Along ‘Brewers’ Alley’
Neighboring Old Town Businesses
Complement Each Other

by Michael Barrett

Anchors are hardly new to Anacortes — a deepwater seaport since its inception more than 100 years ago. But the city of 15,000 inhabitants today needs another kind of anchor, too, to keep it stabilized — business anchor.

With Old Town high on the minds of town fathers as a tourist destination these days, it’s worth looking at this 20-block enclave for what it offers. Indeed, it’s apparent from a stroll down Commercial south of 10th Street that there’s plenty to see and visit: art galleries, sidewalk cafés, gift shops, boutiques and, yes, eating and drinking establishments.

Between Third and Fourth streets, for example, are four side-by-side businesses that have already proven their mettle as a tourism draw. First, there’s the Rockfish Grill, connected to the Anacortes Brewery, followed by Northwest Brewers Supply and finally the Watertown Pub.

Larry Lawrence, who runs the supply store at 316 Commercial Ave., says many of his customers also patronize the other establishments along “Brewer’s Alley,” as he calls the block.

“They look in my window. They’ve been to the Rockfish or Watertown and see that I sell brewer and vintner supplies, and come in. It’s a good location, and we, as neighboring businesses, have a good relationship — we complement each other,” he says.

“The brewery and Rockfish Grill are one company,” says Allen Rhodes, one of four partners in the combination restaurant and brewery at 320 Commercial Ave. He, Linda Libby, Paul Wasik and Rick Star bought the bankrupt Anacortes Brewhouse two years ago this month and reopened it with the new name two months later.

“This was a vibrant business seven years ago,” Rhodes says of the previous ownership, which also included the brewery. “But after a few years, it never lived up to its early success.”

“That’s been the biggest monkey on our back,” Libby adds.

She adds that a problem the former owners endured was the no-one-under-21 law, since the restaurant wasn’t closed off from the main bar. The Rockfish owners installed a divider and, until the late-night music starts, children are now allowed in as diners.

The Rockfish today is a going concern, with 32 employees many of them part-time, a full-time chef and a fast-growing clientele, both locals and tourists. The brewery produces about 750 barrels a year and is increasing that by 20 percent this year, Rhodes notes.

“We’ve doubled the cold-stored lager beer. That’s what makes our brewery different,” he says. Ale takes only three to five days to brew, while lager takes much longer. “We put in new tanks, and we’re doing more brewing.”

Tap accounts are growing, too. The brewery caters to Bella Isola Ristorante and Gere-a-Deli in town, a location on Lopez Island, and the Blue Star Café on 45th and Stone Way in Seattle. Strange it may seem, one of its biggest customers is the Watertown Pub, the closest competitor just steps away at 314 Commercial Ave., owned by Mike Coyne. But as Lawrence — the “incidental” business owner in the middle — observes: “Both Watertown and Rockfish have completely different clientele.”

 

Utilizing special talents

The four Rockfish owners also complement each other. At the brewery, Rhodes shares duties with Wasik, who served as head brewer under the old regime. Libby is “the eyes and ears in the kitchen.” Star is a promoter who also does most of the books.

“A cousin of mine drove by on his motorcycle and saw a sign on the door,” says Rhodes about how they found the place. “I’d known Wasik before and had done some brewing with him. It seemed a good fit.”

Libby, from the East Coast, had worked for a major Midwest food supplier and knew restaurants. She came to Anacortes seven years ago, and when the others needed advice, they hired her as a consultant, then brought her in as a monetary partner.

“Eight out of 10 restaurants fail,” she says. “They start thinking they know what they’re doing. I wanted to own a restaurant, but I didn’t want to work seven days a week. We still have lives and love what we do.”

The partners trade off responsibilities to make sure they have time for themselves and their families; and they give their employees benefits, too.

“It’s very hard to find trained help,” Libby admits. “Our goal is to have fun here. Another is to cut turnover.”

The restaurant uses commodities purchased fresh locally and serves much more than fish, despite its name. It also has a wood-fire oven.

Another goal of Rockfish Grill/Anacortes Brewery is to be a good community member. It not only promotes its neighbors, Old Town and the city; it also contributes to events beyond the fringes of Anacortes. It was a sponsor of the recent Dr. John concert at the Lincoln Theatre in Mount Vernon, for instance.

The Rockfish offers live music on weekends with well-known local musicians, and from 6 to 9 p.m. on respective Wednesdays for jazz, blues, blues solo and bluegrass music. It’s open from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. weeknights and until midnight Fridays and Saturdays.

“We bend to what the people of the town want, and the townspeople support us,” Rhodes states.