Disco Bay Detour and Village Store undergoing renovations

DISCOVERY BAY — The Disco Bay Detour and Village Store is getting a facelift this winter as the owners work to expand the store and renovate the Detour space.

Store owners Stacey and Greg Brotherton closed the Detour on Sept. 30, and Stacey has been handling the renovations to the bar area as the team works to expand the Village Store and bring back their espresso stand.

The expansion will have a coffee stand, a lunch bar, ice cream and other items from the store, as the two areas will be easily connected. They will keep the name “Discovery Bay Detour,” since they still have all the signage and branding for that area, Stacey said.

Stacey manages the store, while Greg — who is the District 3 Jefferson County commissioner — helps when he can.

“It’s really gratifying to see Stacy make [the business] her own,” Greg said.

Stacey hopes to have the renovations completed and the Detour open come spring, but it could take longer, as she is handling the majority of the work herself with the assistance of her employees and friends.

“That’s the goal,” Stacey said. “But since I’m the only one doing it, no one can hold me to it.”

Stacey is spending eight to 10 hours at the store each day, managing the Village Store and working on renovations.

She employs three workers plus herself to run the store, and has had the same team for almost four years, she said.

On Wednesday, Stacey was working on the restroom in the Detour and had laid the tile in it Tuesday. One of the complaints and suggestions she has heard from travelers was the need for a public restroom, she said.

Stacey and Greg opened the Village Store in early 2014 and were originally renting the space from a partner. Since then, they became the owners with the help of investors and opened the Detour Bar. They eventually became the sole owners of the building and businesses.

Unfortunately, the business relies heavily on the spring and summer tourist trade and travelers, since it is a 15- to 20-minute drive outside of Port Townsend and, Greg said, “We got a bit too large” for the business to be sustainable long term the way it was.

“I save up in the summer so I can lose money almost every day in the winter,” Stacey said.

The goal of the renovation is to embrace the unique local selection the store has and make the business feel more like a “mom and pop” business, Greg said.

The store offers a selection of grocery necessities, such as eggs and milk, as well as other food and basic-need items. Many of the options there are from Washington businesses, such as Finnriver Farm & Cidery.

Some, such as honey and a homemade natural deodorant, are made on the Brothertons’ own farm.

Stacey wants to expand the local options.

“That’s what we’re switching to … I always want to be a unique grab-and-go,” Stacey said. “You can get almost everything you need here except a full Thanksgiving dinner.”

When it was announced that they were closing the Detour bar and would no longer be serving alcohol, Stacey said that they heard a lot of sadness and surprise from the community, but the bar wasn’t generating enough income to be sustainable.

“I think that’s what surprised people. They thought we were always busy,” Stacey said.

The pair also decided to stop serving alcohol, because many people were worried about drinking then driving home along the winding roads around Discovery Bay into the surrounding neighborhoods, or the neighboring cities of Port Townsend and Sequim.

The store still will sell bottled and canned local selections of beer, wine and cider, Stacey said.

“It’s fun to pick and choose and curate things from Washington,” Stacey said.

The Village Store is at 282332 U.S. Highway 101 in Discovery Bay and is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays; and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

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Jefferson County reporter Zach Jablonski can be reached at 360-385-2335, ext. 5, or at zjablonski@peninsuladailynews.com.