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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2016
Loyal regulars buy McKay’s Taphouse in Richland, plan name change BY ELSIE PUIG
for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business
When the Chacons saw that their favorite Richland restaurant was for sale, they knew they wanted to buy it. Joey Chacon, a health care administrator at Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland, and his wife Christina Chacon, a local psychiatric nurse practitioner, expect to take ownership of McKay’s Taphouse in December. “It’s just a fun atmosphere with a downto-earth vibe. It has good beer and good food. It’s even a place we take our kids to,” said Joey Chacon. “My wife and I would joke that if it ever came up for sale we would buy it, so when it did, I threw my hat in the ring.”
uNETWORKING WSU TC’s Lobdell, Penland elected to state association
Washington State University Tri-Cities’ Keri Lobdell and Shiloh Penland have been elected as east side representative and president-elect, respectively, for the Washington State TRIO Association. TRIO was created by Congress Keri Lobdell through the Higher Education Act of 1965 to help low-income Americans enter college, graduate and move on to fully participate in America’s economic and social life. Lobdell began working for Washington State University Tri-Cities TRIO Student Support Services as a retention specialist in October 2014, and previously worked for WSU Tri-Cities as student clubs coordinator in the area of enrollment management and stu-
They plan to rename it Tommy’s Taphouse after Christina Chacon’s father. But Joey Chacon said regulars shouldn’t fret — their favorite food and craft beers will stay the same. They’ll also be adding beer flights — two- to six-inch glasses of beer that allow patrons to taste four different beers at once. The restaurant will continue to offer more than 50 national, regional and MidColumbia beers on tap. It also offers a wide selection of microbrews from all over the Pacific Northwest. Customers also can enjoy the same menu of appetizers, entrées, soups and salads, including five different kinds of mac and cheese. There also is a special kids’ menu. Joey Chacon hired Gilkey Restaurant
Consulting Group of Seattle to perform market research for the restaurant. “We’re looking at the menu and want to look at what the Tri-Cities currently has to offer and looking to bring in fun unique menu options you can’t get anywhere else in the Tri-Cities,” he said. Tommy’s Taphouse will kick off a new Mug Club. Club members will pay an annual fee, which gets them a personalized mug, exclusive promotions and discounts. “They’ll also get priority on specialty seasonal beers that often are only done in small batches,” Joey Chacon said. Joey Chacon says the taphouse also will begin offering promotions to nearby businesses as incentives to come in for lunch and may offer catered lunch services. Joey Chacon has been working in
health care as a nurse and administrator for 13 years, but last year he graduated with his master’s in business administration from Western Governors University. “During my MBA, I started getting interested in business ventures outside of health care. The food and restaurant industry was always interesting to me,” he said. The restaurant’s sale hasn’t been finalized yet. Although the loan to buy it has been approved, Joey Chacon said he is waiting for final appraisal. Tommy’s Taphouse should be open for business in December. The restaurant is at 1312 Lee Blvd. in Richland. For more information call 509943-1300. Hours of operation are 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday to Thursday and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
dent success. Lobdell’s new role with TRIO requires her to keep east side TRIO programs informed of actions taken or under consideration by the board of directors, to attend association meetings, stay informed and facilitate legislative visits. Penland, director of WSU Tri-Cities Student Support Services program, has been elected to TRIO as its presidentelect. She has worked for WSU Tri-Cities since 2007 and with TRIO for more Shiloh Penland than three years. She has a bachelor of science in psychology and English from WSU, and a master’s in communication and leadership studies from Gonzaga University. The WSU Tri-Cities TRIO Student Support Services program serves 140 students who are first-generation, low-income or have a documented disability with the sole purpose of providing support to help them reach their college education goals.
Visit Tri-Cities honors two companies at annual meeting
Howell joins Solarity
Country Mercantile was named as the 2016 Tourism Champion of the Year, and the Hampton Inn at Southridge was recognized with the Excellence in Service award at Visit Tri-Cities’ annual meeting on Nov. 2. Country Mercantile was recognized for its embodiment of tourism and supporting Visit Tri-Cities to promote the region as a premier tourism destination. Excellence in Service Award nominees were judged on the ability to serve as an example to others, provide exemplary customer service and create a memorable visitor experience.
PNNL wins R&D 100 awards
Two Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory technologies were honored at R&D Magazine’s annual R&D 100 Awards Ceremony, held Nov. 3 near Washington, D.C. Tools that track underground contaminants using Real-Time Four-Dimensional Subsurface Imaging software, designed by PNNL’s Tim Johnson, and speed carbon capture technology development, an effort led by PNNL’s Xin Sun, were named among the 100 most innovative scientific breakthroughs of the year. These honors bring PNNL’s total awards to 100 since the ceremony’s inception in 1969.
Turner named to state council for the blind
In October, Gov. Jay Inslee appointed Pasco’s Sheila Turner to the Rehabilitation Council for the Blind. Her term ends Sept. 13, 2019.
Scott Howell has joined Solarity Credit Union as its business services relationship manager. Howell has worked with CEOs and CFOs in Washington for more than nine years and will help Solarity build Scott Howell its business services in the TriCities area. Solarity is a not-for-profit, member-owned financial cooperative.
Ignite Youth Mentoring named as expert partner
Mentoring Works Washington recently named Ignite Youth Mentoring as expert partner, a designation achieved through a guided evaluation process based on national research and experienced practitioner insight. The process includes ongoing assistance to develop and implement a 12-month improvement and innovation plan, completion of a quality mentoring assessment path and commitment to follow outlined best practices. Mentoring Works Washington is one of 28 statewide nonprofits dedicated to expanding the number of youth mentored, building best practices in youth mentoring programs and innovating improvements based on local research. Of 150 mentoring programs in Washington, five have become an expert partner in the statewide program.
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