Every batch of Sirena gelato is made the old-fashioned way, hand scooped and hand decorated, one pan at a time. Photo credit: Campfire Photography.
After our dark, damp winters, Whatcom County residents flock outdoors once the sunbreaks turn to partly cloudy days – no matter how cold it is outside. But in a climate unaccustomed to air conditioning in every house, folks start to search for ways to cool back down as the weather starts to heat up. What better way to beat those hot and humid days than a delicious frozen treat?
Bubblegum and vanilla remain the two top favorites out of Edaleen’s 26 flavors of ice cream. Photo courtesy: Edaleen Dairy.
Check out the links to each spot below to find ice cream, frozen yogurt, popsicles, ice cream sandwiches and a whole host of other delicious ways to cool off just about anywhere in Whatcom County.
Mallard Ice Cream (Downtown Bellingham)
Mallard Ice Cream has been serving up unique and delicious ice cream in Downtown Bellingham since 1998. Their ice cream is made by hand in salt and ice churns five gallons at a time, tasting and adjusting at every step to get the best end product. Their wide variety of unique permanent and rotating flavors of ice cream and non-dairy sorbet will delight anyone’s palate.
Take your pick of over 20 flavors of ice cream at Edaleen Dairy. Photo courtesy: Edaleen Dairy.
Acme Ice Cream is made with lots of cream and has no added air. The resulting treat has a unique, thick and taffy-like texture. Plus they use only fresh, hormone-free, local milk from right here in Whatcom County. They make more than a dozen flavors including classic offerings such as Vanilla Bean or Butter Pecan, available all the time, and festive seasonal flavors like Blueberries ‘n Cream or Eggnog depending on the time of year.
You can find Acme Ice Cream at countless locations all across Whatcom County, but their flagship stores are the Acme Diner and Rocket Donuts & Acme Ice Cream in Fairhaven and Downtown Bellingham. Who says you don’t need ice cream with your donuts?
Edaleen Dairy (Blaine, Ferndale, Lynden, Sumas)
Gelato ice cream sandwiches are an excellent hand-held treat just about any time of year. Pictured here: Pan dolce gelato sandwiched between two chocolate chip cookies (they’re easier to eat once they’ve melted just a little). Photo credit: Campfire Photography.
If you’re anything like me, the telltale jingle of an ice cream truck is enough to make you drop everything you’re doing and run outside. Sugar Shack Ice Cream Truck has been bringing summertime joy to kids of all ages in Whatcom County since 2005. Classic offerings like ice cream sandwiches, popsicles and cones are the perfect cool treats for a hot day.
Sirena Gelato makes delicious, melt-in-your mouth gelato in the heart of downtown Bellingham. Sirena makes non-dairy, fresh fruit sorbets and dairy-based gelatos with exotic ingredients such as organic Turkish hazelnuts, premium black cocoa and Thai coconut milk. They also create affogatos (espresso poured over gelato – yum), gelato cookie sandwiches with festive rainbow sprinkles, milkshakes, custom cakes and gourmet made-from-scratch popsicles.
Lafeen’s Family Pride Donuts and Ice Cream
Every batch of Sirena gelato is made the old-fashioned way, hand scooped and hand decorated, one pan at a time. Photo credit: Campfire Photography.
This old school shop in Bellingham’s Silver Beach neighborhood is a donut go-to for many, but you can also find a rotating selection of tasty ice cream. Need a scoop of nostalgia? There’s a very good chance you’ll find bubblegum ice cream tucked in the freezer at Lafeen’s.
Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt
If you’re in the mood for a truly customizable cup or cone, stop by one of two Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt locations in Bellingham at Bakerview Road and Lakeway Center. Their wide selection of rotating frozen yogurts and dozens of topping options ranging from the fruity to the chocolatey means everyone can make a mix that will leave them smiling.
West Coast Pops (Mobile)
West Coast Pops offers gourmet, all natural popsicles handmade with fresh ingredients in Bellingham. With more than a dozen flavors ranging from classics like Orange cream to unique Watermelon Mint or Banana Pudding, you’re sure to find something to suit your taste buds.
