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closeThere’s a new cup of coffee in an old building
Susan Schell
of the Gateway
When Christina McDougall drove by the intersection of Harborview Drive and North Harborview Drive, she thought it was a shame that the small building in front of the Harbor History Museum was vacant.
When she perused the museum’s archives on the building, her interest only grew. It didn’t take long to convince her husband that the building was just the right size for a coffee shop.
“We kept driving by there and seeing it empty when it was such a special building,” she said. “It’s hard to see a building sit that has so much potential. We love the small-town community. The harbor has so much history, and this is such a vital corner.”
Although the building has housed many different businesses over the years, including a fish market and a real estate office, McDougall said she wanted to capitalize on the location’s roots.
Hence, a coffee shop appeared on the corner, bearing the unusual name, “The Amateur Garden Club.”
“That’s the name of the original group of women who built the building in 1938,” McDougall said. “It was a vertical log cabin. The women commissioned it as their meeting house.
“There’s been an expansion of a side room and an office, but what you see from the street is original.”
McDougall said she was touched by a photograph of the garden club women who were standing in front of the building. She said patrons have picked out aunts and grandmothers from the photos.
“We’re one of the only businesses who have embraced the (building’s) history,” McDougall said. “We invite people to come in and look. When you walk into our building, the logs are still there.
“People are saying, ‘I’ve been in here 20 times and never noticed,’ ” she added. “It’s kind of fun.”
With the building’s size, McDougall said she doesn’t intend to run a restaurant. Instead, she wants a simple coffee shop with espresso and wifi. The object is to keep it simple but serve high-quality products, she said.
“We’ll have a great cup of coffee and the best muffin on this side of the bridge,” McDougall said. “A lot of people have been impacted by this building, and we hope to continue that.
“We’ll offer vintage garden vibes with modern amenities. It’s what the harbor is all about.”
Amateur Garden Club
The Amateur Garden Club serves up coffee with a little history at 4107 Harborview Drive in Gig Harbor, in front of the Harbor History Museum. For more information, call 253-858-3099.