Through unprecedented challenges, Main Street businesses are showing tremendous innovation, determination, and generosity. Each month, Main Street organizations from across the state are invited to nominate one of their small businesses that is brightening their community and persevering despite numerous challenges. We’ll be sharing these bright spots here and on social media so that you can celebrate, support, and draw inspiration from these amazing Washington entrepreneurs!

 

Each Main Street Community and Affiliate is invited to nominate one small business per month.

Admiralty Distillers, Port Townsend

Owner: Jake Soule

“Admiralty Distillers is the first craft distillery on the Olympic Peninsula. The owner, Jake Soule, began making hand sanitizer a month ago, produced according to what is specified by the FDA and following the World Health Organization recipe. Jake has worked with some local businesses to get started, including local winery, a cidery, Admiral Ship Supply, and the Old Whiskey Mill which purchased his product to include in Easter baskets they sold. It has been difficult to find hand sanitizer in town. He has priced it reasonably to recover costs, with the goal of being a resource for our community.”—Mari Mullen, Port Townsend Main Street Program

Find them in person: 820 Lake Street, Port Townsend

Find them online: http://www.admiraltydistillers.com

How you can support locally: Purchase locally-made hand sanitizer! Sanitizer costs $32 per gallon for bulk containers, $12 per liter bottle, and $4 per 8 oz. for pump-top bottles. They are working on a refill station at the distillery and trying to determine more regular hours, but for now, email Jake at jake@nulladmiraltydistillers.com or give them a call at 360-643-3530 to coordinate timing.

How you can support from afar: Order one of their premium brandies or gins—available for in-state shipping! Email jake@nulladmiraltydistillers.com or give them a call at 360-643-3530 to place your order.

Brix Wine Bar & Restaurant, Ellensburg

Owners: Stephanie and Tony Ritter (pictured)

“Stephanie at Brix quickly adapted to the situation at hand and created a seamless and safe way to order their food and wine. When you walk in to her establishment, the door is already open and welcoming, your order is right there on the counter ready for pickup, and she has a freshly sanitized pen to seal the deal. Not only has she created a safe and clean environment, but she took it upon herself to sew masks in her spare time for our local healthcare workers. She is truly incredible and is a shining light in our downtown during this time of uncertainty.”—Taylor Villwock, Ellensburg Downtown Association

Find them in person: 109 W 3rd Avenue, Ellensburg

Find them online: https://brixwinebar.org/

How you can support locally: Call in an order for pick up at (509) 933-2749. Might we recommend their s’mores-inspired campfire cake? Check out their full menu, and don’t forget the wine—it’s 20% off!

How you can support from afar: Check out Stephanie’s video tutorial on how to sew your own medical mask, and get sewing.

 Destination Sasquatch & Uniquely Walla Walla, Walla Walla

Owners: Paul Bowen and Reggie Byrd

“Paul Bowen and Reggie Byrd, two best friends with a passion for Bigfoot, launched Uniquely Walla Walla in fall of 2019. This gift shop in our downtown core offers a collection of unique gifts celebrating all things Walla Walla and serves as home base for Paul and Reggie’s sister business, Destination Sasquatch. While their storefront is currently closed, the two pals are continuing to produce their weekly podcast and YouTube channel. In the long run, they hope to offer Bigfoot tours of the Blue Mountains—turns out little Walla Walla is a hotspot for the big guy! Their model of business diversification is one that more businesses will have to follow to be successful in our ‘new normal.’ Listening to their podcast makes me want to believe in Sasquatch. And really, don’t we all need something to believe in right now?”—Kathryn Witherington, Downtown Walla Walla Foundation

Find them in person: 70 North Colville Street, Walla Walla

Find them online: https://www.destinationsasquatch.com

How you can support locally and from afar: Tap into your inner Bigfoot and like, review, and subscribe to their YouTube channel and their podcast, both called Destination Sasquatch.

