New In Town
Story by Aleigha Dixon | Design by Makayla Zayic | Photos by Jakob Burnham
Walking around downtown Ellensburg, there are businesses that have been here for decades, buildings over 100 years old, and locals who have lived their whole lives here. However, as college students bring new ideas and culture to the ever-changing and evolving small town, local businesses are doing the same.
From toys and collectibles to breweries and burritos, Ellensburg is a place to find new businesses booming all around.
Enchantment Brewing
This brewery is one of the fresh faces on Main Street. Located in the heart of downtown, they opened in October 2022.
Founder and owner, Darren Nelson attributes his inspiration to the Enchantment mountain range located near Leavenworth and his Oregonian upbringing surrounded by local breweries and nature. A sense of the future began in Nelson when he was in high school, “I kind of just had that idea in the back of my head that it'd be really cool to have a brewery . . . from the days when in the late 90s I was stocking beer on the shelf at the grocery store.”
Not only was the influence there, but as a beginner, brewing came naturally to Nelson. Nelson recalls his first batch of beer in 2010, “It came out pretty good. Everybody that was trying it, was liking it”. This gave him confidence to continue, “And I was just like, ‘okay, maybe I could do this’.”
Years from then, Nelson would visit the Enchantment mountains and decide later down the line to give his dream a go. Even years after hiking the enchanting mountain range, the name stuck with him. In early 2020, Nelson decided to give it a shot. Nelson says, “It was kind of a year of test recipes, brand design, and just kind of building a mini version of the idea.” Mid-pandemic, he leased his current space on Main street and decided to purchase full-scale brewing equipment. Through building, brainstorming and working out the kinks, two and a half years later, Enchantment Brewing was ready for the public eye.
As far as starting your own business, Nelson advises to expect challenges. Not one huge challenge but thousands of little challenges that arise daily in the process. Things like getting not one but two liquor licenses or permits that took longer than expected. A couple pieces of advice he wanted to share is to, “double your budget, double your timeframe and don’t expect anything to be easy.”
He’s not only interested in creating beer, but also creating a culture. Despite the challenges, Nelson wouldn’t change a thing considering the response they’ve gotten since opening. He wants Enchantment to be a source of happiness, “I don't really think about the dollars and the numbers. It's more about, how happy are people when they walk in? They come here and then they walk out the door, ‘are they smiling?’”
“And they are!” Nelson says, “People are enjoying it, having fun, they like to do their thing, and in general everyone’s responding well too, so that's really been the best thing.”
Going forward, Nelson is dreaming even bigger for Enchantment. He wants to become a classic, something Ellensburg can take pride in. Sharing his hopes he says, “I’m hoping for people to say, ‘I'm super proud that I can say this started in my hometown’, you know like that's the kind of impact I would like to have.”
“I wanna own a toy store”
Chris Fowler, owner of Toy Stable said this all throughout his childhood. Little did he know that this dream of his would become a reality.
Opening in November 2022, Toy Stable has quickly become a hit for toy and collectible fans in Ellensburg. Chris and Ann Fowler purchased Toy Stable nine years ago. And while Toy Stable may be new to Ellensburg, 2023 is actually the store’s 30th Anniversary.
The original owner ran the business out of her home which had an attached horse-boarding facility – hence the name Toy Stable. The now owner, Chris Fowler came into the picture in 2014, beginning as a customer and then as an employee.
His wife described Chris’ transition to owner. “So, she ended up hiring him to come and help with the shipping . . . And then eventually, she just decided to sell it to us, like ‘Why don't you just buy it from me?’”
From then on, the Fowlers have worked to maintain the authenticity and nostalgia of Toy Stable. While continuing to build up their new store location, that same goal remains. Ann Fowler says, “I think one of the big things that's unique about us is when people come into the store, it's like a walk back in time, right? They're like, ‘Oh my God, I remember this, this is bringing back my childhood’.”
Even though what may be considered nostalgic to someone in their 20s, may be very different from someone in their 40s, they have it all. Their main demographic could be described as “people who have been collecting Pokémon for decades, all the way to young college kids”. The sheer size of their collection allows whoever walks in to find something for themselves.
When asked how they want to leave their mark on Ellensburg, Chris Fowler describes, “We want to be a destination. We want to be involved in the community. We want to give back to the community.” They also want people to know that, “these are wholesome people, a small business, you know, a mom-and-pop shop, not some corporation with corporate dollars.” Being a small business, as much as they rely on their local community to build them up, they want to be a pillar that their community can rely on to build themselves up as well. From fundraising to community events, Toy Stable is investing in Ellensburg and plans on sticking around.
Looking forward to the future: Senor Bones, House of Burritos
Walking into Senor Bones, located in Cle Elum, you are hit with upbeat music, smells of garlic and spices, and a warm welcome from all of the employees on the clock that day.
Shannon and Russ Weaver have lived in Kittitas County for six years and for the past three of those years have owned Senor Bones, House of Burritos. Coming from a background in the “big-burrito” business, the Weavers decided they wanted to take their experience in a different route.
Opening in 2020, Senor Bones has bloomed in the neighboring town of Cle Elum. Inspired by the plastic skeleton that used to hang off the back of Weaver’s bike rack, the name Senor Bones came about. The same plastic skeleton now hangs from the ceiling in the restaurant. Weaver describes the aha moment, “And so we said what about Senor Bones and it rolled off the tongue. So, Senor Bones and House of Burritos is a play off the House of Blues, one of our favorite places to go and then big burritos, one of our favorite things to eat.” The combination of loud music, vibrant colors and huge burritos makes Senor Bones one of a kind.
Not for long will the residents of Ellensburg have to do the 30-minute drive to visit. Senor Bones plans on opening a location in Ellensburg soon. When asked ‘Why Ellensburg?’, the Weavers have many reasons, the student population being one of them, “I think students are grossly underserved with options of eating burgers and pizza, which I love . . . But I think there's a call for us.” While they can’t divulge their new location yet, they expect to be able to announce their Ellensburg spot sometime in June.
With their “farm to tortilla” philosophy, along with aiming to be an employer of choice, they plan on leaving a positive impact on Ellensburg. “We are open-minded. And I don't think we have a corporate structure here. We encourage our employees to fly their own flags and to be who they are,” Weaver describes.
They continue their theme of inclusivity in their menu. From traditional burritos to Birria ramen, their menu explores all. Shannon also wants people in the burg to know “Everything we make, we make from scratch. We make all the salsas, all the meats from scratch. We have really great vegetarian, vegan and also gluten-free options.” She wants her customers to know their food. “We love to sample too, so people can taste it. We like to explain what's in the food so they feel very educated and good about what they're eating.”
Overall, Senor Bones plans on “coming in hot” to Ellensburg by collaborating with other local businesses and embedding themselves in the community.