There’s so much to love about Olympia, and the list grows the longer you’ve been here. It’s easy to run into someone you were just thinking about at the grocery store or maybe someone you used to know but hadn’t seen for a long time. Well 80 Artesian Brewing in Olympia feels like that to me. There’s great family, history, food and fun. And beer.
It’s in the Water: Olympia Beer
A dear friend of mine worked for the Olympia Brewery for quite a while. Over dinner at Well 80 he mused about the artifacts in the restaurant and brewers of the past. He added that he knew that artesian wells in Olympia were surveyed in 1939. There were 96 in all. The one at the back of the Well 80 building is #80. When the owners were shown the well, they were intent on bringing that water resource back into the brewing industry. The building was once the site of Capital Steam Laundry that was destroyed in a fire. The current building replicates the exterior of its former self.
The water from the well remains a constant 53 degrees. “The aquifer was formed at the start of the Holocene Epoch, roughly 12,000 years ago at the Vashon Glacier withdrew at the end of the great ice age,” according to Well 80. No wonder the beer is amazing.
It’s the Knudson Family
Chris Knudson is the director of operations and one of the owners of Well 80. You could say he was born into the restaurant business, but that did not automatically mean he was going to make a career of it. His parents, Rob and Sue, own the Casa Mia restaurants. “I was the emergency dish washer in middle school and high school—I did not like that,” Chris recalls. He went off to college to pursue other interests. Along the way he started cooking and he became more interested in restaurants. “I was the one (he has two older brothers) least into the business when I was younger. Now I love it,” says Chris.
Thinking Outside the (Pizza) Box at Well 80 in Olympia
“It’s been a fun partnership with my dad,” explains Chris, who initially was a Casa Mia manager and later in 2009 became a partner. For a slice of history, you can read about the two of them collaborating on the reimaging the Casa Mia restaurants back in 2013. Speaking of history, in May 2001, I wrote a story for The Olympian about Casa Mia and Bob Knudson, and his gorgonzola pizza. I love the connectedness of familiar people coming through my life. As the local saying goes, “That is so Olympia.” It’s a good thing. The parents are still in the restaurant business, and you might find them having dinner at Well 80 on a Friday night.
With three restaurants in the area, you can be sure Chris is on the go. He and his wife, an occupational therapist, have two young children, a daughter and a son. Are they going into the family business? Chris laughed and said, “They like the food.” When not working, the family is on skis. “The kids love it, and they now can keep up with me,” he adds.
Restaurant and Brewery in Olympia Offers Family, Food and Fun
Well 80 has seating for families, bar seating for those of legal age, a fireplace nook and another room with tables back toward the brewing area. Clearly, people are there to have a local beer, but you can also order a cocktail. A few specialty drinks are on menu with ingredients from Sandstone Distillery and KombuchaLuv.
The Beer Menu of made-in-house ales and lagers utilize the waters of Well #80. There are many choices. Enjoy fresh popped corn, too. The Food Menu features sushi grade tuna, burgers, sandwiches, salads, hand-tossed pizzas, pretzels, and heaps of tots and fries with tempting seasonings. Kids will find their own menu. The Brewhouse Sprouts are better than candy (to me, for sure). Brussels sprouts are flash fried with Gochujang and Togarashi for a bit of heat, citrus note, salt and chili. Add a few tots, and life is extra delicious. The menu is eclectic, inviting me to come back to try something else.
Well 80 Daily Event & Specials
You can show up for Trivia Tuesdays, Bingo Nights, or Fresh & Frugal Cocktail Thursdays. There’s a Happy Hour from 3 p.m. – 5 p.m. with special prices on a burger, salad, pizza, fries or tots and draft pints and brewhouse wine. Every day has a special. For example, Saturday is Pretzel Mania with a discount on pretzel plates. You can check the Well 80 website for more details. Having your own party? You can rent a keg.
Well 80 has a selection of board games for people to use and relax. There’s also merchandise to check out. Be sure to take a slow walk down the hall to the bathroom to enjoy the photographs of Olympia Beer in classic films over the ages.
Happy Anniversary, Well 80. Thank you for being another reason to visit downtown Olympia.
Well 80 Artesian Brewery
514 4th Avenue E., Olympia
Instagram Facebook
