Brunch 101 has recipe for delighting customers
Story By Rick Anderson
Photos by Rick Moyer
Wedged in relatively close quarters between a ceramics store and a real estate agency on the 700 block of Simpson Avenue in downtown Hoquiam, Brunch 101 is far from the most conspicuous restaurant on Grays Harbor.
But in terms of attracting and retaining customers, it ranks near the top.
Open seven days a week between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., Brunch 101 is filled to its 50-seat capacity during peak hours more often than not.
“There are some off days when it’s a bit slower or the flow is different, but we can really fill the place on a pretty regular basis,” said Brittany Figg-Case, the co-owner of the restaurant with her husband, Anthony Case. “We open at 10 a.m., and on Saturdays and Sundays, we are at full capacity by 10:05 every weekend— and it stays full until we close at 3 p.m.”
While the majority of its clientele are area residents, the restaurant is also popular with tourists. The most recent set of reviews on the TripAdvisor website gives Brunch 101 a 4.9 ranking out of a 5.0 maximum.
Hoquiam resident and community leader Betsy Seidel and her husband, Bob Martin, are not only regular customers but also consider the restaurant ideal for group outings.
“We always take our out-of-town friends to Brunch 101, treating them to a meal they rave about,” Seidel related. “Everyone who has eaten there wants to return again and again.”
For all its current renown, however, the restaurant was far from an overnight success. The brunch-only concept, in fact, nearly imploded during a frenetic shakedown cruise in which the business was opened, closed and changed ownership — all within the first 30 days of operation.
Kevin and Candice Spivey, who own the real-estate office next door, opened Brunch 101 in 2018. They quickly realized, however, that they weren’t cut out for the restaurant business and sought out the Cases, friends who had the necessary experience in the field.
Anthony Case, who was raised in England, was at the time the master chef at the Quinault Beach Resort & Casino near Ocean Shores. His wife, Brittany, a Pacific Beach native, owned the Cakecakes pastry and cupcake shop in Aberdeen, which now operates at the Brunch 101 location.
“They knew we were restaurant people and trusted we would bring the vision of Brunch 101 to life,” Figg-Case said of the Spiveys. “And we did just that.”
The Cases spent eight months remodeling the kitchen and seating area before re-opening — just in time to be confronted with the Covid-19 pandemic that nearly devastated the restaurant industry.
That forced another closure to in-house dining for nearly a year. The owners subsisted on takeout orders and deliveries — many of the latter to safety and healthcare professionals and neighboring businesses — before re-opening to stay.
“We had to stay open,” Figg-Case remembered. “I didn’t have any more money.”
The Cases were then able to execute their business strategy. A brunch-only restaurant, Brittany said, fills a niche in Harbor dining.
“Most restaurants stop serving breakfast at 11 a.m.,” she noted. “Here, if you want breakfast, you can have breakfast. If you want lunch, you can have lunch and some (menu items) are in-between.”
Offering more than 30 food options, in addition to pastries, cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages, Brunch 101 has an exceptionally diverse menu. Patrons can order anything from basic bacon and eggs to Indian tacos to chicken fried steak.
The specialty items, however, are among the most popular. Those include the Bennies (in which crumpets are served with a poached egg, bacon and béarnaise sauce), the Dutch Baby (German pancakes with fruit and honey) and Cheesecake French Toast (a thick slab of french toast with cheesecake and a berry topping).
Figg-Case is particularly proud of the Thai Chicken and Waffles, which features a sweet and spicy Thai sauce added to a waffle and chicken breast.
Nearly all of the menu items are cooked from scratch, with fresh bread also baked daily at the site. Figg-Case said several of the entrees are created from recipes handed down by the couple’s families.
“We’ve worked out how to utilize all of our fresh ingredients in very different ways, resulting in eclectic and fun dishes,” she said.
Although focusing predominantly on the business end of the operation, Anthony Case still occasionally works in the kitchen. Brian Patterson, however, is the primary cook. The serving staff (the restaurant employs 14 people) also receives rave reviews.
“If I were asked to separate Brunch 101 from other breakfast and lunch restaurants, I would list three positives,” Betsy Seidel observed. “An easy-access parking lot that is across Simpson Avenue; numerous choices on the menu that are all yummy and, last but not least, the friendly and helpful staff.”
The Brunch 101 owners have been asked by customers if they have considered offering dinners at least a couple of nights per week. Figg-Case said the current site lacks the storage space to add dinner entree items, and she is adamant that the flagship restaurant remain at its present location. But she added that she and her husband might possibly be open to expanding to a second site if the opportunity arises — provided it would be in Hoquiam.
“Brunch’s home is in Hoquiam,” she emphasized.
The loyalty to the community, she added, cuts both ways.
“I don’t think the community would ever let us close,” Figg-Case concluded. “If they thought we’d close, (people) would say, ‘Let’s all go over there and support them.’”
