A popular Port Angeles pizzeria and artisan brewery, Barhop Brewing & Artisan Pizza, opened the doors of its new Sequim location at 845 W. Washington St. on Dec. 18 after eight months of renovation and preparation.

“We’re excited to be in Sequim,” said Andy Guillen-Givins, bartender and general manager of the Sequim location.

“It’s nice to move down the highway and meet some new folks who are also in love with pizza.”

District manager Larry White, who was born and raised on the Olympic Peninsula, explained that Barhop is a family-run business with an additional restaurant and bar in Port Angeles, The Rail, that serves burgers rather than the pizza, in addition to other food.

The production brewery is at a fourth location.

The menu features pizzas made using an 100-year-old sourdough recipe with a “top of the line mozzarella,” a variety of toppings and house-made sauces, sausage from Sunny Farms and other meats from Provvista, a high-quality chef’s supply company in Portland, Ore.

“A lot of work, thought and love goes into the making of the pizza,” Guillen-Givins said.

Guillen-Givins’ first job with the company was as a bartender at The Rail. Now, he joked, he is more of a “beer-tender” as well as performing the multitude of tasks involved in managing a restaurant.

“I really wanted to open this place up,” he said. “I wanted to be part of the growth.”

Barhop is known for the award-winning brews of Sequim local Josh Blue. In Sequim, 10 different varieties and two ciders are served, as well as red and white wine and sodas.

The interior of the Sequim Barhop is large and spacious, with high ceilings, and an open kitchen with a butcher block counter for diners around two sides of it as well as around the separate bar. The two large rooms have tables and chairs for diners as well.

“We were quite lucky to get the people to help us that we did,” said White, “They were wonderful.”

He said that APS Electrical, Angeles Plumbing, A.R. Finishing and ATF Concrete each helped fix up the building.

As of this article, the walls were not yet decorated, but Blue and Guillen-Givins explained that soon the walls will feature Blue’s paintings and there will be plenty of plants to soak in the light from the large windows.

Staff also plan to have expanded seating outside and when the weather brightens up, a corn-hole game.

Children are welcome, except near the bar.

Barhop’s current hours are noon-8 p.m., Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, noon-9 p.m. on Fridays and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. on Saturdays.

Passion for specials

Kitchen manager Jeffrey Adams said he loves working at Barhop. He even shoveled his driveway for two hours to get to work on the day he was interviewed.

“I love to cook,” he said.

Adams said that he features an original special each week, explaining that he prefers weekly specials over daily ones.

Last week’s special was a pizza with ranch bechamel with chicken, bacon and mac ‘n cheese, finished with green onions and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

“It’s very delicious and sounds simple but it is wonderful,” Guillen-Givens said.

“We are definitely big into the specials. This is a more simple one but sometimes we do some really crazy creative ones.”

Adams said that working in an open kitchen hasn’t been too bad.

“I thought I’d hate it,” he said, “but I don’t.”

One of Blue’s brews is now for sale in cans as well as at the company locations, and more varieties will be sold in the future. Their flagship beer, Citrasonic IPA, can be found at a multitude of local businesses: R Corner Store, McPhee’s Parkway Grocery, and the Agnew Store, were a few mentioned by White.

He said the brews will be sold at the Longhouse in Blyn and Saars’ soon.

“Blue does amazing work,” White said. As head brewer, White explained, Blue runs the production side of things with one assistant brewer.

Owner Tom Curry stated that the Sequim expansion was an “against all odds” story: “For all our friends in the food and beverage industry, 2020 was devastating. We were all closed during COVID-19, then open to takeout only, to 25% occupancy with qualifiers, and the challenges were unlike anything we have ever seen. In Port Angeles, our ferry traffic disappeared. Tourists nearly disappeared.

“Our survival is due to local support. We would not still exist in Port Angeles without them, and we would not have this opportunity to serve the community of Sequim. We are so excited to bring Sequim locals to our tables and look forward to making them part of our Barhop family.”

Said Guillen-Givins, “We think this is a really great town, and it means a lot to us to be here.”

Barhop Brewing & Artisan Pizza – Sequim

Where: 845 W. Washington St.

Hours: Noon-8 p.m., Sunday-Tuesday, Thursday; noon-9 p.m. Fridays; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturdays

On the web: barhopbrewing.com

Phone: 360-477-4257

Sequim’s newest source of pizza and drinks, Barhop Brewing & Artisan Pizza, features brews by Josh Blue, one of which — Citrasonic IPA, seen here held up by manager Andy Guillen-Givins — can now be found in local stores. Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen