Downtown Vancouver brewpub Tap Union Freehouse will expand next door into space that formerly housed Luepke Flowers and Finds. It will now occupy the entirety of the building known as Luepke Station.
The building’s owner, Bruno Amicci, told The Columbian last week that Tap Union had leased 2,500 square feet, which has been vacant since Luepke closed in late February.
Tap Union owner Chris Daniels said the expansion will primarily consist of new seating, along with more games for customers, possibly including pinball machines. The extra space will also be used to expand the brewpub’s selection of bottled beer to drink on the premises or take to-go.
“Downtown is in dire need of a bottle shop,” he said. “We have the one two-door fridge (right now) and we sell so much beer out of it.”
Tap Union opened in late 2016 and features a rotating selection of 25 taps with an emphasis on local beer, wine and cider.
The business has grown consistently in the past three years, Daniels said, and has already expanded once, taking over a rear storage area in order to add more space for kegs.
The brewpub routinely reaches its full seating capacity, he said, so he had already been searching for a possible second location when he learned about the space next door. The expansion will also make the bar more visible to people passing by on Washington Street, he said.
“As soon as (Amicci) told me, it was pretty much a no-brainer,” he said.
Despite the struggles faced by the flower shop, Amicci said downtown Vancouver has proven to be a good environment for businesses, particularly bars and restaurants. He previously said he wanted to fill the vacant space with another food-focused tenant that could complement Tap Union.
“As an example of how hot the market is right now, I had four showings in a week-and-a-half and leased within four weeks,” Amicci wrote in an email.
The two wings of the distinctive building have always been connected, so the expansion should be relatively easy, Daniels said — one of the two connecting doors is still open and the other is simply blocked by a sheet of plywood. Daniels said he’s aiming to open the expansion in July or August.
Luepke’s legacy
Luepke Flowers and Finds closed its doors in February after 110 years in operation.
The store was originally founded in 1909 under the name Luepke Florist by Frank and Edla Luepke, and passed through three generations of family ownership before being purchased in 2004 by its longtime manager Maria Adler and her husband.
The store’s original building burned in 1937 and was replaced later that year by the current structure on the same site. An addition, currently housing Tap Union, was built onto the west side of the building in 1945. Amicci bought the building in 2014, and said he was inspired by a passion for 1930s art and architecture.
The Adlers announced plans to retire and close the store, but Amicci stepped in and bought the business, renaming it Luepke Flowers and Finds, shortly after purchasing the building. He embarked on a project to revitalize the building, renovating the exterior and adding a mural on the north wall.
Amicci renamed the building Luepke Station after Tap Union moved in. Tap Union’s interior was designed to emphasize the 1930s and 1940s vibe of the building.
Luepke Flowers and Finds may be gone, but Amicci said he’s determined to preserve the store’s legacy. The building will continue to be called Luepke Station, and the Luepke Rose and Luepke Florists signs will remain on the roof, along with the floral mural on the north wall — and Amicci says those terms were written into the lease. The building has also been added to the Clark County Historic Register.
“Luepke Station is alive and well,” Amicci said.
Daniels said he wants to maintain the architecture of the former Luepke Flower store. Tap Union’s existing space tends to be darker on the inside, he said, so the large windows in the Luepke half will create more options for customers who want a brighter space, particularly for playing games.
“I don’t really want to change too much,” he said. “It’s a very historic space.”
