Thurston County clears way for Johnson’s Smokehouse to reopen after devastating fire
The Thurston County Commissioners on Tuesday cleared the way for Johnson’s Smokehouse to reopen its retail store.
The Board of County Commissioners unanimously voted to approve an ordinance that allows commercial smokehouses in rural Thurston County. Johnson’s Smokehouse and Sausage Kitchen requested the amendment to the county code after the East Olympia business burned down in March 2019.
The 38-year-old business that had been a staple at the Olympia Farmers Market specializes in producing smoked meats and cheeses, which are included in their popular trail mix. Owner Ron Johnson previously told The Olympian he felt determined to reopen.
“You’re darn tootin’ it will live on,” he said in 2019. “And it will be stronger than it ever was.”
Plans for a summer 2021 reopening have already been announced on the smokehouse’s website. The county’s action on Tuesday was one of the last hurdles before Johnson’s could reopen, said private consultant Gary Cooper.
“Going through this process is the final phase of getting them back to being fully functional,” Cooper said. “The (county) staff that we’ve been working with throughout this whole time has been great, so it’s been a good experience.”
Cooper represented the Johnson family at the public hearing. He said the changes allow the business to operate at its previous scale of 12,000 square feet with about 20 employees. Prior regulation limited them to just 4,000 square feet and two employees, he said.
The 2019 fire only affected the smokehouse facility, sparing the Johnson’s family home. Since then, they have operated a small farm stand Tuesdays through Saturday.
The approved amendment had been in the works since 2019 but it was only added to the official docket of developmental code amendments in April 2020, said associate planner Andrew Boughan. He added the county has received no appeals in response to the amendment.
Johnson started the company with his wife, Sue, and his father, Dale, in 1983, according to their website. After finding success with a stall at the Olympia Farmers Market, they constructed a USDA approved processing facility in 1998.
Their expansion has allowed them to sell their products throughout the Northwest and Alaska, according to their website.
Johnson’s Smokehouse did not respond to a request for comment.
