Fresh pastries, warm sandwiches and housemade salads at new Gig Harbor eatery
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- The Midway, a cafe, bakery and market, opens in Gig Harbor on July 2.
- The eatery offers pastries, deli items, and more, including gluten-free and vegan options.
- Their open hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week, with later hours planned.
The wait is over: The Midway, a new cafe, bakery and market in the heart of Gig Harbor’s walkable downtown, opens its doors to the public Thursday morning, July 2.
Since March, the business has been posting updates on social media as they transform the former Heritage Distilling Co. tasting room into a lively order-at-the-counter eatery. The creation of Trish Huff, who also owns Morso Bistro, and her brother, chef Nick Hosea, The Midway is set to welcome visitors starting at 9 a.m. July 2.
“I think the community seems pretty excited to have a place to grab lunch, grab a bite to eat, grab a cup of coffee,” Huff told The News Tribune.
Staff were still making preparations for the big day Wednesday afternoon, checking wine bottles, prepping dishes and discussing menus. Dainty bouquets in mini glass jars rested atop small marbled tables and wooden chairs, and vintage wall decorations added a special touch to the space — from a 1951 world map to pages from a child’s penmanship book that came from a flea market in Spain.
Upon entering, visitors will see glass display cases with slices of cake, pastries, cookies and bars, Huff explained. The bakery also carries gluten-free and vegan options, like their vegan carrot cake with a tahini glaze. All of their croissants, pastries and scones are made daily, she said.
The deli case has cured meats and cheeses, along with housemade salads like their spicy garbanzo salad, classic grandma’s potato salad and roasted carrot harissa salad, she said. They’ll also have sandwiches and soups, The News Tribune reported in January.
For drinks, The Midway has an espresso machine for brewing “classic espresso drinks” and a few refrigerators stocked full of grab-and-go beverages including beer and wine, Huff said. Past the counter, a retail wall features a delectable array of jams, olives, bread dips, candy and other goods, many of which are sourced locally or from Europe.
Customers order at the counter, then get a table number and seat themselves, Huff said. The numbers are marked on vintage Gig Harbor postcards, showing how the harbor has changed from the 1950s to today.
She described the vision for The Midway as a place “to gather and commune around the table,” and one that’s friendly to all ages, including kids.
“I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s a working cafe or a place to log in to Wi-Fi and sit and work all day,” she said. “It’s to gather with friends, have a cup of coffee after a walk, meet for a sandwich, great place to have lunch ... I see it being a very vibrant, very social part of the Gig Harbor community.”
For now, The Midway will be open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., but they plan on extending their hours to 7 p.m. very soon, she said.
