Look inside the old Greyhound station being transformed into a downtown food and drink hub
Dominic LaPraim and his wife, Jacqueline Johnston, are used to taking on building projects together — he as an electrical contractor and her as an architectural designer. But breathing life back into Olympia’s historic Greyhound bus station is the biggest project the two have taken on so far.
LaPraim and Johnston are planning to open The Bus Stop at 107 Seventh Ave. SE in just a matter of weeks. The renovated space will feature an open-air food truck court with areas for games, an indoor taproom and bar with seating and private spaces, and LaPraim’s business Homestreet Electric, all while paying homage to the building’s long history.
A soft opening is planned for Aug. 22.
Building history
According to the Olympia Historical Society, North Coast Lines built the art moderne building across the street from Sylvester Park in 1937. The company was a subsidiary of Puget Sound Power and Light, which provided electrical and motorized transportation up and down the coast.
The corner became a key surface transportation hub with the completion of Highway 99, now Capitol Way and Fourth Avenue. It was the home of Greyhound Bus Lines for many years. More recently, it was a COVID-19 testing facility.
The building is in the National Downtown Historic District but not individually registered.
A new venture
Johnston said she and her husband weren’t originally looking to get into the restaurant business. The two have purchased homes to renovate and flip, but they’ve never taken on such a large commercial project.
But LaPraim was looking for a space for his electrical business, and he knew the Greyhound building and its former owner well.
“I grew up in this area, and I’d taken the bus here as a young man, and it was really odd to me, being left alone in a big area like this, and seeing it in the state that it was, in this part of our neighborhood,” LaPraim said. “It was sad, and to have some light brought back on it, it’s really cool. We’re really hoping to bring back this part of Olympia and really help the community.”
Johnston said when they first checked the building out for LaPraim’s electrical business, they realized just how big it is and decided to break it into two concepts. The former building owner fell in love with the idea of creating The Bus Stop, and the couple were egged on by friends to make it happen.
LaPraim said when they moved into the building in January it was broken and desolate. It was right after asbestos abatement had been done, and there was a thin layer of white on every surface. There were cracks and graffiti on the walls, and the floor sloped.
“It just looked like an abandoned building. That was scary, and you knew, looking at it, it was a big project and a lot to do and overwhelming to most people,” he said. “When I look at things and I value them, I just have a way of looking at what it can be. And this building has always just really excited me.”
Casual, yet fancy
The building has been repainted white with gray/black detail, and it’s hard to miss the large, open garage bay with a food truck tucked behind seating. As you walk in you’ll notice vertically fluted wood details and orange leather chairs and stools.
The couple opted to keep the bar that is original to the building. LaPraim said it just needed an epoxy coat and for the stools to be reupholstered.
There’s a mural of downtown Olympia on the front wall, and skylights lead to a large room in the back that people will be able to rent out for parties and other more private events. Johnston said she plans to hang plants in the skylights to help fill out the space and give it even more life.
“I feel like it gives kind of a fancy, fun, old vibe,” Johnston said. “But the way that the food is going to be, the experience will be casual, even though the setting is kind of fancy.”
LaPraim said they want the space to be a place where the community can come together and families can have a casual place to dine.
“This building just, I mean, it was just waiting for something, and what we’re matching it with, we really feel is what it was really meant to be,” LaPraim said.
Johnston said the original plan only included a taproom and the outdoor food trucks, not a full bar and restaurant. But in order for those under 21 to be allowed inside, the couple had to pivot toward more food options to secure a liquor license.
Indoor patrons can order flatbread pizzas, desserts and salads, and drinks from a full bar with 16 beer taps, draft root beer and mocktails. Johnston said she’d love to feature a top-selling beer from every local brewery and give folks a smattering of Olympia tastes.
Outside in the food court will be the Greyhound Grill, featuring shish kabobs, burgers, wraps, tacos and sandwiches. Johnston said her mother will be running the food truck.
Lava Bowlz, a Lacey-based Açaí shop, will also set up a food truck in the garage bay.
There is ample outdoor seating in the garage bay that is protected from the elements and will be usable year round.
Johnston said she envisions having room to host game nights like trivia and karaoke events. She said they could even set up ping pong tables and cornhole boards outside.
A downtown connection
Johnston said she thinks The Bus Stop’s location is special because it acts as a connector between the Capitol Campus and downtown. Instead of folks walking past a stretch of vacant buildings, they could instead pop in for a snack and to learn more about the city’s offerings.
LaPraim said the building has faced a number of challenges even in the months the couple has owned it, from vandalism to break ins and looting. But the couple is hopeful that with more foot traffic in and out of open businesses in the area and through Sylvester Park, the less-welcome activity will subside.
The two are still trying to nail down parking options other than on the street. There is parking in the alley for employees, and they’re hoping to partner with a neighboring business to take over their parking lot after work hours and on weekends.
There are other finishing touches to be done still before the soft opening. Johnston said the theater marquee-style structure over the entrance will be revamped with LED lights and new paneling.
The entrance will be partially roped in and flanked by more outdoor seating. The garage bay door will be replaced with one that folds, and Johnston plans to outfit the entire property with greenery.
Johnston said she hopes The Bus Stop will help transform Olympia into a destination on par with Seattle.
“I think (Olympia’s) really underrated. I want to be known as a really cool place or destination that tourists want to come to and not just go to Seattle,” Johnston said. “I want them to be like, ‘Oh yeah, we’re going to Olympia.’ There’s just a lot of cool stuff here.”
This story was originally published August 9, 2024 at 5:05 AM with the headline "Look inside the old Greyhound station being transformed into a downtown food and drink hub."
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