There are so many options! I guess you’ll have to get started on taste testing … For science, of course.
Acclaimed chef Jenn Louis visits Village Books in Fairhaven Wednesday, Aug. 23 for two events in support of her new cookbook, The Book of Greens.
Jenn Louis will be sharing her new book, The Book of Greens. Photo courtesy: Village Books.
Louis will demonstrate recipes from the book at 4:00 p.m. at the Bellingham Farmers Wednesday Market on the Village Green directly behind Village Books. Then, at 7:00 p.m., the Portland-based chef will discuss her book at Village Books’ Readings Gallery. Both events are free and open to the public.
Louis’ encyclopedic reference to the world of greens has more than 175 creative recipes for every meal of the day. For any home cook who is stuck in a “three-green rut”—who wants to cook healthy, delicious, vegetable-focused meals, but is tired of predictable salads with kale, lettuce, cabbage, and the other usual suspects—The Book of Greens has the solution. Chef Louis has compiled more than 175 recipes for simple, show-stopping fare, from snacks to soups to mains (and even breakfast and dessert) that will inspire you to reach for new greens at the farmers’ market, or use your old standbys in totally fresh ways. Organized alphabetically by green, each entry features information on seasonality, nutrition, and prep and storage tips, along with recipes like Grilled Cabbage with Miso and Lime, Radish Greens and Mango Smoothie, and Pasta Dough with Tomato Leaves.
Jenn Louis is executive chef and owner of the celebrated Portland restaurant Lincoln. In 2012, her soulful, seasonally focused cooking earned her recognition as a Best New Chef by Food & Wine magazine. She is a two-time semifinalist for the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Northwest and she competed on season five of Bravo’s Top Chef Masters.
About the book: Can’t make it to the event? No problem! You can pre-pay and receive a signed, personalized copy of The Book of Greens. We ship!
About Village Books & Paper Dreams: Founded in 1980 by Chuck and Dee Robinson and as of 2017 under new ownership and stewardship of Paul Hanson, Kelly Evert and Sarah Hutton, Village Books and Paper Dreams is a community-based, independent bookstore and gift shop with two locations: the flagship store in the historic Fairhaven district of Bellingham, WA, and its second location in the historic Waples Mercantile Building in Lynden, WA. Village Books has received many awards, including multiple Mayor’s Arts Awards, the Tourism Business of the Year by the members of the Convention and Visitors Bureau, and was recently named one of five finalists for the Publishers Weekly Bookstore of the Year. The store was also honored as the 2008 Outstanding Philanthropic Small Business in Washington state. Village Books’ mission is “building community, one book at a time,” which its dedicated staff does daily through a dedicated staff, by collaborating with numerous community organizations and through its Literature Live author event series, through which it hosts over 350 authors each year.
Hear Newberry Award winner and New York Times bestselling author Kwame Alexander read from his new Young Adult (YA) novel Solo at a 7:00 p.m., Monday, Aug. 21 Literature Live event at Village Books in Fairhaven. Adding to the fun, audience members will help Alexander celebrate his birthday, which is the same day.
Kwame Alexander will read from his new YA novel, Solo. Photo credit: Portia Wiggins Portraiture.
Solo, a YA novel written with Mary Rand Hess in poetic verse, tells the story of 17-year-old Blade Morrison, whose life is bombarded with scathing tabloids and a father struggling with just about every addiction under the sun – including a desperate desire to make a comeback. Haunted by memories of his mother and his family’s ruin, Blade’s only hope is in the forbidden love of his girlfriend. But when he discovers a deeply protected family secret, Blade sets out on a journey across the globe that will change everything he thought to be true. With his signature intricacy, intimacy and poetic style, Alexander explores what it means to finally come home.
