Established local restauranteur takes over ownership of Auntee B’s in downtown Puyallup

Those who frequent Auntee B’s in downtown Puyallup might be seeing some small changes.

That’s because as of Jan. 1, a new owner took over the restaurant: Shaun Brobak, owner of Trackside Pizza right next door.

The previous owner of Auntee B’s, Barbara Orona, retired, passing the business to Brobak.

“I have these two restaurants here right next to it, so it was easier for me to add another,” Brobak said.

“Shaun is perfect for that position because he has other restaurants,” Orona said, adding that she’s known Brobak for years. “He’s an excellent restaurateur and he’ll be perfect to take (Auntee B’s) over.”

Along with Trackside Pizza at 201 N. Meridian in Puyallup, Brobak owns Crockett’s Public House at 118 E. Stewart Ave. in Puyallup and Trackside Pizza at 1114 Main St. in Sumner.

As for Auntee B’s, Brobak has made a few small changes, including freshening up the store’s exterior with a paint job.

“I’ve been thinking about what I want to do,” Brobak said. “I want to put out a good quality food product … I want to build a brand.”

Already, some food items on Auntee B’s menu have changed, mostly because Brobak uses a different supplier for his ingredients. The coffee, for example, will now be provided by Dillanos Coffee in Sumner.

“Our focus was to downsize the menu and keep things that were on the menu that were doing well,” Brobak said.

Orona owned Auntee B’s for 10 years, after buying it in November 2006 and opening it in January 2007. Her sister, Sandra Thompson, helped Orona open the restaurant and worked there for many years. Thompson retired as well.

“I really want to thank the community and my customers and my staff for giving me a great 10 years,” Orona said.

Moving forward, Brobak said he plans to extend business hours of the restaurant and change the name to Meridian Cafe.

“That’s what I intend to call it at some point,” he said.

Exterior changes are also in the works for Trackside Pizza in Puyallup by the building’s owner, Doug Harbaugh.

“Our intention with these buildings is to do our best to restore the original structures and honor history of downtown Puyallup,” Harbaugh said.

For now, Auntee B’s soldiers on, continuing to provide locals with breakfast and lunch.

“We’re going to work hard at creating a business that people want to frequent, and that includes trying new things,” Brobak said. “I’m excited and optimistic about the opportunity there.”

Auntee B’s is located at 213 N. Meridian in Puyallup.

This story was originally published January 30, 2017 at 4:02 PM with the headline "Established local restauranteur takes over ownership of Auntee B’s in downtown Puyallup."