Former tavern to transform into a sweet spot for all ages

The Creamery’s move is part of the overall transformation of the property by its new owners

The bar area of the now-closed Red Bicycle Bistro, in downtown Vashon, will soon undergo a dramatic transformation, with shot glasses and pool tables being replaced by scoops of the flavorful, locally-produced ice cream and an arcade filled with vintage pinball machines and video games.

Glass Bottle Creamery, a popular but tiny specialty grocery store that now offers local raw milk, eggs, cheese, and ice cream, will bring all this into the space in early 2021 after extensive renovations of the old tavern take place.

Samantha Weigand, the Creamery’s owner, said she was excited about the expansion of her business in the new space. Weigand is also the owner of Vashon Island Baking Company, which she said would remain in its present location.

Reached by phone in New York as she prepared to drive a U-Haul truck full of her newly purchased pinball machines and video games across the country back to Vashon, Weigand spoke enthusiastically about her vision for the new incarnation of Glass Bottle Creamery.

“Our vision is that we’re going to have a cool, comfortable, all-ages space,” she said, adding that she was working with two local artists to bring colorful surprises to the interior of the shop. There would also be Foosball and bubble hockey tables inside in the space, she said.

Glass Bottle Creamery, which opened in 2015, is now housed in a sliver of retail space on Vashon Hwy., next door to the Voice of Vashon.

The Creamery’s move across the street is part of the overall transformation of the property by its new owners, married couple Adam Chumas and Christina McFadden.

The sale of the Red Bicycle Bistro building to McFadden’s and Chumas’ company, “Pop Pop Investments LLC,” for $630,000, was recorded on July 1.

Shortly after the sale, the couple announced plans to transform the space into a family-friendly hangout taproom and teriyaki spot called Pop Pop Bottle Shop. Their restaurant will also feature a wide selection of non-alcoholic drinks.

As part of their announcement, Chumas and McFadden said that Pop Pop Bottle Shop will occupy only the southern half of the building, where Red Bicycle Bistro’s eatery and music stage was located. The northern half of the building, which housed the Red Bicycle’s bar, would be subleased to another business — one that they said they were not yet ready to name — that had a similar “community, hangout vibe” as their establishment.

But now that the deal is sealed, Chumas said that all along, he and McFadden were in negotiations with Weigland, who is a close friend. Like Chumas and McFadden, Weigand and her husband are also the parents of young children, ages 9, 7 and 4.

“We’re excited about the partnership,” Chumas said, in a phone interview. “It’s going to round out the offerings we have in the space and help create more of that family vibe.”

Weigand, too, said she was excited to work with Chumas and McFadden, saying that there would be access for patrons to move easily between Pop Pop Bottle Shop and the Creamery, enjoying the best of what the sister businesses had to offer.

According to her bio, posted online, Weigand is a classically trained pastry chef who got her start working at Grand Central Bakery in Seattle. After moving to Washington, DC, where she continued her pastry education at L’Academie de Cuisine, she and her husband, Stephen Weigand, found their opportunity to return to the Northwest when Samantha purchased an iconic island business, Bob’s Bakery, in 2014, renaming it Vashon Island Baking Company.

In 2015, Weigand opened Glass Bottle Creamery in its present location.

In the meantime, Chumas said he and McFadden were still hard at work both inside and outside of their newly purchased space, making much-needed renovations to the interior and exterior of the building, including extensive roof repairs.

Soon, he said, islanders would see visible signs of their progress: a freshly repainted exterior, in shades of white and very dark blue, to complement the building’s green roof. These colors would give the building a Cascadia theme, he said.