About Village Books & Paper Dreams: Founded in 1980 by Chuck and Dee Robinson and as of 2017 under new ownership and stewardship of Paul Hanson, Kelly Evert and Sarah Hutton, Village Books and Paper Dreams is a community-based, independent bookstore and gift shop with two locations: the flagship store in the historic Fairhaven district of Bellingham and its second location in the historic Waples Mercantile Building in Lynden. Village Books has received many awards, including multiple Mayor’s Arts Awards, the Tourism Business of the Year by the members of the Convention and Visitors Bureau, and was recently named one of five finalists for the Publishers Weekly Bookstore of the Year. The store was also honored as the 2008 Outstanding Philanthropic Small Business in Washington State. Village Books’ mission is, “building community, one book at a time,” which its dedicated staff does daily through a dedicated staff, by collaborating with numerous community organizations and through its Literature Live author event series, through which it hosts over 350 authors each year.
Museum Curator and Co-Founder Jonathan Winter does daily educational demonstrations, this one in the Static Electricity Lab. Photo courtesy: Spark Museum of Electrical Invention.
Since I was a small child, I’ve been fascinated by how—and why—our world works the way it does. That’s why my family and I love The Spark Museum of Electrical Invention, covering the dawn of the electrical age as early as the 1600s, through the Golden Age of radio in the 1920s, and up through the evolution of today’s modern technology. Their otherworldly MegaZapper Electrical shows each weekend are a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
But just as fascinating as their 39 separate exhibits is the story conveyed to me by founders Jonathon Winter and John Jenkins of how the museum came to be. Their story spans five decades and follows these two accidental heroes on a meandering journey. With help from a team of local businesses, friends and volunteers, these gentlemen made Spark their living legacy—preserving history and educating generations to come.
From Collections to a Museum
Spark Museum of Electrical Invention was founded by CEO John Jenkins (L) and Curator Jonathon Winter (R). Photo courtesy: Spark Museum of Electrical Invention.
Winter, now Spark’s Curator, first began collecting radios at a young age. By the time he and his wife moved to Bellingham from California almost 40 years ago, he had an extensive collection of radios made and used from about 1915 to 1926. The collection was too large for his home so Winter found the Marketplace Building in Fairhaven—now Sycamore Square. Instead of hiding his collection away, Winter opened the Bellingham Antique Radio Museum on his own dime. “I had a true desire to share this collection. It was really just a glorified storage unit,” recalls Winter.
After a year Winter had to move his collection. “I was lucky enough to know a guy, Bob Hall, who owns property in town. He had a very small, narrow spot on Railroad Avenue and I took it,” remembers Winter. “The internet was new then but people interested in antiques and radio found us and came from around the world to see the collection. It was floor to ceiling then. That’s when I met John Jenkins.”
Jenkins, now CEO of Spark, grew up on Lake Samish and later moved to the Seattle area to work for electronics giant Hewlett Packard (HP). He’d also been collecting antique radios since he was 13. “I stopped in to the museum way back in the 1970s,” recalls Jenkins. “Jonathon and I were both collectors so we hit it off and stayed in touch over the years. In 1986, I left HP for Microsoft.”
By the late 1990s, a group of Winter’s friends encouraged him to transition his museum to non-profit status. Many of those friends became the museum’s first Board of Directors. Although he’d previously been on the board of the Pacific Science Center in Seattle, Jenkins declined at the time to join the board because he was traveling the world on behalf of Microsoft.
A New Home and Two New Names
Co-founder Jonathon Winter demonstrates and repairs pieces in the museum’s collection, including items that were once part of his personal collection. Photo courtesy: Spark Museum of Electrical Invention.
Around 2000 and 2001, the new board decided that the museum really needed more space to be effective. Jenkins retired from Microsoft, moved to Bellingham and joined the board but that was just the beginning. “I was pretty dismayed at the economic decline of Bellingham’s downtown. Like many towns of the time, the invention of the mall really had an impact,” remembers Jenkins. “It was really hard on me because as a kid, downtown was where we went to get back-to-school clothes and Christmas shopping. Going to town was a special thing. It made me sad to see what it had become. So I wanted to do something direct that would help.” Jenkins started attending the Downtown Bellingham Partnership meetings. There Jenkins met Alice Clark of the Pickford Theatre, then located only in the Limelight on Cornwall Avenue.
