Business

History is being brought to life at the BoatShop. Volunteers under the direction of master shipwright Mike Vlahovich have been building a traditional Croatian fishing skiff called a batana since early July. Vlahovich hopes the project will spark an on-going cultural exchange between Gig Harbor and Sumartin on the island of Brač, Croatia. Both have

When he was a kid growing up in Lebanon, Wally Mseitif devoured American cowboy movies. It seemed natural that when he grew up, he’d fly off to America and become a rough-and-ready cowboy himself. Mseitif didn’t ride the range when he came to America, but he’s had other adventures here. Notably, he had a long

A Gig Harbor pizza chef cooked up something so tasty, it’s now being served all over the country.  Bryan Liupakka, general manager of the Round Table Pizza, won a companywide contest to create a new pizza recipe. His creation is the Apollo pizza, inspired by a Greek flatbread that many believe was the forerunner to

It’s easy to find A Simpler Past’s booth at the Waterfront Farmers Market on Thursday afternoons in the summertime. It’s the one with the long line of customers avidly eying the artfully jumbled displays of fresh produce and home-baked breads and cakes at the end of a long row of vendors’ booths. Like many vendors

Patterson’s Farm Market made it through the worst days of the Covid-19 pandemic, despite not qualifying for relief programs available to small businesses that were just a little bit larger. Everything that came after — along with a business savings account drained by the two-year ordeal of shutdowns and slow sales caused by the pandemic

For years, Jess and Scott Hogan watched the old Gig Harbor Grange building deteriorate. They had a front-row view of it from the adjacent property, where they operate Artondale Farm. The local grange went dormant back in 2011, and ownership of the building reverted to the Washington State Grange organization. The Hogans, whose farm forms

The pandemic shutdown afforded many people an opportunity to develop or perfect new skills or pursue passion projects for which they otherwise may never have found time. The Local Makers of Gig Harbor group is helping its members turn those passions into home-based businesses. Now in its second year, Local Makers operates pop-up markets on

Frills, the little store in downtown Gig Harbor known for its bright seasonal displays, exists to brighten peoples’ day. So says owner Tammi Barber, whose latest work of public art is a celebration of summer featuring pool noodles, beach balls and pool floats. That might sound mundane. But arranged and arrayed by someone with a