Spate of closings includes brewery and west side store, plus donut biz hits pause
Headless Mumby, the west Olympia craft brewer best known for its lagers, will close, the business announced on social media.
The business owners had previously alerted the public via Facebook that they were in a dispute with their landlord and were being forced to move or close, the owners said.
And now they are closing.
“Times have changed — people no longer go out and spend like they did, ingredient prices have gone up 80% since we opened, our rent more than doubled. It’s just not tenable anymore,” the Facebook post reads.
“We’re down to four beers left on tap. Join us on Friday, August 2nd, to hang with some OG’s here. Keith, Alex, Stacey, and Shawn will all be in house to laugh and maybe cry over some delicious lager beer.”
Doos Donuts in west Olympia is taking a break due to a situation unrelated to the business, according to a note attached to the front door.
“Due to a family situation (we are good), we had to close our operations indefinitely,” the note reads. “We’ll have a better update soon in our Facebook page.”
Doos Donuts is at 1621 Harrison Ave. NW, Olympia.
BBQ Junkies Bar and Grill, a barbecue restaurant which operated at 5803 Lacey Blvd. SE near the Lacey post office, has closed. The business closed in May, owner Tracy LaVelle said, but she declined further comment.
The business opened in July 2023, The Olympian reported.
The AAA store in west Olympia, the public-facing location for area members, is closing next year.
“AAA Washington is transitioning to a fully virtual service model to best serve its 1.2 million members,” the organization announced in a news release.
“Because less than 4 percent of members visit AAA Washington stores in person, the organization will close its 12 member-facing retail locations by July 1, 2025. This includes the AAA Washington store located at 2627 Capital Mall Drive SW, Suite 1, Olympia.
“The closures only pertain to AAA retail stores in Washington state and Northern Idaho; no other AAA stores outside our region are impacted.”
Other business happenings
The Thurston Economic Development Council announced its Economic Courage award winners as part of its fourth annual Hootenanny event.
What’s economic courage? Here’s how the EDC described it:
“It’s about those exceptional leaders, businesses, and nonprofits that took extraordinary steps to provide valuable services, products, or support during challenging times. They dared to take risks and adapt, making a positive impact on their community and employees.”
The winners:
▪ New business: Humble Cow Ice Cream.
▪ Small business: Ember Goods LLC.
▪ Large business: Lucky Eagle Casino & Hotel.
▪ Nonprofit: Autism Acres.
Meanwhile, the federal Environmental Protection Agency is warning area businesses about a scam.
“In recent instances of this crime, a fraudster sent falsified letters through email or U.S. Postal Service mail,” agency officials said in a news release. “The letters allege that the target business violated an environmental regulation such as the Clean Air Act. They indicate that the business owes thousands of dollars in fines and should respond by phone or email.”
The EPA asks that those who receive the letter pay special attention to the fraudulent e-mail address, which reads “invoice@epa.services.”
That email address is not associated with the EPA.
“Official U.S. government organizations use the ‘.gov’ domain name; for example, ‘epa.gov,’” the news release reads.
Anyone who receives the letter is asked to file a complaint by calling 888-546-8740 or by sending an email to OIG.Hotline@epa.gov.
The Olympia Tractor Supply store is hosting a pet adoption event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10. The event is open to the public and friendly, leashed pets, according to a news release.
Tractor Supply is at 4141 Martin Way E.
The event is in partnership with Caring Hearts 4 Paws Dog Rescue, which will be on hand with dogs and cats looking for a home.
Real estate
A developer has proposed a 45-unit subdivision in Tumwater’s urban growth area, according to Thurston County, which has received a notice of application for the project.
The developer, Yelm 379 LLC, intends to develop the Pine Crest subdivision at 1923 83rd Ave. SW, Tumwater.
The comment period ends at 4 p.m. Aug. 20. Send your comments to Senior Planner Kraig Chalem at kraig.chalem@co.thurston.wa.us.
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 August 2, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