“I wanted to do something direct to help the downtown so I started looking for a building to buy. I’d rent half to the museum for some ridiculously low rent and rent the other half to the Pickford,” recalls Jenkins. He found his buildings on Bay Street. “I knew that the downtown would make a comeback as a cultural and residential center and I figured a quirky, cool museum might help that. But I didn’t know how to run a museum. I was just going along with the board and what the museum needed.”
Museum Curator and Co-Founder Jonathan Winter does daily educational demonstrations, this one in the Static Electricity Lab. Photo courtesy: Spark Museum of Electrical Invention.
At the time of the move, the museum wanted a broader impact, so they changed their name to the American Museum of Radio. By that time, Jenkins’ own private collection had grown to become one of the largest of 19th century electromagnetic apparatus in the world. His items primarily pre-dated radio, those connected to key milestones in the early discovery and investigation of electricity. “John and I became very good friends and we both believed that the best use of our collections were as educational tools,” remembers Winter. So Jenkins moved his collection into the new space and the museum became The American Museum of Radio and Electricity.
Jenkins’ collection includes one of the first 26 of Thomas Edison’s first successful electric lamps made in 1879 and a first edition book from 1560, one containing the earliest mentions of electricity and magnetism.
The museum chugged along for several years with help from a bequest from the estate of former board member Robert “Bob” Foote. Although it was still drawing visitors from out of town, it was losing money. The board knew it would need to make changes and develop a new fundraising plan that would keep the museum safe for future generations.
A Spark of Inspiration
Over 4000 children participate in Spark’s hands-on educational programs each year, learning science without even realizing it. Photo courtesy: Spark Museum of Electrical Invention.
Jenkins stepped in. “I started looking at the museum from a visitor’s eyes instead of a collector’s eyes and realized we needed to appeal to everyone, not just people who love antiques,” explains Jenkins. “We restored the building to its 1911 splendor and changed the name one more time to Spark Museum of Electrical Invention and got a new logo.” Jenkins also found a Tesla coil, in fact the largest west of Chicago, now part of Spark’s MegaZapper weekend shows. “I knew the Tesla coil would be the thing to draw people in and back again. How can you argue with 14-foot lightning bolts?”
According to Jenkins, the show is otherworldly. “It is sort of Franklin meets Frankenstein – science reality meets science fiction fun.” The centerpiece is the fantastic “Faraday Cage of Doom” designed and built by world-renowned sculptor Ric Allen. “It’s a huge draw. We went from 4,000 visitors in 2008 to 16,000 in 2009,” adds Jenkins.
A Lasting Legacy
A Van de Graaff Generator makes static electricity fun for everyone. Photo courtesy: Spark Museum of Electrical Invention.
Although the museum is run by a small staff, both Winter and Jenkins are still a regular presence. Winter comes by and volunteers at the museum almost daily, demonstrating and repairing the devices and contraptions, some of which were once part of his personal collection. Jenkins also brings in guest speakers including the infamous author and technology historian George Dyson. “I never planned to spend my retirement running a museum but here I am,” notes Jenkins. “I’s rewarding to see the thousands of kids that come out so pumped about what they’ve seen. It keeps me going.”
Since 2005, Spark has also operated KMRE 102.3 FM, a non-commercial, community-based low power radio station. Thanks to support from tireless volunteers, KMRE presents over 50 locally-produced radio programs ranging from gothic radio drama to live civics education to psychedelic music revival.
With the help of some dedicated staff, the Board of Directors and a host of volunteers, the museum is also making a regular economic and educational impact.
The museum now offers fantastic rare artifacts, hands-on exhibits and exciting demonstrations to more than 20,000 visitors each year including school groups and local lovers like me. More than 60 percent of visitors are tourists from around the world. “In 2016 visitors who came from more than 50 miles away primarily to see us, spent over $1.6 million in the local economy here,” notes Jenkins.
Whether you’re a collector of antiquities, a history buff, a fan of explosions and action, or a kid of any age, you’ll find something at Spark to engage your curiosity. But Spark is still working hard to ensure their future. They still need a greater percentage of their costs covered by grants and donations. Those donations will support the fascinating hands-on exhibits, rare historic pieces, dazzling shows and community radio. Winter and Jenkins’ living legacy is a true gem in the downtown Bellingham and Whatcom County community.
