St. Helens Cafe Becomes... Harmon II? (30. January 2008, 21:46 by Derek Young) ~ Beer and Breakfast?
The little birds were released when we heard that the St. Helens Cafe had closed its doors. Quickly, the stories starting coming back. There was something about beer storage. Then, it became something about beer drinking. Then breakfast (?)… then silence.
Now, a few days later, the word on the street is that the the folks at the Harmon Brewery on Pacific Ave have been checking out the space. The lease may even be signed by now. Their intentions? A Harmon with more of a neighborhood feel. The best news of all is that we heard something about good fresh breakfasts… Mmm…. breakfast… and a desire to be open by St. Patrick’s Day. That’d be quick.
Harmon North? Harmon – Stadium District? Harmon II? St. Helens Harmon? Something else? We’ll see.
Link to Harmon Brewing
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Hopefully this little bird wasn’t too liquored up ‘cause this would be fun stuff. Tho I’ll probably stick with PSP and Knapp’s for my b-fast needs. At least for the time being…
1 | Posted by KevinFreitas | Jan 30, 10:24 PM
Now, a few days later, the word on the street is that the the folks at the Harmon Brewery on Pacific Ave have been checking out the space. The lease may even be signed by now. Their intentions? A Harmon with more of a neighborhood feel.
The Harmon could do it. The would have to revamp the inside. They need to add a bar.
However, the neighborhood is pretty hopping.
It is interesting that the owner of Harmon would open another Harmon when he was working on the Broadway Speakeasy. Unless the Speakeasy is dead.
I noticed the real estate company that the Harmon owner has interest in lost the contract for selling the Mecca Condos.
Anyone know if the Broadway Speakeasy is still a go?
Seeing that this neighborhood Harmon would be my neighborhood Harmon, I only have one word for this. Sweeeeeeet.
4 | Posted by Erik Hanberg | Jan 30, 10:44 PM
A difficult street frontage, though the summertime foliage adds something to it. For those less inclined to um, a Doyle’s experience, the possibilities are endless. it could really round out the block.
5 | Posted by jdub | Jan 30, 11:23 PM
I bet the parking requirement has something to do with this. Erik B. takes over from here
Yep. Barred by the city to build anything and doomed to be another of Tacoma’s 1001 surface level parking lots.
For some reason, Stadium has about the worst managed on-street parking in the city.
The good news is that there is a ton of on-street parking in the area. All around the triangle by the Temple Theater and the surrounding streets.
However, little of it has even 2 hour time limit signs. Proctor and 6th Avenue at least have appropriate signs so there is some turnover.
Hence the area around Doyles and Stadium Bistro is full of long term parkers using the area to store their cars. The area can’t breathe. Yet, this is in a commercial area.
Until the street parking has some rudimentary parking management, it is impossible to gauge the demand.
With areas with restaurants in Tacoma we are going to have to manage parking after 6:00 p.m. (which I found out in a recent trip to Redwood City is in fact possible).
The lot immediately north of the Stadium Bistro building is 25 feet by 130 feet. I recently put together a conceptual design for infilling that lot. Because the lot is so narrow, the only way to meet the minimum off-street parking requirement is to build parking spaces directly off 2nd St. This would be prohibitively expensive because the parking floors would have to be elevated to the same level as the gradually sloping sidewalk along 2nd. Of course, access to parking on the lot would all but eliminate the on-street spaces there.
My design includes two live-work spaces bookending the block with five two-story lofts between. And yes, the minimum parking requirements are met: there is a one-car garage for each unit.
If I knew how to work computers I would put in a link to the SketchUp project.
awesome! Parking is not very good around there though. That area right there is pretty dense with apts and if I dont get home by 8pm I usually have to park 5 blocks away, Not bad compared to caphill but still street parking is getting pretty limited. I hope this comes through and I hope the harmon puts some walls up to divide up the space.
Jake @3: You’re not the only one that noticed that. I see also that they have 5,800 square feet on Broadway for sale at $1.2M. Is this the Speakeasy space?
10 | Posted by morgan | Jan 31, 08:49 AM
I hope the Speakeasy project is still a go. I think the brewery/movie idea is excellent. I would love to see the stadium project go forward, but it does seem odd they would do a dual expansion at the same time. I hope the speakeasy project is still intact too! Keep us posted Derek.
11 | Posted by Andrew | Jan 31, 08:58 AM
Its my understanding that the Broadway space was intended to be the Speakeasy, and the Commerce space was to be leased for retail. Interesting.
12 | Posted by dni | Jan 31, 11:13 AM
It’s confirmed.
http://blogs.thenewstribune.com/edsdiner/2008/01/31/title_487
13 | Posted by Ed Murrieta | Jan 31, 05:09 PM
Sounds good. I’ll miss the Central Cinema/McMenamins style brew-theater, but better to actually get this than dream about that.
14 | Posted by Erik S | Jan 31, 06:59 PM
I’d be happy if they would allow people to use St Helen’s Cafe gift certificates so that two of my xmas presents that I gave this year weren’t worthless. Probably not likely, oh well.
15 | Posted by Alison | Jan 31, 07:34 PM
It should would be nice if Tacoma could have a brewpub that made making excellent beer its highest priority.
Harmons used to have good seasonals but that has changed. Engine No 9? Don’t get me started.
17 | Posted by beerBoy | Feb 5, 02:29 PM
The Harmon brews the best IPA in the south sound. I also enjoy their Octoberfest. I think they call it “Killer Brew.”
18 | Posted by CA | Feb 5, 03:41 PM
Sorry, Dick’s Bottleworks IPA is far superior. I haven’t been to Centralia to check out their deli but I know they pour there so, technically, they would qualify as a brewpub.
Don’t get me wrong – Harmons is OK – but they don’t excite me. I used to go there for the seasonals but, since they changed managers it seems like they have cut back on the grain bill on those brews.
19 | Posted by beerBoy | Feb 6, 01:37 PM
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