The Reef will close, restaurant remodels in Lacey and a downtown bakery ranks high in poll

This business roundup has been updated with new information.

After a year of business, The Reef in downtown Olympia on Fourth Avenue has decided to close, the restaurant announced on social media.

“I have the unfortunate task of announcing that we will be closing our doors,” the Instagram post reads. “I wish we could continue, but with the current challenges of being downtown, coupled with massive increases in costs to function in this industry, we have decided that we can’t force the issue any longer.

“We love this community, we all grew up here and wanted to be a part of a revitalization — for the community and our families we are now raising here. Please vote and use your voices to hopefully usher in that positive change we all want to see in a place we deeply love.

“We will be open through this Sunday evening August 10th. Then open for one final weekend, Friday August 15th, Saturday August 16th and Sunday August 17th and shut down after brunch service that final Sunday.”

Lacey restaurant remodels

For all intents and purposes, La Mansion is a “new” restaurant in Lacey because it underwent a complete renovation last fall, said owner Victor Diaz on Friday.

The Mexican-inspired seafood restaurant at 5211 Lacey Blvd. SE now has the following: new exterior paint, a new patio, new booths, tables and chairs, and even the menu covers are new, said Diaz.

The exterior color of the building was previously purple but now it is white. The restaurant sign is also new, Diaz said.

This is an existing business that filled the space once occupied by Ricardo’s, he said.

Ricardo’s since has moved to 676 Woodland Square Loop SE.

“Serving delicious seafood dishes, including fresh fish and shellfish, alongside classic Mexican favorites,” the La Mansion website reads.

Some of the menu items:

La Mansion platter: Grilled ranchera steak, grilled chicken, shrimp skewer. Served with rice, refried beans and salad.

Skillet mix fajitas: Fresh chicken, steak and shrimp grilled with spices, peppers and onions. Served with rice, refried beans and tortillas on the side.

Camarones: Shrimp cooked in butter served with rice, refried beans, fresh salad with option of sauce.

The restaurant is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays.

City officials set to hear spa proposal

The city of Olympia’s Site Plan Review Committee is set to hear a proposal Aug. 13 for Club Zephyr, a spa that seeks to open at 120 Phoenix St. NE, just north of Martin Way.

The committee provides feedback on what local government expects of development and redevelopment projects proposed in the city. A narrative of the proposal shows the following:

“After seven years working in spa management, design and development in the Joshua Tree area of California, Managing Members Jacqueline Grad and Kevin (Kaz) Murphy are relocating to Olympia, bringing their capital along with their development, design and operational skills to this project to launch an indoor/outdoor Day Spa with private and exotic natural surroundings, offering hot and warm soaking pools, a built-in covered swimming pool, sauna, steam bath, cold plunge, salt cave, holistic-oriented body treatments, and connected via an alley and gate to a dedicated yoga facility run by yoga instructor partner Erynn Pierce.”

It also will have “a small boutique with apparel and merchandise, and a Juice Café with cold-pressed juice cleanses to order, as well as juice drinks, smoothies, teas and raw snacks and alcohol choices,” the narrative reads.

The Bread Peddler ranks high in poll

MarketBeat.com, a financial media company, polled 3,004 residents in Washington state to find out which independently owned businesses define the area.

Downtown Olympia bakery and cafe Bread Peddler ranked No. 3 in the state, according to the survey, right behind Elliott Bay Books and Dick’s in Seattle.

“This French-inspired bakery and café serves up rustic loaves, buttery croissants, and espresso worth writing home about,” the news release says about Bread Peddler. “Cozy, local, and always smells like something just came out of the oven.”

The Bread Peddler is at 222 Capitol Way N.

High marks for Providence St. Peter Hospital

Providence Swedish hospitals throughout Puget Sound have again been recognized in U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings of the nation’s best hospitals, including Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia.

Providence St. Peter Hospital earned 17 high-performing awards, including for abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, aortic valve surgery, back surgery spinal fusion, colon cancer surgery, heart bypass surgery, hip replacement, knee replacement, pacemaker implantation and transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Townhomes proposed in Lacey UGA

Edwards Development Group LLC has proposed the Townhomes at Sleater Junction at 4212 23rd Ave. NE in Lacey’s urban growth area, according to Thurston County information.

“This proposal consists of the construction of 50 units, 3.03 acres of dedicated open spaces, stormwater facilities, internal streets, sidewalks and off-site pedestrian paths,” the project proposal narrative reads.

Care to comment on the proposal? Submit them here by no later than 4 p.m. Aug. 23.

Pinnacle Development Services LLC is exploring a single-family residential development with 84 homes called Anderson Place at 2719 70th Ave. SW, according to city of Tumwater information.

The project would subdivide 14.53 acres, according to the city.

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 8, 2025 at 5:00 AM.