PORT TOWNSEND — Fort Worden State Park, under the auspices of the Public Development Authority, will rebrand and revise its food service options beginning in May.
On May 6, the Guard House, located at a four-way stop sign just inside the park, will have a “soft opening” after several delays.
Also, the Cable House, a building once known as the Canteen and located near the beach next to the Port Townsend Marine Science Center, will reopen with an menu with burgers and fresh food.
Both operations are under the supervision of food service manager Kristan McCary and retail outlets manager Walter Zamora.
A grand opening of both restaurants is planned for May 20.
“We are rebranding both of these restaurants on the same day,” said general manager Todd Gubler.
“They will act as an anchor, one on each end of the park, and create the feeling that there is now more to do here.”
Once a jail
The Guard House is a restaurant-bar combination to be located in a building that has hosted a souvenir shop and a jail during its 125-year existence.
A wall was removed from the 2,000-square-foot space and reinforcement added, creating a clear line of sight into what was once the two-cell jail.
The bars will be left in place, Gubler said, with the larger cell converted to a music area and the adjacent smaller space used as a more private room.
“We weren’t able to do everything we dreamed of because of the historical restrictions,” Gubler said.
“But we have put in new systems that won’t be antiquated in 10 years. We have given the building a new life.”
Gables said that the restaurant will be open for the weekends of May 6 and May 13 as a test, “to see what works and what doesn’t.”
It will be open from noon to 8 p.m. Sundays through Fridays and a little later on the weekends, he said.
McCary, who has run the food service in Fort Worden Commons for 18 months, said the new menu will feature “small plates” costing $10 or $15 with each dish including at least one locally sourced ingredient.
Seafood focus
There will be an emphasis on seafood that will give customers “a chance to share different types of food,” she said.
It will serve wine and beer but will bypass the bottles, storing metal kegs of beer and wine in a basement room that connect directly to taps on the bar.
This is a more environmentally friendly system than one that uses bottles, cans or corks and is less expensive than those options — a discount that McCary plans to pass onto the customers.
It will accommodate 44 inside customers and an undetermined number outside, depending on the weather and permitting.
Gubler said the restaurant will have enough capacity to serve the large audiences at the adjacent McCurdy Pavilion.
McCary is excited about the new opportunity as it provides new options for both tourists and locals.
“It’s part of the park’s history,” she said. “And it will be a beautiful place for people to gather.”
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
