After holding the soft opening for Cooper’s Corner bar and grill at the beginning of June, co-owner Dan Waller said the downtown Chehalis business has been doing well despite only recently having a sign installed out front.
“Before the sign, people had no idea we were here. For being almost non-existent, we’re doing pretty good,” Waller said.
With a successful first month in the books and the sign now letting customers know where to go for a beer and some hearty made-to-order mac and cheese, wings tossed in house-made sauces or even a vegan burger, Cooper’s Corner has something for everyone.
The new establishment is located at 289 NW Chehalis Ave.
The Chronicle met with Waller along with Cooper, Waller’s 8-year-old English labrador the bar and grill is named after, on Tuesday, July 2, to talk more about the new dining option ahead of the grand opening for Cooper’s Corner scheduled this Independence Day weekend on Friday, July 5.
“Actually it was someone else’s idea to name it after him, not me, and we just liked the name so we stuck with it,” Waller said.
Cooper’s Corner is also part of the Historic Downtown Chehalis Walking Tour as it is located in the Saindon-Garbe Building, which was constructed in 1907.
Formerly in the antique and collectables business as the old owner of Pacific Coin & Collectables, Waller decided to open a restaurant as a change of pace along with Richard Rickter, a fellow antiques dealer.
With many small businesses starting in downtown Chehalis and finding success recently, Waller hopes to ride that wave and contribute himself to growing the downtown economy by encouraging people to explore the south part of downtown while providing a unique dining experience.
“It’s a family-friendly bar, and we lucked out and got two cooks that are really good at making food,” Waller said. “Since we got the county and the (Lewis County Public Utility District) all down here, we kind of want to help cater to them to, give them another lunch choice.”
And while meat and dairy products are still on the menu, one of those cooks Waller has been a vegan for 16 years and has offerings that even non-vegans such as Waller enjoy.
“After he first told me that, I told him to make me something vegan so I can eat it and so I know what you’re talking about,” Waller said. “So anyway, he made me a burger and put his own little twist on it, and I told him, ‘I hate to tell you, it was actually really tasty and I would order that again because it was a good, filling meal.’”
Other vegan offerings include grilled cheese sandwiches, mac and cheese, house-made hummus, fried cauliflower and more.
“We’re the only place around that has such a selection,” he said.
Chris Madgett, another one of Cooper’s Corner’s cooks, explained that though the restaurant does have a traditional menu, it has separate cooking stations, including a dedicated fryer, to ensure vegan options truly stay vegan.
For those who still enjoy meat, the traditional menu has all the pub-lunch staples from burgers and chicken wings to club and Reuben sandwiches.
“We hand press our burger patties fresh every day, so you’re not getting frozen meat,” Madgett said. “We’re not trying to recreate the wheel, just make a good product and do it right.”
One of the more popular menu staples already is the Cooper Burger, which comes with a third-pound patty, pepperjack and cheddar cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion and a house-made thousand-island sauce.
“People want a burger and they want something good at a fair price, and our prices are pretty fair, especially compared to fast food prices where now you’re paying close to $15 for a burger, fries and a drink,” Madgett said.
The kitchen offers daily specials as well. Madgett was getting ready for “Taco Tuesday,” planning to season and prep-cook around 10 pounds of meat and make a fresh pico de gallo along with corn tortillas.
“Our mac and cheese we make to order, too. The noodles are pre-cooked, but other than that we put it in a pan with heavy cream and cheese and make it on the fly,” Madgett said.
“We want to be consistent with our food, that’s one thing I’m a stickler on,” Waller added. “Make good food and serve it the same every time.”
Currently, Cooper’s Corner will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday. It’s open until between 10 a.m. and 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, depending on how business goes.
Waller said his plan is to eventually have the bar and grill open seven days a week once the business gets established.
For more information, call Cooper’s Corner at 360-345-1250 or follow it on Facebook at https://bit.ly/3xL5skj or on Instagram at https://bit.ly/3XTpHHj.
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