Spark is located at 1312 Bay Street and is open Wednesday to Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with the MegaZapper shows occurring at 2:30 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday.
Dale Serbousek has found fun and adventure at the Chuckanut Sports Car Club. Photo courtesy: Dale Serbousek.
Dale Serbousek, local real estate broker with RE/MAX Whatcom County, Inc., describes a conversation he had a few months ago in which he discovered the local Chuckanut Sports Car Club. “I heard about it just having a conversation in town with someone new,” he says. “I always learn new things when I meet new people and I like cars so this opportunity seemed great for me.”
The Chuckanut Sports Car Club sponsors autocross, rally racing events and social drives throughout Western Washington. Photo courtesy: Dale Serbousek.
The Chuckanut Sports Car Club meets monthly throughout the year; while also sponsoring autocross, rally racing events and social drives throughout Western Washington. Serbousek explains with enthusiasm that autocross involves individual cars being timed as they drive through a temporary course of orange cones. The ever-changing course is set up in large parking lots and is usually less than a minute long. Winners are decided by a unique “handicap” timing system which is why all levels of driver experience and cars attend. Rally racing typically takes place on public streets and involves time, speed and distance variables to determine the winners. All speed limits are observed, and it’s not who finishes the course the fastest, it’s who arrives at various checkpoints on time, neither early nor late.
The Chuckanut Sports Car Club meets monthly throughout the year. Photo courtesy: Dale Serbousek.
Serbousek also attends various professional racetracks for “Track Days” where participants can race at high speeds, testing their cars’ limits. “It’s a great time to take my BMW M4 out and not get a ticket for going fast,” Serbousek says. “The idea is to get around and see other tracks in other communities and meet other people.”
Serbousek describes his involvement with the Chuckanut Sports Car Club as a really great opportunity to get to know other car enthusiasts in a social atmosphere. Being involved in various ways in the community has allowed him to get to know a larger number of people with different interests. “It has enriched my life,” he says. “I get to visit new places, meet other car enthusiasts and drive cars fast.”
To Serbousek, networking goes beyond the business meetings. It’s about getting to know new people, asking for help and learning new passions through the incredible diversity of interests within our community.
When engaging in outdoor recreation, participants should take care to respect Whatcom wildlife. Photo credit: Justin Pedigo | FC Photography.
August has arrived! This is, by far, my most favorite summer month. The sun is firmly in the sky, the days feel long and luxurious, and there are so many fun things to do! Check out these fun Whatcom County weekend events for Aug. 4-6, including our great local farmers’ markets. All of our great local produce is ripe and ready to enjoy! Don’t forget to check our full events calendar for all the great local happenings this weekend.
WhatcomTalk aims to be your source for positive information and events happening in Bellingham, Ferndale, Lynden and throughout Whatcom County. If you have a suggestion for a post, send us a note at submit@whatcomtalk.com. For more events and to learn what’s happening in Bellingham and the surrounding area, visit our events calendar. To submit an event of your own, visit our events calendar and click on the green “Post Your Event” button.
Racers bike down the 18-mile road bike section of the Bellingham Traverse Multi-Sport Race. Photo credit: Brandon Sawaya.
Salmon, the beloved aquatic jewel of the Pacific Northwest, have one of the most interesting and downright tough life cycles of any animal. According to the National Park Service’s website, a salmon’s life cycle, in short, can be described as hatch, migrate, spawn and die. A salmon will travel hundreds to thousands of miles in its lifetime going from sea to river to lay its eggs and ultimately pass away. The Bellingham Traverse relay race serves as a reminder of the salmon’s short but intense journey while on Earth. The family-friendly adventure race features different multi-sport sections where racers must traverse the various environments Bellingham offers.
Kayakers participate in the Bellingham Traverse Multi-Sport Race on Bellingham Bay. Photo credit: Brandon Sawaya.
