New downtown cafe set to open, area Rite Aid will close and 2 office buildings are for sale
The owners of the new Papaver Roaster House are days away from opening their cafe and roastery in downtown Olympia.
Co-owner David Sherepitka said Thursday that the cafe at 500 Columbia St. NW is set to have its soft opening on June 6. The roastery will be up and running next week as well, he said, followed by the bakery later in the month.
The result is that they won’t have food on June 6, but they will have both hot and cold coffee drinks, with an additional plan to serve seasonal beverages.
Sherepitka described the coffee as a high-end, single-origin product that will feature lighter roasts. Customers will be able to purchase whole bean coffee and grind it on site, he said.
Once the bakery is up and running, they plan to serve sandwiches and French-inspired baked goods, such as croissants, tarts and other desserts. His wife and co-owner Elona, who is from Ukraine, also plans to prepare some baked goods inspired by her native country.
The cafe seats 24 people, plus they will have additional seating outdoors, he said. Hours will be 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays.
A grand opening is still to be determined, he said.
Rite Aid store closure
The Rite Aid store in Yelm at 909 E. Yelm Ave. is one of eight stores in Washington state that will close, KOMO News and USA Today report. It was not immediately clear when it would close.
The struggling chain filed for bankruptcy in 2023, which resulted in the closure of two Lacey stores, then the business filed for bankruptcy again earlier this month.
The second time around the company announced it would close more than 100 stores, but bankruptcy filings show they intend to close an additional 316 stores of the 1,200 still operating, according to USA Today.
The Lacey stores that previously closed were on Martin Way East and Sleater Kinney Road Southeast. The Sleater Kinney site is now being renovated for a future “specialized grocer,” city of Lacey information shows.
Rite Aid still has a Lacey store on Yelm Highway at College Street Southeast and a store in west Olympia.
Need an appliance?
The owner of Appliances 4 Less, a Lacey business that is closing in on three years of business here, reached out to The Olympian on Thursday to remind readers that they are an “open box” store.
What’s that? That’s the kind of business that resells products that have been sold by other stores, such as Home Depot, but the product — in this case, an appliance — was returned by the customer because, for example, it was slightly dented in transit.
They then sell those appliances at a discount, owner Yolanda Liu said.
They sell refrigerators, stoves, ranges, washers and dryers, dishwashers, microwaves, freezers and other items, she said. The business also works with a third-party business that helps with delivery and installation.
Appliances 4 Less is at 4520 Lacey Blvd. SE, Suite 39. However, the store actually faces Pacific Avenue. It is open 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.
Harbor Wholesale is recognized
Lacey-based Harbor Wholesale, a distributor of groceries to independent grocery stores, convenience stores and restaurants, is the Washington Food Industry Association’s Vendor of the Year for 2025.
A surprise presentation was made at the company’s headquarters and distribution center May 12, according to a news release.
“Over the years, Harbor Wholesale has weathered tremendous change and growth but has always remained true to its mission of delivering value to its customers and team members,” said WFIA President and CEO Tammie Hetrick in a statement. “Today, Harbor Wholesale continues to position itself for the future, leveraging technology and other industry innovations to meet their customers’ every need.”
Formed in 1923 as West Coast Produce in Aberdeen, the company has grown into one of the largest independent distributors on the West Coast, serving thousands of customers in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California and Nevada.
Real estate
Two office buildings near downtown Olympia, both of which are occupied by one state agency, are for sale, the commercial real estate brokerage Kidder Mathews announced this month.
The buildings are Capitol View l at 712 Quince St. NE and Capitol View ll at 724 Quince St. NE. They total more than 126,000 square feet and are occupied by the state Department of Social and Health Services, according to information released by Kidder Mathews.
The asking price is $31 million. DSHS has been in Capitol View 1 since 1988 and in Capitol View ll since 2007.
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 30, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
