Pizza business closes, and a Tumwater tasting room will close at the end of the year

Gig Harbor-based Heritage Distilling will close five tasting rooms in Oregon and Washington, including the one in Tumwater’s craft district on Capitol Boulevard, as part of a transition announced by the business last week.

All five tasting rooms will close at the end of the year, according to the business.

“This was an extremely difficult decision and one we did not make lightly,” said co-founder Justin Stiefel in a statement.

“For more than 13 years, our tasting rooms have been the heart of our spirits business and the cornerstone of the community for the connections we built.

“But changing consumer behaviors, increasing costs and recently enacted and proposed taxes at the state level made future investments in this part of our business operations unsustainable,” he said.

In addition, the business will transition spirits production to third-party partners.

It wasn’t clear how many jobs will be lost at the Tumwater tasting room — The Olympian could not reach Heritage Distilling for further information — but 58 Heritage employees overall will lose their jobs, according to Gig Harbor Now.

“The distillery is offering incentives for employees to stay through the end of the year, including severance packages,” the online news site reports.

The Tumwater tasting room occupies 7,000 square feet in a 26,000-square-foot building, the majority of which is leased by South Puget Sound Community College for its brewing and distilling program.

Craft district co-developer John Peters said he is actively talking to groups who are interested in the tasting room space. He declined to name them, but said their operations are similar to the retailers who already do business at the craft district.

Kelly Green, Vice President for Advancement at SPSCC, said the college’s operations at the craft district are unaffected by the tasting room closure.

In other craft district news: Construction has started on a new building and the America’s Credit Union branch has opened.

Farewell to The Rock

The Rock, a regional wood-fired pizza chain that operated an eatery next to the Regal Martin Village cinemas in Lacey, has closed, the business announced on social media.

It is one of a half dozen locations to close in Washington state. Co-founder Don Bellis told The News Tribune that only two locations will remain open: sites in Lake Tapps and Denver, Colorado, which are separately owned by other individuals.

“After 30 amazing years serving our communities, we’ve made the difficult decision to close our Rock restaurants at Renton, Covington, Federal Way, Puyallup, Tacoma, and Lacey,” the Facebook post reads. “This choice did not come easily — each restaurant has been part of countless family dinners, celebrations, and everyday moments shared with friends.”

“It’s just the economy, to be honest with you,” Bellis told The News Tribune. “With the rising minimum wages, the rising commodity costs, increases in rent, it’s very difficult to survive in business.”

Summit Pacific welcomes first patients to expanded medical center

Elma-based Summit Pacific Medical Center has officially completed the first phase of its hospital expansion, welcoming patients into a new facility in September.

Phase 1 features 20 private acute care rooms, according to a news release.

“These rooms also support Summit Pacific’s new Restorative Care Program, which enables patients recovering from illness, injury, or surgery to receive rehabilitative ‘swing bed’ care locally — close to family, friends, and home,” the release reads.

Olympia business participates in Halloween event

Blues Heating and Air, a heating and air conditioning business in Olympia, participated in a Halloween event at Rochester Primary School, joining other local businesses in providing Halloween treats to children, according to a news release.

“Blues Heating and Air team members embraced the Halloween spirit by wearing costumes themselves, adding to the festive atmosphere and connecting with the community they serve,” the release reads.

Farrelli’s Pizza joins donation drive to support Santa’s Castle

Farelli’s Pizza is participating in a toy and coat donation drive to support JBLM-based Santa’s Castle.

The donation drive runs though Nov. 24. Farrelli’s has set a combined goal of $15,000 in donations.

“The effort aims to bring holiday joy to the children of junior enlisted service members throughout the Puget Sound region,” a news release reads. “This year’s campaign is especially meaningful as many military families are facing added strain due to the ongoing government shutdown and broader economic pressures.”

Guests are invited to drop off new, unwrapped toys or new coats at one of Farrelli’s 12 locations, including four locations in Thurston County: Hawks Prairie, Lacey, Tumwater and Yelm.

People news

Jim Campbell has been sworn into office as Thurston Public Utility District’s new commissioner for District No. 1.

He replaces longtime commissioner Linda Oosterman, who resigned from her seat over the summer, according to the PUD, which is a water utility.

Campbell worked for the Olympia Brewing Co. for 20 years, then transitioned to the water industry. For the next 22 years, he worked in public utilities, ending his career as Thurston PUD director of field operations.

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 October 31, 2025 at 5:00 AM.