Champagne bar, opened only a year, closes in Proctor

Tacoma’s only dedicated champagne bar closed its doors at the very end of 2019. Owner Kerry Cole had intended to sell the business intact to a new owner, but her landlord opted to reassess the space, according to a Facebook post.

On Dec. 23, The Blue Octopus posted that it would be closed for the Christmas holiday through Dec. 26, as well as on New Year’s Eve and Jan. 1. Its final day of service appears to have been Dec. 30.

In more than 100 comments on her closing note, Cole pinned blame for the sudden closure on the building owner. She described it as “not exactly my choice” and “not how we’d planned the transition.”

Despite having an owner “all set and ready to go,” she said, “the landlord has decided not to offer the lease going forward” and would “take a step back to assess.”

The Blue Octopus doubled as a wine retail and gift shop, decorated with local art. In Point Ruston, Cole — an artist herself — had operated the business as a paint and sip venue, but she focused instead on the food and drink in Proctor at 3820 North 27th Street. She occasionally invited guest chefs to teach a macaron class, for instance, as well as artists to lead painting sessions.

“Business has been great,” she said in the Facebook post. “I’m not sorry to prioritize family, but honestly thought we could have both.”

She told another commenter that “the face of small business is changing in our city.”

“I will miss you and our cozy little spot,” she told her followers on social media. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being so supportive over these last 10 years. It’s meant everything.”

This story was originally published January 10, 2020 at 5:25 AM.