‘Brunch staple in Tacoma' known for its cinnamon rolls has closed
Art House Cafe, one of Tacoma's busiest brunch restaurants, closed after Saturday service, the end of a 12-year run in the Stadium District.
Owners John and Lucia Armstrong, who launched their first restaurant next to the educational art studio they started in 1996, announced the decision on their website and social media over the weekend.
They plan to retain their commissary kitchen, they said, and the Art House name — likely in the form of cooking classes, workshops and other events that will feature beloved cafe dishes.
'Art House Cafe, believe it or not, started as a means for us to have wine and painting classes,' they wrote. 'It grew into something much more than we ever dreamed. The lessons we have learned as inexperienced restaurant owners have been invaluable. The relationships with people that have worked for us and our many customers who have become good friends will be treasured always.'
The Armstrongs posted this goodbye message on the door of the restaurant, shown here on May 5, as well as on the website and Instagram. Art House Cafe closed after service May 3.
They did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The News Tribune.
Known for from-scratch breakfast and brunch, Art House served its final meals May 3. Fans in the comments described it as 'a brunch staple for Tacoma' and a go-to choice for 'lots of memories and sweet celebrations with friends.' The cinnamon rolls got a special shout-out.
ART HOUSE CAFE FILLED A BRUNCH VOID
The cafe debuted in the Stadium District just after neighbors Shake Shake Shake and just before Indo Street Asian Eatery, both of which are still standing, albeit with adjusted or new ownership. Art House offered breakfast, lunch and dinner, The News Tribune reported at the time, with an emphasis on housemade goodies, including English muffins, Neapolitan-style pizza and pasta.
In recent years it had focused on morning and mid-day meals, with wait times reaching two hours on busy weekends for dishes like seasonal pumpkin-bread French toast, a gingerbread Dutch baby, towering egg sandwiches and lattes a-plenty. On pleasant days, the covered porch filled up, too.
In this staff photo from 2013, diners await their meal at Art House Cafe not long after the restaurant opened.
The Armstrongs had been casually teaching art since the 1990s and eventually landed their Open Arts Studio in a red Craftsman-style building on North Tacoma Avenue, near Stadium High School. In the late 2010s, The Healing Garden Tea Room and Flowers closed next door. Thus began the couple's first foray into restaurant ownership. They hired an experienced local chef, Dustin Johnson, and continued offering painting classes at least until 2017, according to an article in South Sound Talk.
Art House closed for several weeks in 2020, in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, reopening first for takeout in May. It didn't fully reopen until early 2021, according to Instagram posts. Dinner returned for a bit until the restaurant cut back to just daytime hours at some point in recent years.
In their sign-off, the Armstrongs said it was just time to leave the restaurant business in pursuit of 'new projects, ongoing businesses, to take care of personal medical procedures, and new adventures and travels.'
The inside of Art House Cafe, adorned with artistic details and pieces thanks to the owners' backgrounds, was quiet on Monday afternoon.
It was a difficult decision, they said, because they still 'have great joy' seeing the space full of happy customers, enjoying not just the food but each other, and their team was 'the most cohesive and best crew we ever had.' They added that, with the help of some of their suppliers, they will be supporting their staff in finding new jobs.
'For those of you who are shocked and saddened, please know this has been a hard but necessary choice,' they wrote. 'We are grateful to Tacoma and the people we have served.'
Their letter, which was also posted to the front door as of Monday morning, encouraged their followers to visit Three Hearts, Side Piece Kitchen, Cooks Tavern and Le Sel Bistro — 'places we love and will be enjoying in the future ourselves to fill our own brunch needs.'
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