New Lacey restaurant opens to positive reviews, and a downtown housing project advances
A new Chinese restaurant in Lacey called Yummy Panda has generated buzz across social media, according to a check of a popular Facebook page.
The Olympian stopped by the business on Thursday, but the owner was not in at the time. The restaurant is next to the Lacey Post Office in the Lacey Downs Plaza at 5823 Lacey Blvd. SE. It has filled a vacancy left by Pirates Poke & Sip, which opened in September 2023 and now is closed.
Diners who have discovered the business have shared their thoughts about it on the Best of Olympia Facebook page. Here are some of those comments:
▪ We ordered Cashew Chicken and Lo Mein — enjoyed both, and the staff was super nice.
▪ I was just there today and got the Mongolian beef and wow! They serve huge portions!
▪ Tried it on Saturday. It was delicious.
▪ We got food from there tonight and it was excellent!
▪ I got the Chicken Lo Mein the other day. It was good.
The business is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. It is closed Wednesdays and open noon to 9 p.m. Sundays.
Affordable housing project moves forward
A downtown Olympia project that will turn a former office building into 64 units of affordable housing has a path forward, The Olympian has learned.
The project at 505 Union Ave. is called The Gibson. The building is owned by developer Ken Brogan, who turned a former office building that overlooks Capitol Lake and Budd Inlet into the Views on Fifth.
Brogan was prepared to dive into his new project, then learned his state office tenants were requesting more time to find a new home. He was puzzled by that request, pointing out many state employees work remotely, so why should it take time to find a new home?
Well, that issue has been resolved, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Enterprise Services, which manages state property and leases, said Thursday.
Those tenants, previously identified as the Transportation Improvement and Freight Mobility Strategic Investment boards, are expected to move in early July into the state Department of Natural Resources building on the Capitol Campus, she said.
Meanwhile, the city continues to review permits for The Gibson, including a building permit, said Tim Smith, deputy director of Community Planning and Economic Development.
The city has prioritized affordable housing by offering incentives and exemptions to developers, and Brogan has taken advantage of some of them, said Smith, including applications for reduced connection and impact fees.
Brogan could not be reached, but he did share a rendering of The Gibson with The Olympian last month.
“I collect guitars so the name and signage hints towards my liking,” he said in an email.
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Quilt and needlework business coming to College Street
A quilt and needlework business called A Needle in Hand is set to open on College Street on June 5, said owner Kayla Sharpe. She is occupying space in a development that is near College Street and Pacific Avenue. There’s a Starbucks on the corner as well as a LimeBerry, she said.
Her business will occupy 2,000 square feet, which will be divided between a retail store and a community space that will be a place for workshops or open sewing sessions, as well as for other crafts-type endeavors or perhaps for a book club.
“They can sit, eat, stitch, gossip and study,” she said.
The business intends to operate 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, Sharpe said.
For more about A Needle in Hand, see its Facebook page.
Marijuana business expands
Green Lady Marijuana has opened a location in Lacey at 4820 Yelm Highway SE, Suite D.
That now gives the business three locations. The other two are at 3044 Pacific Ave. SE and 2405 Harrison Ave. NW in Olympia.
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 May 23, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