The 16th annual Bellingham Traverse relay race will take place this year on Sept. 16. The race is designed to promote awareness and honor the daunting tasks the Pacific Northwest’s wild salmon undertake during their life cycle. Participants in the relay race can choose between team (Chum), tandem (Coho) or solo (Chinook) formats, named after different types of salmon. The course, which starts and ends at Boundary Bay Brewery, combines elements of running, biking and paddling.
Todd Elsworth, co-founder and executive director of Recreation Northwest, created the Bellingham Traverse in 2002. Over the last 16 years the race has seen many transformations all while retaining one common goal, to effectively explain the plight of wild salmon and raise money through a community-driven effort.
“It was important to have it be a community event,” Elsworth says. “Many athletic events raise money for good causes that are health related, but not many raise money for the environmental community.”
Participants run during the Greenways Run section of the Bellingham Traverse. Photo credit: Brandon Sawaya.
“I had viewed my own life’s journey parallel to that of the salmon. Here was an opportunity to create an event that helped to tell their story,” he says.
The race is designed into six different legs. Each leg has a different mileage amount and the race in total amounts to 37 miles. The race begins with the 5.5-mile Greenways Run, which leads into the 6-mile mountain biking portion. Following the mountain biking leg, participants will then do an 18-mile road bike leg to get the halfway point.
The second half of the course includes a 3.4-mile trail run, followed by a 3.6-mile paddle and then concluding with the half-mile trek leg of the race. After the race has finished there is an awards ceremony that takes place at Boundary Bay Brewery.
Racers bike down the 18-mile road bike section of the Bellingham Traverse Multi-Sport Race. Photo credit: Brandon Sawaya.
Recreation Northwest closes a part of Railroad Avenue and has a combined block party with the Bellingham Farmers Market. A beer garden is also featured at the finish line on Railroad. After you finish you will be able to sip on a local beer as you cheer on those who still need to cross the finish line.
Starting this year there will be pre-race events designed to provide an increased amount of customer service and help participants better understand the layout of the course Elsworth has created. Course previews will run throughout the summer leading up to race day.
On August 8 at 5:30 p.m., there will be preview of the paddle portion of the race at Marine Park. August 15 at 5:30 p.m. the mountain biking course will be previewed, participants will meet up at the Lake Padden parking lot. The trail run section of the race will be the final preview and it will happen at 6:00 p.m. on August 31, participants will meet at Fairhaven Runners in downtown Fairhaven. The other three parts of the course were previewed earlier on in the summer.
The race is a great way to experience the beauty of Bellingham Bay. Photo credit: Brandon Sawaya.
Elsworth says he is excited they are providing this new service to Bellingham Traverse participants. “These new interactive walk-throughs will ensure people don’t get confused during the race and will allow us to provide a higher level of customer service,” Elsworth says.
Registration for the event is currently open and will stay open until September 15 at 7:00 p.m. This year, all proceeds from Bellingham Traverse will benefit the stewardship of Fairhaven Park, which the trail run leg of the race conveniently goes through. Participants can donate to the fund separately as well as signing up for the race.
“We have created an event that will help raise the visibility of the importance of salmon in the ecological landscape while taking part in recreational activities that people enjoy in the region,” Elsworth says.
July saw the addition of many new and interesting local reads to the pages of WhatcomTalk. Each month we like to take a look back at what most resonated with our community. Here are some of WhatcomTalk’s most read stories in July:
Come chat with Lori, the (unofficial) best bartender in town. Photo credit: Dan Burwell.
WhatcomTalk writer Dan Burwell has been frequenting the Waterfront for years. He finally had a chance to sit down and chat with his favorite bartender, Lori. The resulting conversation was both fun and fascinating.
From left to right: Maggie Bates, Patrick Martin, Justus Peterson, Bobbi Plata and Shawn Serdahl. Photo courtesy: A-1 Builders Inc.
The idea of selling A-1 Builders Inc. to their employees made a lot of sense to Rick Dubrow and Cindi Landreth. But while worker-owned cooperatives are becoming increasingly popular—due to their many benefits, including impressive productivity and high staff morale—the process of transitioning from a standard business to a worker-owned model is less common. Yet the forward-thinking duo thought the end result would be worth the effort and they made it happen. Those interested in an innovative business succession plan will learn a lot from their example.
