Tacoma pizzeria and sports bar closing after only a year
The Main Ingredient, a casual pizzeria and family friendly sports bar in South Tacoma, has closed permanently after a year in operation.
Co-owner Leland Brechbiel, who ran the business with his wife Cristina, confirmed the decision this week in an email to The News Tribune. In October, a sign on the restaurant said they were on hiatus.
“A series of unfortunate events and the questionable future in regards to the state of affairs across the country has led us to make the tough decision to close permanently,” he said.
They fell prey to the same issues impeding the restaurant industry writ large, he continued, including a “lack of qualified staff, the steady rise in cost of goods, disruptions in the distribution chain,” but he also cited safety as a concern and a sense that perhaps the concept didn’t match the location.
Housed in the former Stonegate Pizza space at 5419 South Tacoma Way, The Main Ingredient opened in August 2020, set back several months by pandemic construction and permitting delays. At 4,000 square feet with two distinct spaces, the large space always felt a bit sparse, and the other side (previously a rum bar) sat empty. By late summer 2021, the Brechbiels were putting out feelers on social media for another business, like a pop-up eatery or a food truck, to make use of it.
Building owner Eric Edvalds of Theory Real Estate, whose office is next door, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. He bought the unit for $687,000 in December 2019, improving it after the sale, according to county property records.
That stretch of South Tacoma Way is home to a diversity of bars and restaurants, including The Church Cantina, a Latin-inspired pub from chef Nicole de la Paz; The Opal Lounge, a barbecue and whiskey bar; The Mule Tavern, a dive bar that serves great cocktails; Airport Tavern, a music venue that expanded its kitchen during the pandemic; as well as Colombiana Luis Empanadas, Patty’s Burgers and Dawson’s Bar & Grill. Intentions Juice Bar, sandwich shop Beyond ThunderDome Cafe and plant studio The FernSeed also opened storefronts there last year.
Brechbiel lamented that the neighborhood alone could not provide enough business to keep The Main Ingredient afloat, and that it proved difficult to attract a customer base from outside the vicinity.
“Unfortunately South Tacoma Way has yet to find an identity and is far from being a destination spot suitable to our target market,” he said.
The Brechbiels moved to the South Sound from Arizona in 2016, intrigued by the “culture and climate.” They both worked for and around relatives’ restaurants over the years and wanted their first to focus on family recipes they loved.
The Main Ingredient hinged on 12- or 18-inch pizzas of housemade dough with some topping twists, such as prosciutto, arugula and eggs or potatoes with rosemary, ricotta and fried shallots, plus calzones, a trio of subs and wings. Appetizers included fried zucchini, potato chips and breadsticks, all made in-house. There was a full bar with regional beers, wine and cocktails.
Promotions such as the Pierce County Restaurant Rally brought some attention, but over the months hours changed frequently and ultimately diminished to a minimum. Like the owners of The Swiss Pub, which closed in September 2020, the Brechbiels found themselves sinking “more and more of our own dollars into keeping the business afloat with no return.”
Leland Brechbiel said they value their experience nonetheless and will remember it fondly should they pursue another eatery in the future.
In Lakewood, Pizza Studio Northwest, a franchise of a Los Angeles-based build-your-own-pie company, also closed on Oct. 29.
This story was originally published November 10, 2021 at 5:00 AM.