Tanya and Dave Rose have a great idea for a new restaurant.

They’re going to take full advantage of Sequim’s "amazing" local sources of good stuff — wineries, farmers, cheese makers, et al.

But dishing it up is just part of the idea. They want the restaurant to serve as an educational resource for the community and for the restaurant’s employees.

The Roses will open their new place — "Nourish" — in the facility formerly occupied by the Cedarbrook Garden Cafe on Sequim Avenue.

Tanya’s old friend, Annie McHale, is lending a hand, bringing two vital areas of expertise to bear. Through her job at Olympic WorkSource, McHale helps local folks find employment. Through her work with Nash’s Organic Produce, she helps local folks find good food.

Both are important because the Roses would like to hire what Tanya calls "disadvantaged young adults" and train them in the preparation and sale of healthy foods.

She defined disadvantaged young adults as those "who can’t afford to go to college, but are smart and motivated."

The new hires would learn the restaurant business, including marketing. It just makes sense, Tanya said. "Culinary schools are expensive."

The restaurant’s employees also will learn about the benefits of eating, and serving, local healthy food.

"We will be hiring a chef," Tanya added. "Somebody super-sensitive to whole food, local foods."

They also plan to have live local music and to occasionally screen films on nutrition and other topics near and dear to their hearts.

Dave summed it up, calling Nourish, "A new seed-to-table-to-good-health restaurant and educational concept."

Old friends

Tanya and Dave Rose have an interesting story. The two, both natives of England, were high school sweethearts. 

Then they broke up.

For 30 years.

The two recently connected again via the Internet. A few e-mails later, Dave booked a flight to the U.S. for a visit.

They’ve been married for the past four years.

They recently purchased the old Bell House that sits just south of the city. Built in 1880, it’s "one of the oldest houses in the area," Dave said.

Dave, an experienced hand at construction, is now restoring the house, which most recently served as the Cedarbrook Lavender Farm’s gift shop.

They are negotiating a lease-purchase agreement of the garden’s former cafe.