Jaramie Thomas has found a niche at Satori. Photo credit: Dondi Tondro-Smith
Jaramie Thomas, a State Certified Medical Marijuana Consultant at Satori, has turned his passion for assisting clients in obtaining medical marijuana into a side consulting business and a full-time job as one of Satori’s most knowledgeable and experienced staff members.
Mulu serving up her delicious lentils. Photo credit: Dan Burwell.
Mulu started cooking at age five in Ethiopia. As was typical for her region, Mulu began to learn to cook for her family at an early age with her mom and grandma. There was no electricity and no running water. Today she is the creator of Bellingham’s Ambo Ethiopian Cuisine and the author of Ethiopian Feast. She is an inspirational example and a true success story.
WhatcomTalk is a digital media company sharing positive stories about people, places and businesses in Whatcom County. WhatcomTalk offers content marketing and online options to advertise across our community social network in Bellingham, Lynden, Ferndale and beyond. Advertise with WhatcomTalk to reach your target market, grow your brand, and measure results.
Meet the owners of Bellingham's newest pub. Photo credit: Crystal Garcia.
Like most of us, the Rupinskis grew up playing board games. Pam, Laura and Danielle Rupinski, along with Shawn Blake, are the owners of the new Rook and Rogue Board Game Pub in Bellingham. Pam, who answers to “mom,” says, “We started when they were kids. Playing games was a weekend thing for us.”
Let the knowledgeable staff show you how to game. Photo credit: Kali Klotz-Brooks.
Danielle adds, “We played a lot of games growing up and then started collecting games in the 90s. Shawn and I met and he also had a collection and we just started going bananas. About half of the games here are from our personal collection.” Which is a lot, considering the pub has around a thousand games in their library.
Family run and chock-full of strong female leadership, Rook and Rogue opened downtown this last spring.
Opening up a board game pub in Bellingham just made sense to the Florida natives. The first few months of being open have proven that the town agrees.
Shawn explains, “There are a lot of young people, which is a good demographic in general for gaming as a hobby because it is very economical. You know, get a group of friends together around a table. Even if the game was 40 dollars, that’s weeks of entertainment.”
Danielle Rupinski and Shawn Blake donated their own game collection to Rook and Rogue’s library of over a thousand games. Photo credit: Kali Klotz-Brooks.
Other gaming businesses in town such as The Comics Place, Reset Games and Dark Tower, are great indicators that the gaming culture is already well established in the area. However, Shawn says, “Gaming cafes are a growing trend that didn’t already exist here. We were pretty sure the timing and numbers added up and it would be a working proposition.”
Membership
There are several ways to take advantage of Rook and Rogue’s impressive collection of games. The owners realize that games come in all shapes and sizes, expense and complexity. Because of this there are three different categories of games. The first are the “casual games.”
Shawn explains, “These are available for anyone to come in and play for free. There are 450 plus games in this category. You are going to find a lot of traditional games but some different things as well.”
Rook and Rogue’s fantastic bartenders come up with a new cocktail daily! Photo courtesy: Rook and Rogue Board Game Pub.
Next, you have the “hobby games.” This category is what you turn to when you feel like you are getting the hang of board game basics and are looking for something a little more complex and strategic. These games you can access by paying a $5 monthly fee, or $50 annually. Through annual memberships you also gain the ability to reserve tables. On busy Friday and Saturday nights, this perk is worth the few extra bucks.
“But wait, there is more!” exclaims Danielle. The last category consists of “grail games.”
“Anything that makes a game unusual from its size or complexity or availability lives in that section,” Shawn explains. “They are even bigger, take longer to play, tend to be more expensive, have moving parts, lots of miniatures or hand painted items. We also fold in with that our library of role-playing games.”
This membership costs $10 monthly or $100 annually. Pam puts it this way, “When you get to this point, some of these games are so expensive and you’ve never played it before, why would you go buy a $250 game and find out you don’t like it? For $10 a month you can try every game in this building and then decide what you do and don’t like and want to buy for yourself.”
