Olympias historic Oyster House restaurant set to reopen year after fire

A year ago this month, downtown Olympias Oyster House, a historic restaurant and landmark that overlooks Percival Landing, was destroyed in a fiery blaze.

When it burned, concerns were raised about a downturn in business in that immediate area, but also about how it would affect tourism because the restaurant is so often the subject of visitor inquiries.

But there was another, perhaps unspoken concern: would the Oyster House become another burned out building on Fourth Avenue and remain that way for years to come?

That will not be the case because the owners and managers of the business Tom and Leticia Barrett vowed the day it burned to rebuild and are now aiming for an opening date of July 20.

Construction might be done before then Greg Bailey of Bailey General Contractors of Lacey said he wanted to complete the work before the one-year anniversary of the fire -- but the restaurant still needs to train its employees, said Leticia Barrett during a tour of the business this month.

That means the business could open as early as the 19th or it might open the following week, she said.

We have to be prepared and open it to our standards, she said.

But once it does reopen, customers will enter an entirely new restaurant that feels like the place it was before. For example, they have re-created the historic look of the dining tables that were previously used by the business, and the exterior walls have been painted a light yellow, just like they were before it burned.

Diners also can expect to see some familiar employees, along with some new ones, as well as the neon lighting that rimmed the building.

A year off, too, has given the Barretts time to think about the menu, meal presentation and the execution of our plates, Leticia Barrett said.

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Olympias historic Oyster House restaurant set to reopen year after fire