The former Dancing Goats coffee roastery has a new owner after Monday vote
The Port of Olympia has a new location for its offices and commission meeting space after commissioners Monday voted 5-0 to buy the former Dancing Goats coffee roastery.
The coffee roastery, which sits on port property, signed a long-term lease with the port in the late 1990s when the business was still known as Batdorf & Bronson. It later became Dancing Goats, and then late last year the West Coast assets of the coffee business were acquired by Sumner-based Dillanos Coffee Roasters.
Dillanos did not need the building because they already have an established roastery, company officials previously told The Olympian.
Tapping reserves, the port will pay $2.15 million for the roastery building, which is between the Olympia Farmers Market and the main entrance to the marine terminal.
Port Executive Director Alex Smith says the deal makes sense for the port, largely because they currently are spending around $300,000 a year for offices and commission meeting space on nearby Columbia Street.
“If we were to build a new facility, it would cost upwards of $700 a square foot,” she said. Instead, the cost to the port, both to purchase and renovate the building, is $235 per square foot.
Commissioners praised the deal.
“I just think it’s a real proactive approach to asset management,” Commissioner Bob Iyall said.
Commissioner Amy Evans Harding said the purchase of the building has encountered the least community dissent in her tenure on the commission.
“So I take that as we’re moving in the right direction, and that this has community support,” she said.
Commissioner Jasmine Vasavada said, “What I’m most excited about is having a possible commission space that’s really built to be multi purpose and shared with the community for other values.”
Waterfront Center
Smith also said Monday that the port will continue to move forward on a proposed waterfront center because the port still has a need for marine offices as well as potential space for community and educational groups.
But Vasavada asked her to clarify what she means by “moving forward.”
Smith said there has been no authorization of a new building, but an architect has produced a market analysis of the center that will come before the commission at a later date.
“The difference now is it’s likely to be a smaller facility because we don’t need an entire floor dedicated to port administrative offices, but we’re still having conversations with other members of the community that might want to participate in a waterfront center,” Smith said.
This story was originally published February 11, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
