No more shrimp and grits at the Harley-Davidson. 12-year-old cafe will close

One of the most unexpected restaurants in the Tacoma area — a friendly cafe serving all-day breakfast and lunch, Southern comfort-style inside a motorcycle shop — will close May 2.

Warnessa Victorian has operated her breakfast and lunch cafe, Lizzie Lou’s Too, inside the Harley-Davidson in Fife since 2014. She doesn’t want to leave the unique space she has nurtured for 12 years, but the family-owned dealership was recently sold to another company that owns several other dealerships in at least 10 states.

In a phone call Wednesday, Victorian said she had initially been assured that Lizzie Lou’s could remain at 2302 Pacific Highway E. As the sale closed earlier this month, she was told, “They have decided to go in a different direction and not keep us.”

For Chef Ness, as loyal followers drawn to her welcoming persona have come to call her, the shake-up means the end of an era.

A Tacoma native born and raised on the Eastside, Victorian was invited to cater an event at the motorcycle store in February 2014. Shortly after, the owner at the time invited her to open a full-time eatery there. The chef cultivated a true if-you-know-you-know following, especially for her signature loaded shrimp and grits, cooked creatively in a kitchen that had no oven or stove. She has also catered private events.

The menu has always featured breakfast all day (through close at 4 p.m.), from “Just A Breakfast Sandwich” and a plate of bacon, eggs and pancakes, to a French toast sandwich with sausage crumbles and “the SAUCE.” There was also a hot-link hoagie, a roasted chicken salad, rotating flavors of Memory Lane shakes and simple, hot drip coffee. Victorian is also keen on specials and eager to whip up something unique for anyone who asks.

In videos shared on the restaurant’s Instagram page in the past week, she encouraged fans to visit one last time. With optimism, she is trying to view the setback as an opportunity to find her own storefront.

“What we’re looking for is the best opportunity that’s gonna give the best experience for our community, to ensure that no one is left behind,” she told TNT Diner. “We want to be able to service as a small business intends to: to service the full community. Ideally we would love to have a storefront. Ideally we would love to have a kitchen with a hood. We know that the landscape in Pierce County is very, very competitive — there’s not a lot of space.”

She alluded to challenges many small restaurant operators have faced in recent years with permitting and grease traps in Tacoma and Fife.

“My goal is to have it in Pierce County,” she added. But if the right space was available in a neighboring county or city, including Seattle, she would consider it, she said.

She and her tight team of just a few employees is asking fans for suggestions of viable restaurant spaces or businesses trying to sell.

No more ‘grits’ at Grit City Harley-Davidson

The Fife dealership, previously known as Destination Harley-Davidson, and the Renton retailer, which went by Jet City Harley-Davidson, “will combine under a brand new name,” according to a March 19 press release. A contest for the new name led to the result: Grit City Harley-Davidson.

“This strategic unification is part of Harley-Davidson Motor Company’s national initiative to strengthen its dealer network and deliver a world-class customer experience,” the release said.

The News Tribune’s call to the Fife dealership was referred to the company’s business manager, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The iconic American motorcycle company hired a new chief executive last summer, Artie Starrs, formerly the CEO of TopGolf. The brand has struggled in post-pandemic years with the ramifications of delayed and then oversupplied inventory, paired with high interest rates that reportedly diminished dealers’ profit margins. Many outlets have closed, according to blog posts by Revzilla, an online retailer of motorcycle gear.

Michael Veracka and MOD Enterprises are behind the consolidation. With his brother and father, they also have a “dealer consulting group” called The Motorcycle Company, or TMC. Michael Veracka owned the Renton location, which has since closed. The Renton and Tacoma (Fife) stores combined staffs and moved inventory in late March, reopening in Fife on April 1, per the release, around when Victorian learned she would have to leave.

“We are uniting these two teams to build something even stronger for the SeaTac region,” Veracka said in the release. “By bringing everyone under one roof, we’re able to offer more events, more inventory, and a higher level of service than ever before. We are 100% committed to this brand and to every rider who hits the road with us.”

Lizzie Lou’s will serve Wednesday to Friday, through May 1. Victorian said the cafe’s busiest day had long been Saturday, but for the final stretch, hours were trimmed to just three days each week and no weekends.

Lizzie Lou’s Too

• 2302 Pacific Highway E. (inside Harley-Davidson), Fife, 609-608-0001, eatatlizzielous.com
• Last days of service: Wednesday-Friday through May 1, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
• Cafe seeking new location, follow instagram.com/lizzie_lous_too for updates

This story was originally published April 16, 2026 at 10:12 AM.