Restaurant moving to downtown Olympia, plus an update on new Costco proposed in Tumwater
MiSo, an Asian-themed restaurant known for its rice bowls with an eclectic choice of proteins and other toppings, is moving its Capital Mall location to downtown Olympia, co-owner Ryan Rommann says.
The business is expected to open mid-January in a space on Fifth Avenue, across from the Capitol Theater. The space was once occupied by a cafe called Darby’s and later Burial Grounds Coffee before the coffee shop moved to Capitol Way and Legion Way and later closed.
MiSo has been at the mall for five years, Rommann said, adding that the mall was good to them and served its purpose, but it wasn’t without its challenges. They opened that location right before the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.
MiSo is nearly 10 years old. Ryan and Leena Rommann opened their first location on Lacey Boulevard in 2015, then added a second location in Hawks Prairie in 2017, followed by the third site at the mall. The three locations employ 25 people, he said.
Ryan said they are excited about the new opportunity. The new location has a walk-up window that opens to the sidewalk, so they are considering serving beverages from it, particularly during downtown events, he said.
But wait... there’s more
MiSo will join two other new businesses downtown that have already opened, according to a check of the area.
The Mystic Game Shop has opened at 211 Fourth Ave. E. and the Lolli Llama Candy Co. has opened at 500 Washington St. SE.
The Mystic is a family-owned game shop that carries a “well-curated selection of tabletop games, including board games, role playing games, and trading card games,” the website reads.
Customers also can play games at the store and it hosts events. Check the events calendar for more information.
The Mystic is open noon to 7 p.m. Wednesdays, noon to 9 p.m. Thursdays, noon to 10 p.m. Fridays, noon to 9 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays.
Lolli Llama is also a family-owned business that sells candy, drinks and frozen treats. Its hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays.
Costco update
Representatives of Costco met with city of Tumwater officials this week about a proposal to open a new 160,000-square-foot store at the corner of Tumwater Boulevard and Interstate 5. Costco currently operates an 143,000-square-foot store on Littlerock Road.
During the meeting, Costco representative Brian Whelan shed light on the company’s motivation.
“Obviously this would be a relocation of our existing facility in Tumwater,” he said. “I think anyone who shops there knows that we have some serious constraints in terms of parking configuration, the amount of parking and size of the facility. So what we’re really trying to do here is, you know, right-size the Costco facility in the market to better serve our member base.”
The store would be part of a larger mixed-use development in the 57-acre area, according to city information. Costco intends to buy about half of that land for its new store, Whelan said.
“We have an agreement in place to purchase this segment of the property from the developer who’s developing the additional parcels north of us,” he said. “That developer will also be doing all of the public infrastructure work associated with the bigger project, including Costco. Costco’s role will be to purchase and acquire this southern approximately 25 acres, and then self-develop a Costco facility.”
Boss of the Year
The Thurston County Chamber of Commerce and Express Employment Professionals, with input from Saint Martin’s University students, have selected the bosses of the year for 2024.
The winners:
▪ Taylor Armitage, Welch’s Appliances.
▪ Todd Monohon, Olympic Rental & Landlord Services.
▪ Jen Reed, Sound Credit Union.
Honorable mentions:
▪ Jason Faust, Lloyds Automotive.
▪ Greg Taylor, DoubleTree by Hilton.
▪ Shelly Willis, Family Education and Support Services.
All will be recognized at a Thurston Chamber forum set for noon Dec. 11 at the Saint Martin’s University Norman Worthington Center.
Public comment period extended
The city of Olympia has extended the comment period on a new Washington Federal bank branch downtown. The WaFd Bank Olympia project is proposed for 406 Water St. SW.
“Demolition of existing office building and construction of a new 2,440-square-foot single-story building to house a WaFd bank. Proposal includes a walk-up ATM, drive-through ATM, parking, landscaping and other site improvements,” the project description reads.
The public comment period has been extended to 5 p.m. Jan. 2, according to the city. Send comments to lead planner Casey Mauck at cmauck@ci.olympia.wa.us.
Merger complete
Tacoma-based Sound Credit Union and Washington Business Bank, which has one branch in downtown Olympia, have completed their merger, the credit union announced.
“The transaction, finalized late last week, includes Sound acquiring all assets and assuming substantially all liabilities of Washington Business Bank,” the news release reads.
With the addition of Washington Business Bank, Sound’s asset size now exceeds $3 billion, including more than $2.5 billion in deposits and $2.3 billion in loans. Sound’s branch networks total 26 full-service locations.
Timberland Bank distributes grants
Timberland Bank, in partnership with Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines, has distributed more than $700,000 in grants to 43 Western Washington nonprofits, including several in Thurston County.
Nonprofits here that received funds: Boys and Girls Clubs of Thurston County, Homes First, Lacey Rotary and Safe Place.
Publicly traded
Heritage Distilling Holding Co., which previously announced a plan to trade its stock publicly, has done just that by pricing its initial public offering at $4 per share on Nov. 22.
The Gig Harbor-based business operates a distillery and tasting room at the Tumwater Craft District at E Street and Capitol Boulevard.
The business produces and sells whiskeys, vodkas, gins, rums and ready-to-drink canned cocktails.
The IPO of 1,687,500 shares of common stock at $4 per share resulted in gross proceeds of about $6.75 million. The stock trades on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol CASK. On Wednesday, the stock closed down 9 cents to $3.01 per share.
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 December 6, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