Rook and Rogue opened at the end of May on W Magnolia St. Photo credit: Kali Klotz-Brooks.
In addition to their vast library of games, Rook and Rogue has a variety of tasty libations and food offerings. Their beers are local and the cocktails all have nerdy names like “Rum Weasley” and “Zombicide” to spark your curiosity. “We have pub food with a higher focus on sharables,” Danielle says. “We are focusing on things that would be okay to play with. But being a gamer, I don’t really care about my game getting messy.”
However, the atmosphere of the restaurant is far from the stereotypical cluttered, basement-game-room vibe you might imagine. With large comfy booths, a high ceiling and striking light fixtures, the space is welcoming to all crowds. “We have adults that come in here and play mousetrap. I am talking grown men in their 30s wearing business suits sitting at the bar drinking manhattans,” Pam giggles.
Also note that the board game pub is indeed open to all ages. “Kids are cute! We have so many kids games,” says Laura. “Start them young.”
When asked about future plans, Laura’s eyes light up. “I would like to see us expand into having private rooms available that are themed and cool … with secret doors!”
Danielle adds, “We want to expand our nerdesphere but we really like all the other local nerd businesses. We aren’t trying to take over the world.”
Meet the owners of Bellingham’s newest pub. Photo credit: Crystal Garcia.
In the meantime, Rook and Rogue plans on incorporating two weekly game nights – a basic game night where anyone can come play and a ladies-only night.
The group is proud to be mostly ladies themselves and have worked with many notable woman to make Rook and Rogue come together. Pam explains, “The best part is that we are in with SaviBank, which is sort of woman-based as well.”
Within their building alone they work alongside DVSAS (Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services) and Northwest Yarns. “It’s been wonderful to work with other ladies to get things done,” Danielle says. “We have a lot of great lady connections.”
Visit Rook and Rogue Board Game Pub’s website for hours of operation, membership sign-up and access to their blog. Or visit the pub in person with a few friends! Try one of the fun cocktails and play a new game. With the help of Rook and Rogue’s friendly, informative staff, you’ll consider yourself a “gamer” in no time.
Chris McCoy owner of Kombucha Town is committed to sustainable community development and high quality low impact products. Photo courtesy: Sustainable Connections.
Sustainable Connections is pleased to announce that Samson Rope, Kombucha Town and Mallard Ice Cream submitted the winning proposals to receive free in-depth sustainability reporting services from their Sustainable Business Development Program.
Through the generous support of the Whatcom Community Foundation, Sustainable Connections will help guide these businesses through the sustainability reporting process from start to finish, and provide each with a detailed plan of action to address opportunities and challenges found along the way. Though sustainability reporting can be considered non-financial, tracking and implementation of sustainability practices often leads to stronger financial performance and a healthier business overall.
A specific focus area for this reporting service will also be employee wellness and community interaction, as happy and healthy employees contribute to a high functioning workplace and the betterment of our community at large! All of the participating businesses in this pilot program are committed to sustainable practices and the process of continuous improvement.
Chris McCoy owner Kombucha Town remarked, “We are very grateful and honored to be a recipient of this work. It will further enable us to reinforce our commitment to sustainable community development and high quality low impact products.”
Patricia Boteler, Employee Engagement Manager for Samson added, “While Samson has made great strides in sustainability, we realize that reporting is the next important step to fully realize our hope of leading the community in sustainable business practices. We thank the Whatcom Community Foundation and Sustainable Connections for offering this support and we look forward to working together on this venture.”
“We are excited to work with these businesses on this important project. A developing trend is integrative reporting which incorporates appropriate sustainability information equally alongside financial information and provides organizations with a broad perspective of how to improve holistically,” said Mark Peterson of Sustainable Connections. “Our community has always been full of sustainability leaders and we feel that these three businesses will help others see how doable it is to follow this emerging best practice.”
Many banks emphasize their friendly customer service, but few can offer an authentic hometown feel like Bank of the Pacific. Since opening their doors...