Fins Bistro, Issaquah

Owners: Jeff and Christal Maxfield, Bryan Fritz, and Zarah Matsuda (pictured)

“Fins Bistro, located next to the renowned Village Theatre in historic downtown Issaquah, is owned by two couples: Jeff and Christal Maxfield and Bryan Fritz and Zarah Matsuda. The team has demonstrated resilience, from new restaurant ownership with a vision for a refresh, to weathering a pandemic. Collectively challenging themselves to be in service to the community, they are having fun creating a memorable dining experience.”—Christina Bruning, Downtown Issaquah Association

“We figured it would be wise to switch our menu weekly and sometimes daily to keep our regulars interested since we will be in this situation for a prolonged period of time. We started Taco Tuesdays, then fried chicken, and moved the kitchen outside to show the community on Main Street that we are open, and don’t be afraid to come and see us!”—Owners Jeff and Christal Maxfield and Bryan Fritz and Zarah Matsuda

Find them in person: 232 Front Street N, Issaquah

Find them online: https://www.finsbistroissaquah.com/

How you can support locally: Order carryout online or by phone (425-392-0109). Free delivery is also available within a five-mile radius for a $50 minimum purchase. Don’t miss their special Mother’s Day brunch menu, adult beverage kits, and special take-and-bake options to feed the whole family!

How you can support from afar: Sign up to become a VIP and receive email updates special events, new menu items, menu reviews, and more!

Hey, Darlin’, The Shop, Gig Harbor

Owners: Paige Wells and Brianne Kampbell

“Hey, Darlin’, The Shop opened the doors of their new retail business on March 7, just one week before the stay-at-home order was announced. But they didn’t let that stop them from promoting their new endeavor. In a recent online interview, they said, ‘Our shop will have a life far beyond this pandemic,’ so they set off on a journey of creative social media promotion. In addition to daily words of encouragement to their followers, they also created weekly ‘Celebration Bags’ [example pictured here] with items selected from their inventory…to both highlight their local artists and to help people celebrate the end of another week of staying home and staying safe. They have been very active on Facebook and Instagram and offer both porch delivery and shipping for delivery. This is a progressive, creative business that has every intention to survive beyond COVID-19.”—Mary DesMarais, Gig Harbor Downtown Waterfront Alliance

Find them in person: 3226 Harborview Drive, Suite 4, Gig Harbor

Find them online: https://www.facebook.com/heydarlinshop/

How you can support locally: Order a Celebration Bag for Friday porch delivery in the Gig Harbor area! Bags are around $50 each. To order, message Hey, Darlin’ on Facebook @heydarlinshop or via email at hey.darlin.theshop@nullgmail.com with your email address for invoicing and address for delivery. Check out their Facebook page to see some of the awesome bags from weeks past!

How you can support from afar: Not in Gig Harbor? Never fear! Hey, Darlin’ will ship Celebration Bags anywhere—just shoot them an email at hey.darlin.theshop@nullgmail.com.

Horse Heaven Saloon, Prosser

Owner: Gary Vegar

“Horse Heaven Saloon quickly made changes in order to accommodate new regulations set by the governor. They began offering curbside pickup, delivery options, and specialty drink kits to go right away. Then they got even more creative and involved other downtown restaurants by having a daily lunch exchange [between employees at different establishments]. We have a group on Facebook, specific to local carryout and delivery options…. Gary posted a picture on the page of one of his servers swapping Saloon food for Mexican food from El Caporal across the avenue. He has continued the fun and exchanged with other downtown food establishments and in the process helped support all of downtown in a fun and creative way!”—Jesalyn Cole, Historic Downtown Prosser Association

Find them in person: 615 6th Street, Prosser

Find them online: http://www.horseheavensaloon.com/

How you can support locally: Order for pickup or delivery by calling 509-781-6228. Their food menu is available on their website, and you can also order cocktail kits to go—don’t miss the tutorial videos on their Facebook page!

Mike’s Tavern, Cle Elum

Owners: Ruston and Shannon Weaver

“Ruston and Shannon Weaver have taken an old, rundown tavern and made it a hub of activity for the downtown core in Cle Elum. Their business philosophy includes building a community in and around your business. This has been demonstrated by their block parties and keeping staff employed while sacrificing their own income. Their generosity has helped a new brewery, one that opened before COVID, to remain in operation. They have sponsored and promoted shared retail events with this business and even organized a drop-off baby shower for these young owners, keeping spirits up during this hard time. Mike’s Tavern has taken the lead on promoting downtown through social media. This has prompted many other businesses to also increase or use these tools. Generous, supportive, and creative, Mike’s Tavern and the Weavers shine in our community.”—Debbie Bogart, Cle Elum

Find them in person: 427 E 1st Street, Cle Elum

Find them online: https://www.facebook.com/mikestaverncleelum/

How you can support locally: Order food and drink for carryout by calling 509-674-6801. We’re drooling over their special Taco Tuesday menus.

