The Olympia Oyster House, the longtime waterfront restaurant at the south end of Budd Inlet, turns 100 this year, and the business will be celebrating all summer, said those closest to the operation.
Co-owner Pam Oates, district manager Brandon Lawin and general manager Mike Hernandez met with The Olympian this past week and discussed those summer plans.
It begins this Saturday, June 15, with a Thurston County Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting, followed by a schools-out-for-the-summer event for kids and a “neon party” at night, which will feature live music and glow sticks. They also plan to have a wine-tasting event in July and a laser light show with live music to end the summer, said GM Hernandez.
Live music will be heard four days a week on the restaurant’s patio, which has an outdoor bar called the Pearl.
Oates, the late Patrick Knutson (his wife Danielle Knutson is now a co-owner) and Scott McKinney of Pints & Quarts, bought the business in late 2018 after it closed under a previous owner.
They weathered the pandemic, shifting to take out, take and bake and growlers to go, as well as preparing food for employees and their families during a difficult time.
“The staff is our chosen family,” said Oates, adding they want to be the place that people want to work for, not have to work for. The business employs 60-70 over the summer.
Unfamiliar with the Oyster House? Popular menu items include oysters (of course), fish and chips, clam chowder and the Drunken Chef, which is the following: blackened rubbed prawns, scallops, salmon, cod, bacon, scallions and mushrooms served in a rum cream sauce with rice pilaf.
“I just want to say thank you to the community and thanks for 100 years,” said Hernandez.
For more about their summer-long celebration, visit the Oyster House website.
Other business happenings
A new bagel shop called Sixth Borough Bagels opened Wednesday in west Olympia at 1617 Harrison Ave. NW.
And so far the business has a hit on its hands, selling out Wednesday and Thursday, said owner Kyle Shorin, who makes a New York-style bagel that is soft and chewy on the inside and has a nice hard crust on the outside.
It’s a two-day process to produce his bagels, which includes shaping, cold fermenting, boiling and baking.
Shorin acknowledged that some customers have been disappointed to miss out on the bagels, but he and his staff of nine are working hard to “pump up those numbers,” he said.
Popular bagels so far include two classics: the salt bagel and the everything bagel, he said.
If you’re familiar with his product, that’s because Shorin previously rented a commercial kitchen space and produced his bagels on a wholesale basis, selling them to the Olympia Food Co-op, Delmonico’s and the Olympia Seafood Co. before deciding to open a retail storefront.
About the name: New York City is home to five boroughs — Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island. And the sixth? That’s in Olympia.
Sixth Borough Bagels is open 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
Speaking of anniversaries, the westside location of Vic’s Pizza turned 25 on June 8, the business announced on social media. And it celebrated by donating a portion of sales to local nonprofits.
Over the past 25 years, Vic’s has expanded to a location on Capitol Boulevard and the city’s east side.
A developer is exploring the opening of a bikini barista stand in Tumwater, according to city information.
Developer representatives were set to meet Thursday with Tumwater’s development review committee to get feedback from the city during a feasibility review.
The meeting about Extra Hot Espresso, which has been pitched at 7219 Old Highway 99, near Tumwater Boulevard, is similar to a pre-submission conference in that city officials will explain what will be required of the project.
The developer proposes to build a 200-square-foot drive-thru bikini barista coffee espresso stand.
Cedar Flats Flower Farm is opening soon for this season’s u-pick, starting with sweet peas in late June or early July, depending on weather, Experience Olympia & Beyond announced. Visitors can visit 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Saturdays during the growing season. Additional u-pick days are by appointment only.
Cedar Flats Flower Farm is at 5611 Cedar Flats Road SW in Olympia.
Real estate
A new building for a dental office and other retail uses has been proposed at 1000 Cooper Point Road SW, according to the city of Olympia which announced it has received a notice of application for the project.
The 3,500-square-foot Cooper Point retail, dental office building is to be developed on a site that is already home to Harbor Freight and Planet Fitness.
The public comment period for this proposal ends at 5 p.m. July 2. Before then, though, the city will host a project information meeting at 5:30 p.m. June 25.
Send your comments to Associate Planner Paula Smith at psmith@ci.olympia.wa.us.
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If you know of a retailer, restaurant, coffee shop or other business that is opening, closing, expanding, remodeling, or changing its focus, send an email to reporter Rolf Boone at rboone@theolympian.com.