Photos by Rick Moyer
Wedged in relatively close quarters between a ceramics store and a real estate agency on the 700 block of Simpson Avenue in downtown Hoquiam, Brunch 101 is far from the most conspicuous restaurant on Grays Harbor.
But in terms of attracting and retaining customers, it ranks near the top.
Open seven days a week between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., Brunch 101 is filled to its 50-seat capacity during peak hours more often than not.
“There are some off days when it’s a bit slower or the flow is different, but we can really fill the place on a pretty regular basis,” said Brittany Figg-Case, the co-owner of the restaurant with her husband, Anthony Case. “We open at 10 a.m., and on Saturdays and Sundays, we are at full capacity by 10:05 every weekend— and it stays full until we close at 3 p.m.”
While the majority of its clientele are area residents, the restaurant is also popular with tourists. The most recent set of reviews on the TripAdvisor website gives Brunch 101 a 4.9 ranking out of a 5.0 maximum.
Hoquiam resident and community leader Betsy Seidel and her husband, Bob Martin, are not only regular customers but also consider the restaurant ideal for group outings.
“We always take our out-of-town friends to Brunch 101, treating them to a meal they rave about,” Seidel related. “Everyone who has eaten there wants to return again and again.”
For all its current renown, however, the restaurant was far from an overnight success. The brunch-only concept, in fact, nearly imploded during a frenetic shakedown cruise in which the business was opened, closed and changed ownership — all within the first 30 days of operation.
Kevin and Candice Spivey, who own the real-estate office next door, opened Brunch 101 in 2018. They quickly realized, however, that they weren’t cut out for the restaurant business and sought out the Cases, friends who had the necessary experience in the field.
Anthony Case, who was raised in England, was at the time the master chef at the Quinault Beach Resort & Casino near Ocean Shores. His wife, Brittany, a Pacific Beach native, owned the Cakecakes pastry and cupcake shop in Aberdeen, which now operates at the Brunch 101 location.
“They knew we were restaurant people and trusted we would bring the vision of Brunch 101 to life,” Figg-Case said of the Spiveys. “And we did just that.”
The Cases spent eight months remodeling the kitchen and seating area before re-opening — just in time to be confronted with the Covid-19 pandemic that nearly devastated the restaurant industry.
That forced another closure to in-house dining for nearly a year. The owners subsisted on takeout orders and deliveries — many of the latter to safety and healthcare professionals and neighboring businesses — before re-opening to stay.
“We had to stay open,” Figg-Case remembered. “I didn’t have any more money.”
The Cases were then able to execute their business strategy. A brunch-only restaurant, Brittany said, fills a niche in Harbor dining.
“Most restaurants stop serving breakfast at 11 a.m.,” she noted. “Here, if you want breakfast, you can have breakfast. If you want lunch, you can have lunch and some (menu items) are in-between.”
Offering more than 30 food options, in addition to pastries, cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages, Brunch 101 has an exceptionally diverse menu. Patrons can order anything from basic bacon and eggs to Indian tacos to chicken fried steak.
The specialty items, however, are among the most popular. Those include the Bennies (in which crumpets are served with a poached egg, bacon and béarnaise sauce), the Dutch Baby (German pancakes with fruit and honey) and Cheesecake French Toast (a thick slab of french toast with cheesecake and a berry topping).
Figg-Case is particularly proud of the Thai Chicken and Waffles, which features a sweet and spicy Thai sauce added to a waffle and chicken breast.
Nearly all of the menu items are cooked from scratch, with fresh bread also baked daily at the site. Figg-Case said several of the entrees are created from recipes handed down by the couple’s families.
“We’ve worked out how to utilize all of our fresh ingredients in very different ways, resulting in eclectic and fun dishes,” she said.
Although focusing predominantly on the business end of the operation, Anthony Case still occasionally works in the kitchen. Brian Patterson, however, is the primary cook. The serving staff (the restaurant employs 14 people) also receives rave reviews.
“If I were asked to separate Brunch 101 from other breakfast and lunch restaurants, I would list three positives,” Betsy Seidel observed. “An easy-access parking lot that is across Simpson Avenue; numerous choices on the menu that are all yummy and, last but not least, the friendly and helpful staff.”
The Brunch 101 owners have been asked by customers if they have considered offering dinners at least a couple of nights per week. Figg-Case said the current site lacks the storage space to add dinner entree items, and she is adamant that the flagship restaurant remain at its present location. But she added that she and her husband might possibly be open to expanding to a second site if the opportunity arises — provided it would be in Hoquiam.
“Brunch’s home is in Hoquiam,” she emphasized.
The loyalty to the community, she added, cuts both ways.
“I don’t think the community would ever let us close,” Figg-Case concluded. “If they thought we’d close, (people) would say, ‘Let’s all go over there and support them.’”
