Cuban cafe to fill vacancy, and a new coffee roastery and cafe coming to the Olympia area
A new cafe is set to occupy a longtime vacancy in downtown Olympia, according to a check of the site and social media.
The owners of the business could not immediately be reached.
Mi Luna Cuban Cafe is opening in the former location of a Subway at the corner of Capitol Way South and Union Avenue. That location is across from Meconi’s.
Details about the new cafe are still emerging, but the business has hinted at the type of food it will be serving on social media.
The cafe’s Instagram account has highlighted a dairy-free coconut flan as well as an entree called pollo y pina, which is the following: “Citrus marinaded grilled chicken over pineapple and coconut milk tomato sauce. Cilantro lime salsa verde. Cuban black beans and rice,” the post reads.
Stay tuned.
Papaver Roaster House
Two Eastern European immigrants — he’s from Moldova and she’s from Ukraine — are planning to open a coffee shop in downtown Olympia and a roastery in Lacey on Willamette Drive Northeast, co-owner David Sherepitka told The Olympian on Thursday. He is running the business with his wife, Elona.
They expect to open the coffee shop, which they are calling Papaver Roaster House, in April at 500 Columbia St. NW, he said. That’s near Cynara Restaurant & Lounge.
The two have been planning the business for the last seven or eight years, he said, plus they spent about a year on finding the right location. Although they live in Puyallup, they wanted to be in Thurston County and expect to move here as well, he said.
“The time has finally worked out,” Sherepitka said.
The roastery in Lacey is coming along as well, according to city information.
On Dec. 24, the city’s Department of Community & Economic Development issued a determination of non-significance relative to the environmental impact of the coffee roasting facility at 2633 Willamette Drive NE.
And what about the name of the business?
Papaver is a kind of poppy that has special significance in Ukraine.
“We wanted to incorporate something floral, something beautiful into the name,” he said.
Eastside Olympia Food Co-op to expand
The eastside location of the Olympia Food Co-op is expanding, the organization announced on Facebook.
“Sometimes timing is everything!,” the post reads. “Recently, we became aware that the house and lot across Lansdale street was going on the market. The Board and staff acted quickly to acquire the property and we are pleased to announce that the Co-op now owns it!
“Purchasing this additional property opens up great possibilities for expanding our Eastside Store. The Staff and Board will now begin a planning process to determine the most optimal use of this additional space, as well as planning the store expansion. Some possibilities include staff parking, staff offices, and warehouse space. For now, we will be completing some minimal work to ensure it is safe and secure.
“The Board and staff are excited at the prospects of expanding The Eastside store and upgrading all of our facilities to make them more environmentally friendly. The purchase of this additional property will make that much more possible.”
Self Care beer expands, partnership announced
Three Magnets Brewing Co. in downtown Olympia is expanding the retail reach of its Self Care product, a popular line of non-alcoholic beers, the business announced.
The beer has already been approved for placement in Total Wine & More stores throughout Washington state for “Dry January,” and the business will continue to pursue chain store placements in 2025.
Three Magnets is also partnering with the Chehalis tribe’s Talking Cedar brewery in Grand Mound to produce Self Care beers.
“The strategic brewing partnership with Talking Cedar will allow Three Magnets’ pub system to focus on continued innovation by brewing pilot batches for its pub, direct to consumer website sales and distribution to specialty beer shops across the Pacific Northwest,” a news release reads.
And there’s more.
Three Magnets has launched a crowdfunding campaign through StartEngine Primary LLC, a regulated funding portal.
This campaign provides an opportunity for investors to support the growth of Self Care.
More information, including offering details and investment terms, can be found here.
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 27, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
