Historic Tacoma cafe has new owner. Plans include charcuterie, wine and evening hours
The Bostwick Cafe, the anchor retail space of the iconic triangular building where 9th Street meets Broadway and St. Helens Avenue in downtown Tacoma, has a new owner. Though some things will change, the name will remain the same.
“I mean, yeah!” said Dustie Dannemiller, who officially took over the business in June. “I wanted to keep the theme.”
Built in 1889 as the Bostwick Hotel, the ground floor of 764 Broadway has been home to many businesses, including a jewelry shop (the safety vaults are still downstairs, according to Dannemiller) and, in 1937, Kress Malted Milk Shop. Its history as a coffee shop dates to at least 1993 when Grounds for Coffee opened, transitioning to Tully’s in the 2000s and Bostwick Cafe in 2018. In the 1990 film “I Love You to Death,” it took a star turn as Joey Boca’s Pizzeria.
For now, visitors to the two previous iterations will notice similarities: Caffe d’Arte coffee available in drip or in various espresso forms, fruit smoothies, pastries and breakfast sandwiches sourced from Alki Bakery and Marsee Baking. Dannemiller plans to upgrade these offerings to include more grab-and-go sandwiches, pre-packed salads and eventually charcuterie and other snackable small plates.
Notably, she has already applied for a tavern liquor license, which, if approved, would allow the sale of beer and wine. Focusing on local breweries and Washington wineries, she wants to capture more of the people who traverse the neighborhood, whether they are staying at McMenamins Elks Temple, catching a show at the Pantages, grabbing a quick lunch near the office, looking for a comfortable outpost for remote work or exploring the ephemera of Antique Row. The other three stories are also home to 25 vintage apartments.
“There’s such a wide range of people who come through this area,” Dannemiller said recently, but quick and convenient food options remain limited. She believes Bostwick Cafe can fill that void and also become a destination for other reasons, including art shows, open mic nights and evening coffee dates.
Above all, she feels the space — with its historic bones, high ceilings and bright, airy environment — has long been underappreciated for what it could be.
“You want people to stay a while,” she said, pointing to the throw pillows she added to the bench seating that lines the floor-to-ceiling windows. Guests now relax here with a laptop or a book. “That makes me so happy!”
NEW LIFE FOR A TACOMA COFFEE SHOP
After moving from Seattle to Pierce County a couple of years ago, Dannemiller — who was raised in Forks and still has family there as well as in Yelm — fell for this particular nook during an antiquing adventure with her son and his girlfriend.
“I love history. I just love the architecture of the area, the character of this building. Antique Row sold me,” she said, adding, “Everybody was just great — so nice and friendly.”
In a few words, she reiterated, “You could say: the people.”
The younger of her two children now graduated from high school and the pandemic having changed her job in project management, Dannemiller “started realizing I needed something different.” As it goes, a dream of opening a coffee shop materialized. “I always had that idea in my head of a community space,” she said.
On that visit to Antique Row, she noticed the for-sale sign in the cafe windows.
“That’s it — that’s the coffee shop,” she thought.
She sent the listing to her daughter who asked, “‘Is this, like, a real thing?’” Dannemiller recalled, laughing. “It felt like the right time to do something new, for myself.”
Her goals entail “so much more” than just coffee, she said, pondering monthly artist features, acoustic music nights and weekly wine specials. She also anticipates building out a small retail section for houseplants and terrariums designed by her mother.
Soon, look for fresh paint — burnt red set to replace the greenish-grey — and an air-conditioner, plus vintage maps and historic and modern photos of the neighborhood framed on the wall. Additional changes will include staying open until 7 or 8 p.m. and Sunday service.
BOSTWICK CAFE
▪ 764 Broadway, Tacoma, 253-302-5296, bostwickcafetacoma.com
▪ Current Hours: Monday-Saturday 7 a.m.-5 p.m.
▪ Details: airy cafe in historic building on Antique Row; coffee, sandwiches, pastries with ample table seating
▪ Follow facebook.com/BostwickCafeTacoma for updates and events