A bicycle biz moves, 2 new businesses open, brewery wins and 1 more car wash is pitched
After more than a dozen years in downtown Olympia, owner Dmitri Keating has moved Old Town Bicycle to west Olympia.
The business first opened downtown in November 2008.
“We hated to leave downtown,” he said, calling the area a growing, vibrant community. But his new location at 1900 Harrison Ave. NW has parking.
“A dedicated parking lot was a big advantage,” said Keating, who first opened Old Town Bicycle nearly 30 years ago in Gig Harbor, followed by a location in Tacoma and then Olympia.
He employs about 30 at all three stores.
His new space is no stranger to the bicycle business. Before Old Town moved in, it was home to a business called California Bike Pickers and before that a bike business known as Falcone’s.
The other positive about the new location is that customers can test-ride bikes on nearby residential streets instead of on downtown streets, he said.
What’s hot in bicycles? The electric bike, which has found favor with older adults who still like to ride, but need a little help going up hills. Mountain bikes also remain popular, said Keating, citing the nearby riding opportunities at Capitol Forest.
Although COVID-19 was challenging for business, sales remained strong because many turned to individual sports during the pandemic, he said.
Old Town Bicycle is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and noon to 6 p.m. Sundays.
Other business happenings
Ed Schlich, who spent 17 years in France importing and exporting wine, has opened Oly Wines at 321 Cleveland Ave. in Tumwater, which is across from the new Starbucks.
The business launched April 13 and is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.
“I really wanted to share my passion for wine,” Schlich said. His strength is in wine from the Burgundy and Bordeaux regions of France.
Still, he sells wine from every corner of the world, including the Northwest, Spain, New Zealand, Australia, South America, Israel and France, which is “deeply represented,” he said.
Schlich is currently enthused about wines from Uruguay where producers have managed to take some challenging French grapes — Tannat and Marselan — and turn them into delicious wines.
“I just love helping people on their wine journey,” he said.
Meanwhile, in downtown Olympia, Shauna Stewart, the former executive director of Experience Olympia & Beyond, the area’s visitor and convention bureau, has gone into business.
On Thursday, she opened Linger Boutique, a retailer specializing in lingerie, sleep and loungewear, and sexual wellness.
“Women are on the go all the time,” Stewart said in a statement. “We’re here to invite our community to slow down and take time for what matters most: self-love, meaningful connections, and simple pleasures. Everything we offer is designed to help women in this fast-paced world unwind and feel good.”
Linger Boutique is at 111 Market Place NE, across from the Olympia Farmers Market.
For the moment the business is viewed as a “summer pop-up shop.”
“We’re excited to test-drive this location for the summer with the hopes of making it our permanent location,” Stewart said.
For more about Linger Boutique, go to: https://lingerboutique.com/
Awards
Headless Mumby Brewing in west Olympia won gold at the 2022 World Beer Cup, a global beer competition that was held this month at the Minneapolis Convention Center in Minnesota.
Awards were given in 103 beer-style categories, including rye beers.
Headless won gold for its Smoked Rye Lager, an amber lager featuring beechwood smoked malts, as well as Munich and rye malts.
New businesses proposed
New car washes have been proposed in Lacey and Olympia, so why not Tumwater, too?
Kingswood Capital is exploring the construction of a 3-bay automatic car wash with five vacuum stations at 6220 Tyee Drive SW, according to city of Tumwater information.
A business called Eye Love Olympia is also exploring a remodel at 3507 Capitol Blvd. SW for an optometry clinic and optical center, according to city of Tumwater information.
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.
This story was originally published May 13, 2022 at 5:45 AM with the headline "A bicycle biz moves, 2 new businesses open, brewery wins and 1 more car wash is pitched."
