We’re back with another celebration of strong, local business!
Don’t forget to follow us on FB and Instagram to learn more to learn about the awesome small businesses we’ve awarded with our honorary Built EverStrong status! Plus, leave us a comment to nominate businesses you think deserve to be celebrated for working hard to #adaptandovercome.
Kaycee & Jessica, Owners of Locus
(Photos: Kairn Consulting)
LOCUS CAFE
This time, we’re featuring a new downtown restaurant and the inspirational duo behind it: Kaycee Rezvani and Jessica Henderson at Locus Café.
Amar discovered this gem recently with his wife and immediately knew he had to help share their story.
Locus means place, but, in this case, it also means dreams actualized. With a combined 20+ years in the food service industry, Kaycee and Jessica took a big leap at the start of the new year, leaving their workplace of 7+ years to become restauranteurs. They jumped on the old Vinostrology spot and took on the entire remodel themselves (with the help of friends and family).
When we sat down with them, they described the motivation behind Locus. They admitted they didn’t have experience in the back-end business side of things before taking on this endeavor, but they threw themselves into the process anyway. As Jessica explained, they wanted to let their ideas flow, to find real happiness, and to do that, they knew they had to get out of their comfort zone. “You just keep doing the next thing and learning one thing after another,” Kaycee explained.
Locus opened its doors for the first time at the end of February—about 2 weeks before the shutdown. In June, they were finally able to welcome customers back to their space. Since then, they’ve expanded their outdoor patio space to include 6 extra feet in the front plus a new alley-side patio space that can accommodate four more 4-tops.
Kaycee mentioned that she was grateful to have the City of Bellingham as their landlords during this time (they’re located in the Commercial Street Garage Building)—“they’ve been so easy to work with.”
Their proximity to several Bellingham staples has also been beneficial for people to wander in for a drink while they wait for their tables and takeout from other nearby dining establishments. The Café itself is airy, bright, and spacious with tables spaced 6-feet apart. Since they’re a newer place, they’re not usually too busy and bustling, so even their more apprehensive customers have felt comfortable dining indoors.
We love Kaycee and Jessica’s upbeat attitudes. When we asked what it’s been like to launch a new business during such a challenging time, Jessica explained that there’s always something that can have a major impact on whether a business succeeds, and the important thing is to just not give up. Kaycee added, “If we can get through this, we can do anything.”
They are in it to win it and here for the long haul, and we are HERE for them.
You can learn more about Locus on their website or follow them on Insta. They are also now available on VikingFood for delivery.
And if you see Kaycee and Jessica, give them a distance high-five from us!
