Olympia’s new Octapas Cafe adds concerts, art and meetings to its small-plate menu

Restaurant, bar, coffee shop, theater, gallery and community gathering space. Octapas Café holds much within its metaphorical eight arms.

The cafe, which opened last month, includes an event room with a stage, a sound and light system, and space for about 150 people.

In the coming months, Octapas will host a wide array of concerts and performances, including such popular events as Lord Franzannian’s Royal Olympian Spectacular Vaudeville Show (October dates TBA) and the Experimental Music Festival (June 15-17).

“What’s most important to me is getting really good use out of the space,” co-owner Jamie Brayshaw told The Olympian. “We are lacking in community space in this town, and I want to honor and celebrate and support all of the different amazing art forms that we have right here in this town. I’ve been really excited about everybody that’s approached me so far.”

Coming up are a Saturday concert by Knoxville, Tennessee roots rockers The Black Lillies and a May 24 concert and workshop by throat singing ensemble Chirgilchin, on tour from Tuva, Russia, and making its only Washington stop in Olympia.

Olympia’s Tush Burlesque has a show set for June 9. “That will hopefully be an ongoing thing,” Brayshaw said.

“The space is so versatile,” she added. “We have the seating for theatrical performances, or we can clear it and have a big dance space for music. There’s also a screen so we can do movie nights.”

It also has plenty of wall space for art and already hosted a multi-artist show for Arts Walk. Brayshaw also envisions hosting business meetings and private parties.

“I’m not ruling anything out,” she said.

“That room is seriously one of the finest mid-size venue spaces Olympia has,” said musician and promoter Arrington de Dionyso, who’s working with Chirgilchin.

“It’s unique in Oly to have a large space with a connecting bar and restaurant,” said Paul Knox, an Octapas investor who’s helping to produce concerts there.

The performance space even has a green room for performers, he added.

Brayshaw and her partner (in life as well as business) Rick Mullins had been dreaming of opening a restaurant.

When they decided to take on the space formerly occupied by Obsidian, the couple found themselves juggling not just an eatery but also a community event space. And with Mullins focused on the food — locally sourced small plates — that left Brayshaw with a lot to manage.

“I definitely didn’t see myself as the manager of a huge event space and a music booker and a promoter and all of those things,” she said. “I’m really excited about the possibilities, but if you had asked me even a year ago, I would have said, ‘No, I don’t foresee that.’ It’s been an adventure so far.”

Ultimately, she aims for Octapas to embrace community.

“Music brings people together and creates an experience that you can never re-create,” she said. “People can come together and enjoy a moment, and food does the same thing.

“Here we are in a space where we can bring together all of these elements — food and libations and the arts and music.”

This story was originally published May 18, 2018 at 4:40 AM with the headline "Olympia’s new Octapas Cafe adds concerts, art and meetings to its small-plate menu."