Downtown vacancy gets new restaurant, yoga studio expands, donut biz asks for help
King Solomon’s Reef, the longtime downtown Olympia diner that closed 18 months ago, has a new future with a trio of owners who call themselves the “oyster boys.”
They are Sam Dinsmore, Noah Murry and Ryan Perkins of Perkins Family Farms, an oyster grower on Zangle Road Northeast in Thurston County. All three business owners are from here, Dinsmore said.
This isn’t their first restaurant-like endeavor. Before they signed a lease for the Reef space on Fourth Avenue last month, they were catering events and doing pop-ups in the area to serve oysters.
They currently are renovating the Reef space and are tentatively set to open this spring under the Reef name, said Dinsmore, who attended culinary school in Seattle and cooked at restaurants there before returning to Olympia.
What will be on the menu? Oysters, of course. Raw oysters, barbecued oysters, plus other local seafood, as well tacos served with hand-made tortillas and sandwiches made with focaccia bread, said Dinsmore, naming just a few items. He said the menu is going to be kept simple and rotate with the seasons. They also plan to serve breakfast on the weekends, he said.
One goal is to serve a reasonably priced oyster so that a younger generation of diners can become exposed to eating oysters, Dinsmore said.
The restaurant will initially be open Wednesdays through Sundays and may expand from there. They also plan to reopen the lounge and retain the outdoor dining area established by the previous owners.
Other business happenings
True Self Yoga in west Olympia, which was opened eight years ago by Vajra Romano and Christina Lagdameo and now employs 30 people, has acquired an 8,300-square-foot property at 2728 Westmoor Court for $1.33 million, the business announced.
The acquisition will serve as an expansion to its current location and services at 2727 Westmoor Court, plus add an additional 40 parking spaces for clients, according to the business.
A portion of the new building will be renovated to become a teacher training space for aspiring yoga teachers. True Self Yoga intends to offer 200-hour and 500-hour training programs, with a goal of making the new spot a destination for yoga teachers throughout the Northwest.
Washington Business Bank provided the financing for the acquisition.
Oly’s Malasadas, a bakery on Fourth Avenue that is known for its donuts, needs a little financial help, the business has announced on the fundraising site Go Fund Me.
The campaign was launched by owner Olivia Vidallon, according to the post.
“Unfortunately running a small business in this economy is very tough, and even tougher when Olivia (the owner) is working another full-time job to support the business,” the post reads. “So, they’re considering closing shop.”
From the outside, it might appear the business is doing great, she writes.
“But on the inside and back end, we are struggling so much. So please, please consider supporting us through a donation or coming by the shop for a sweet treat on the weekends.”
As of Thursday evening, the business had raised $1,455 of its $10,000 goal.
Quality Burrito also put out another call for customer support last month, saying it’s a continuation of a similar request they made in June, the downtown Olympia business announced on social media.
“We need to ask for your help again,” the Dec. 14 post reads. “We are really hoping that some of the energy you brought in June can come back and stick around to get us through winter months. Business is historically much slower this time of year with cold, wet weather and darker days. This year facing that trend feels really scary. We just don’t have the cushion to survive these dips in business for very long.”
People news
Martha Prestin, the great-granddaughter of O Bee Credit Union founder Ted McGill, has been named chief financial officer for the credit union that got its start in 1955.
Prior to joining O Bee, Prestin was the CFO for the Chief Seattle Council Boy Scouts of America for 12 years.
Prestin is not new to O Bee. She has served on the board of directors and a supervisory committee for more than 20 years, including the last four years as the supervisory committee chairwoman.
McGill was working at the former Olympia Brewery in Tumwater when he decided the workers there needed their own credit union.
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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.
