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Hungry Goose Grows Up

Tim Hall has put his stamp on the family business.

Hall’s mother founded the Hungry Goose Bistro in 1980 as a lunchtime eatery and gift shop. When Hall purchased the business in 2004‚ he revamped the brand.

A remodeling removed the gift shop‚ which was replaced with a comfortable lounge. The dining style changed as well‚ moving from the lunches and teas to a full-service restaurant. Even the name got a minor tweak‚ with Hall calling his operation HG Bistro.

HG Bistro offers an eclectic menu that borrows from styles all over the globe‚ though each dish is infused with a touch of the Pacific Northwest.

“We’re not upscale‚” says Hall. “We offer quality and flavor with the idea that our customers will know what’s in front of them.”

And food isn’t the only attraction; music is a staple in the lounge‚ with live jazz being performed on weekends.

The restaurant‚ located at 1618 E. Main St. in Puyallup‚ seats up to 76.

Supplying the Friendly Skies

In the aviation industry‚ precision is paramount. A Sumner company has accepted that demanding standard and flown with it.

In 1968‚ Don Lundquist founded a company providing composite tooling‚ Precision Pattern Inc.‚ in Tacoma. Then in 1987‚ Lundquist founded Precision Aerospace as a subsidiary‚ at the request of one of his leading customers‚ Boeing.

From a 100‚000-square-foot warehouse‚ nearly 200 Precision Aerospace employees manufacture various composite parts for the aviation industry‚ including wing tips‚ panels‚ ducts and fuselages‚ using materials such as fiberglass‚ carbon fiber and Kevlar.

Though the company remains a preferred supplier to Boeing‚ Precision Aerospace has built a reputation throughout the worldwide aviation market.

“We have a handful of general aviation customers‚” says General Manager Bill Keilman‚ noting his company supplies Airbus‚ helicopter manufacturers and the defense industry. “It relieves some of the dangers of [having all your eggs in] one basket.”

Three Rooms With a View

Mary Mellquist had conjured the name for her bed and breakfast dream; she just needed the home to match it. She found it in Graham.

SkySong Bed & Breakfast and Retreat Center is nestled on six acres of land‚ including four acres of pasture and a one-acre walking garden. The contemporary home features three guest bedrooms‚ all offering a postcard-worthy view of Mt. Rainier.

Each of the bedrooms is different‚ with one featuring a queen-sized bed and a deck‚ another with a full-sized bed and attached solarium and a third that is outfitted with twin beds.

Outside the bedrooms‚ the guests have access to a shared sitting room‚ complete with a refrigerator‚ microwave and coffee machine.

For the Mellquist family‚ which includes husband Archie and daughter Jeanne‚ the back half of the bed and breakfast equation is the most enjoyable aspect of inn keeping.

“The people on the bed and breakfast circuit are well-traveled. You learn so much from what they’ve found on their travels‚” Mellquist says. “It’s hard to get everybody away from the breakfast table sometimes.”

SkySong is located at 10006 255th Court E. in Graham.

Getting In on the Grounds Floor

Opening a coffee house at ground zero of the North American coffee scene is a daunting task‚ but Forza Coffee Co. is bucking the odds.

The Tacoma-based company is emerging as a potent competitor in the market‚ with 15 shops in existence and another 33 in development. The franchise has found a home in Puyallup‚ where Janie and Bryan Reynolds have established an operation at Pioneer Park.

The Reynolds family opened the local Forza Coffee Co. in December 2007‚ and it quickly built a loyal following among local java drinkers.

“The response of the community has been a gift‚” says Janie Reynolds. “They love us‚ and we love them.”

Forza gets its grounds from Sumner’s Dillanos Coffee Roasters‚ its pastries from Schwartz Brothers of Seattle‚ sandwiches from Joeseppi’s of Tacoma and dairy products from Wilcox Farms of Kent‚ Wash.

“It is absolutely local‚” Janie Reynolds says. “We love that.”

Nonstop Fitness

In 2001‚ personal trainer Mike Petrovic was in a near-fatal accident‚ spending 1.5 months in a coma. Though he still feels the aftereffects of that accident‚ he has resumed a physical fitness regimen.

Consequently‚ he’s not interested in reasons why others can’t.

In 2005‚ Petrovic opened his own gym‚ Callaway Fitness‚ in Puyallup. He opened a second location within the city in February 2007. Both gyms are open 24 hours a day‚ seven days a week‚ to accommodate every schedule.

“We try to eliminate having excuses for working out‚” says Petrovic‚ CEO of Callaway Fitness.

Both facilities provide large free-weight rooms‚ cardio rooms with theaters‚ tanning beds‚ a juice bar and supplement sales. All staff members are certified trainers by the National Academy of Sports Medicine.

Callaway Fitness also offers a virtual fitness planner‚ which gives customers a three-dimensional look at their bodies before and after a workout regimen‚ and the amount of time it will take to reach their desired condition.

Story by Dan Markham
Photo by Michael W. Bunch

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