by MARK ST.J. COUHIG
Sequim Gazette
Fans of locally grown and harvested fresh seafood have a great new option. With the help of several friends, Floyd Brown, CEO of Quilcene Bay LLC, has opened a new seafood market and cafe in Sequim.
Quilcene Bay LLC supplies The Oyster Shoppe Market and Cafe with its own fresh oysters and clams delivered straight from the 30 acres of tideland the company owns in Quilcene Bay.
When Quilcene Bay LLC first started, it sold fresh seafood to wholesalers. Brown said that meant both lower prices for the company’s product and less freshness for the customer.
He said his oysters and clams often would make a trip to Seattle, then return to the peninsula to be sold at local stores.
Quilcene Bay now trucks goods daily to Sequim, selling them directly to customers at the new market and to other retailers on the peninsula.
Camille Anderson (left) and
Tammy LaBissoniere are welcoming
customers at The Oyster Shoppe Market and Cafe. Sequim Gazette photo by Mark Couhig
Brown has partnered with A Catered Affair to run the cafe. The Sequim-based catering company is serving up some of its signature dishes, including sweet potato-halibut stew and three kinds of chowder: oyster, clam and corn-salmon.
The shop also is stocked with goodies from the Bell Street Bakery, Rainshadow Coffee and other local food producers.
Aw, shucks
Brown said he came up with the idea for the new market when he realized there were no fresh local seafood markets in the area. “To serve that need, and to sell our seafood,” he and his friends decided to open the new store.
That will help accomplish another of Brown’s goals: creating local jobs and building the peninsula’s economy.
Brown said the company first tested the waters for the idea by purchasing a small outlet in Discovery Bay. “We discovered it worked,” he said. “So we started looking for another venue.”
The market also serves as an outlet where other harvesters can sell their goods.
After putting together the plans for the store, Brown said they decided to expand on that idea. They are stocking the shop with other locally produced food stuffs, including bread, wine, cheese, coffee and candies — “even some artwork,” Brown said.
Brown is negotiating with several local artists to display their work in the cafe and he’s open to hearing from others.
The Oyster Shoppe is at 1102 E. Washington St. in Sequim, next to Greywolf Veterinary Hospital. It’s open from 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday.
Reach Mark Couhig at mcouhig@sequimgazette.com.