How you can support from afar: Like Mike’s Tavern on Facebook @mikestaverncleelum for fun videos, and add them to your list of places to go when restaurants reopen!

 

Natalia’s Cafe

Owner: Erica Slothower; Manager: Wendy Delbosque (pictured)

“Natalia’s Cafe is known for its generosity and friendly service, serving the Camas football team on game days, hosting fundraisers for families in need, and giving to local charities. Natalia’s has stepped up their game to safely serve food to the community and have kept a happy demeanor. They have a ‘scoreboard’ at their takeout table, showing the number of people they want to serve daily and how many they have served so far. Social media engagement has helped create fun with this in an otherwise trying time. They started taking donations to be able to serve food to those that might not have enough—they have received thousands of donated dollars and have served the staff at a local nursing home, front-line health care workers, families that have lost jobs, and downtown employees that have been laid off. All from their hearts. With bacon!”—Carrie Schulstad, Downtown Camas Association

Find them in person: 437 NE 4th Avenue, Camas

Find them online: https://www.facebook.com/nataliascafecamas/

How you can support locally: Order carryout by calling 360-844-5968. Their full menu is published on their Facebook page, where they’re also posting daily specials like chili cheese fries, lockdown sausage sammies, and grilled cheese with tomato soup to feed ALL your comfort food cravings.

How you can support from afar: Make a donation to help support the free meals Natalia’s is serving to those in need by calling Natalia’s at 360-844-5968.

Planted, Everett

Owner: Anna Gallup

“Anna launched Planted on March 14, less than a week before ‘Stay Home, Stay Healthy’ orders were announced in Everett. After all her hard work to renovate the storefront and open her shop, she suddenly needed to adapt her business model in order to operate during the COVID-19 pandemic. She quickly pivoted to selling houseplants through her Instagram stories while she developed an online store and provided no-contact delivery/curbside pickup to ensure customer safety. Anna’s hustle and creativity allowed her to keep Planted on track despite opening during a global health crisis. We’re excited to watch her business—and our plants—grow in downtown Everett.”—Madison Vazquez, Downtown Everett Association

Find them in person: 2829 Wetmore Avenue, Everett

Find them online: http://shopplanted.co/

How you can support locally: Spruce up your home office by visiting http://shopplanted.co/ to purchase plants, pottery, greeting cards, and enamel pins. Curbside pickup and delivery within a 20-mile radius are available!

How you can support from afar: Follow Planted on Instagram @shop.planted to inspire your indoor gardening aspirations.

Portico Latin Bistro & Cantina, Langley

Owners: Graham and Iliana Gori

“Portico Latin Bistro, in the heart of Langley’s downtown district, is shifting its focus from strictly takeout services towards delivering care packages, aptly called ‘Giving Bags,’ to those who may be financially struggling due to the COVID-19 crisis. Portico’s chef and owner, Graham Gori, decided to focus on giving back to the community that helped him start his Langley restaurant by creating a new website for people to donate meals to their neighbors in need. It seems appropriate, after all, given that five years ago Graham and his wife Iliana opened their restaurant with the help of a GoFundMe campaign. Their intention is to return the favor and the community’s goodwill through this program.”—Michaleen McGarry, Langley Main Street Association

Find them in person: 220 First Street, Langley

Find them online: https://porticobistro.wixsite.com/gift

How you can support locally and from afar: Every day, Portico creates delicious and nutritious meals—complete with a main dish, two sides, a sprig of flowers, a small gift, and a note— to gift to those in need of receiving a little love. Donate a meal to someone in need for $25 per meal by calling Portico at (360)-221-8141 or visiting their website. You can also become a Benefactor with a $150 donation that guarantees delivery of four meals and a “Thank You” take out dinner on Saturday for the Benefactor and a guest. Know someone who could use a meal? You can also contact Portico to add a name to their list of those in need.