the popular Portland bagel chain Spielman Bagels & Coffee, which he launched with his son Raf. Initially the business was a small cafe where they would roast shade-grown coffee in house. In 2011, the duo opened on Southeast Division Street and initially made their “Portland style” bagel in batches of no more than a dozen daily. The bagels, which are made from a sourdough starter and kettle-boiled, soon became the focus of the company.
A former political science professor, Rick Spielman moved his family to Portland from Oakland in 1988 to teach at Lewis and Clark College, later also teaching at Willamette University. He was an avid birder, which sparked his initial interest in the environmental impact of coffee.
Rick Spielman sold the majority share of the business in the mid-2010s, but continued in its day-to-day operations until four or five years ago, running the Division Street location, now run by Raf. Spielman Coffee & Bagels has four Portland locations and sells bagels wholesale to more than 50 vendors in Portland and Salem.