PORT TOWNSEND — David Emerson had one thing in mind as he piloted his Cessna 172 from Bellingham to the Jefferson County International Airport: a slice of rhubarb pie with vanilla ice cream at the fly-in Spruce Goose Cafe.
About once a month for the past four years, Emerson has made the same trip with the same objective.
He is not alone.
The Spruce Goose draws pilots from around the Northwest and nationwide for its rhubarb, apple, marionberry and cherry pie, as well as for its homemade soup and cinnamon rolls, omelettes, burgers, salads, sandwiches and milkshakes.
Locals love it as well for its beautiful setting next to the airport’s runway and view of the mountains and for the sense of community it has fostered since it began in the 1960s.
For the past 25 years, owners Chris Cray and Andrea Raymor fostered and raised the Spruce Goose’s reputation for great food and friendly atmosphere. So, when they decided to sell the cafe last year, they wanted to make sure it ended up in the care of people who were capable and trustworthy.
They didn’t have to look far.
On July 1, waitresses Kathryn McKenney, 23, her sister Vanessa McKenney, 25, and cook Ashley Owen, 33, added businesswoman to their titles when they became the owners of the Spruce Goose. All three grew up in Port Townsend.
Cray and Raymor said the McKenneys and Owen know the customers by name, the menu inside and out and embody a positive attitude that — along with the food — keeps people coming back.
The McKenneys and Owen understood they are not simply taking over a business. They have been entrusted with stewarding a beloved local institution. The three are now in the process of settling into their new routines and getting used to the idea that they are running their own business.
Kathryn and Vanessa McKenney began waitressing at the Spruce Goose in 2020. Their roles will expand to include management tasks like payroll, monitoring inventory and ordering supplies and overseeing daily operations.
Owen, who was hired as a dishwasher in October 2013 and quickly advanced to cook, said she was happy to remain in charge of the small, two-person kitchen.
As the mom of Leonidas, 9, and Eleanor, 6, Owen said balancing motherhood and work is still “a work in progress.”
Owen makes the Spruce Goose’s famous pies from a recipe that originated with Ila Bishop, who owned the cafe in the 1970s. Bishop passed it down to her daughter, Jean Sather, who then gave it to Cray and Raymor when they purchased the cafe in 1999.
Cray and Raymor said they anticipate the McKenneys and Owen will put their own imprint on the Spruce Goose, just as they did. Raymor said one of the first things they did when they bought the business was to take down the lace curtains.
“They’ve already put up a restroom sign,” Raymor said. “We thought, ‘Now, why didn’t we think of that?’”
Loyal patrons needn’t worry about big changes, because none are planned. The menu will remain the same. The model planes hanging from the ceiling will stay. There won’t be karaoke nights or drinks with small paper umbrellas.
Some of the tweaks they had been considering, Vanessa McKinney said, came from customers. Among them are being open on Mondays — the Spruce Goose, 310 Airport Road, is currently open Wednesday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. — extending the closing time by an hour and allowing dogs on the outside deck.
They do intend to ramp up marketing the cafe, with Vanessa McKenney designing a new website and Kathryn McKenney promoting it on social media.
Other than that, Kathryn McKenney said, “Nothing changes until we settle in.”
In the meantime, they were re-ordering merchandise like T-shirts and coffee mugs and waiting for the state to renew its liquor license.
And they had already made their first hire: the McKenneys’ mother, Erin Hubbard, who will be working for her daughters as a waitress.
“So far, so good,” Hubbard said.
Raymor and Cray have not completely left the Spruce Goose: they are mentoring the young women on how to run a business and providing hands-on assistance when needed.
Their presence was important, Vanessa McKenney said, and it helped her from feeling overwhelmed.
“The most challenging has been juggling all the responsibilities,” she said.
Letting go of the Spruce Goose was challenging for Cray and Raymor, as well. They said family obligations prompted their decision to sell the business.
“It’s bittersweet, it’s like my family here,” said Cray, who also is a real estate agent.
They are not second-guessing their decision, however.
“We know it’s in the right hands,” Raymor said. “And it stayed in the community — that was important to us.”
As for David Emerson, by the time he landed Wednesday, the rhubarb pie was gone. Sold out.
“I was very disappointed,” he said. “But I’ll be back.”
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Reporter Paula Hunt can be reached by email at paula.hunt@peninsuladailynews.com.
