BIG NEWS FOR CORNER KITCHEN
Chimacum Corner Farmstand bought the Farm’s Reach Cafe property!
We’ve been busy working on a little something in the background this summer season and are excited to go public with our big news! Our intrepid owners, Phil and Katy, took another leap of faith, further investing in the local farm and food movement on the Olympic Peninsula. On August 15th, after several months of research and due diligence, they closed on the purchase of the former Farm’s Reach Cafe property!
Why did we do this?
As you may have gathered, our little store on the corner does not have enough space to support a commercial kitchen. So, where do all of our Corner Made products magically get prepared? Well, over across the street at the Finnriver Kitchen is where, and for the past 7 years we have been a mainstay tenant, shuttling ingredients and products back and forth across Rhody Drive. Every day our kitchen crew works in that space to prepare all of our scratch-made goodies, including sandwiches, wraps, salads, and sweets!
It’s been a great run in Finnriver’s fabulous kitchen, but in two years our lease ends, and as wonderful as it has been, it is clear to both Finnriver and us that as our businesses have grown, the space is getting cramped to fit all “the cooks in the kitchen!” So, the time had come for us to look into other options.
The options:
We could attempt to design and build a brand new kitchen on the corner property, but there was little to no way to make that happen in time for the transition. We also didn’t want to rush the development of the infrastructure needed to support any new build.
We could look into renting another commercial kitchen space in the county, but there are already many limitations in that market. Many kitchen spaces are already full and too far away for us to make runs back and forth multiple times a day.
We could shut down our kitchen operations altogether, limiting valuable employment opportunities and products that attract a steady flow of customers. NOT an option!
Or we could look right under our noses! The property on which Farm’s Reach Cafe was located had been on and off the real estate market for years. So, we reached out to the owners to see what they were looking for, and VIOLA! An opportunity arose.
What does this mean?
As our Corner Kitchen operations continue at Finnriver for the remainder of our lease, we have a lot of work to do to renovate and equip the former Farm’s Reach Cafe space to suit our commercial kitchen needs. Large portions of the interior will need to be gutted, new floors installed, some rearranging of spaces, and an addition for a walk-in freezer, not to mention installation of new appliances! We’re in the extremely early stages of design, talking with the county, and finding a contractor—things are moving forward, but will take time.
Our goal is to take a phased approach to re-opening the kitchen space. Our first priority is to provide space for our Corner Kitchen operations and the items that are made for the store. Once we have settled into a groove, the hope is to open the drive-thru and have a walk-up order window for folks to enjoy items on the deck, in the garden, or to go. We know just how much our community could use another eatery option, and we’re thrilled to get the opportunity to create that. Ideally, once built, we hope to invite other talented vendors to work their magic alongside us.
For now, patience will be necessary. Whatever we do, our intention is to strengthen our region’s local food economy and resilience.
Other community context:
As excited as we are to tell you about the property, we understand your most pressing concern is probably “When can I get my Biscuits and Gravy?” As you know, Farm’s Reach Cafe, a beloved gathering spot in our community since 2011, closed its doors at the end of February. What you may not know is Moon Wiggington bought the recipes and equipment from Farm’s Reach along with the recipes and location from Metro Bagels in Port Hadlock. His idea was to open a new cafe, “Moon’s Cafe,” that could serve some things from both establishments plus new creations of his own.
Earlier this month, Moon’s Cafe opened in the old Metro Bagel shop (69 Oak Bay Rd). Although they are describing it as a “soft opening”, a visit last week showed the cafe to be bustling. The cases were full of pastries and bagels with plenty more substantial things on the menu. Go check them out and support this local labor of love!
We’ll end this with a note of gratitude:
Gratitude to our amazing leadership at Chimacum Corner Farmstand for their forethought and passion to take on such a project. Gratitude to Finnriver for sharing their lovely kitchen space with us for nine years. Gratitude to the previous property owners and creators of Farm’s Reach Cafe for being such a pleasure to work with. Gratitude to the previous Farm’s Reach Cafe proprietors that poured their love into it over the years. Gratitude to Moon for now carrying that spirit forward. And lastly, gratitude to all of you for your continued support. Here’s to nourishing our community, one bite, one smile, and one idea at a time.
