The Port Hole Cafe
in the Cannery Building
at the Port of Gold Beach, Oregon

The History of the Cannery Building

The original Cannery Building was constructed by Jerry Hull in 1968.
It was a wooden structure that was located where the Port Hole Cafe dining area is now.
This was when the ocean troll salmon fishing off the mouth of the Rogue River was at its peak.

In 1974, with the addition of a shrimp and crab fishery, the two story,
full scale seafood processing plant was constructed.
The processing plant included; two shrimp machines, full
crab cooking operations, a ten station salmon fillet line and fish smoking & canningfacilities.
However, due to some environmental problems such as the shoaling of the jetty
entrance & the original entrance to the boat harbor & economic changes in the fishing
industry, the private ownership of the processing facility changed hands three times by 1984.

From 1986 until the present, decreases in non-tribal commercial troll fisheries within the
Klamath zone, of which the Rogue River is a part,
had a further downward effect on the plants capacity to operate.
By Labor Day of 1991 FBC Salmon Co. had sub-leased the facility for sea urchin processing.

With the need to diversify the Gold Beach community's economy, the Port decided to
renovate the Cannery for a retail facility with a restaurant & commercial fish processing facilities.
In 1995 the Port completed Phase I of the cannery building renovation.
Phase II was completed in the summer of 1997.
The doors were opened to the new cannery complex in March of 1998.
The renovation project has generated new jobs for the community.
It now houses the Port Hole Cafe, Rogue's Gallery & Coffee Dock,
Cone Amor Ice Cream & Sweet Shop, Fishermen's Direct & Seafood Market.

Harbor & Rogue River views from our dining room