Our History

Cafe Adrift began cooking October 16th, 2001. It was created by Nicole Holbert and Drea Killingsworth, two friends bonded by their shared love of ham fat, who loved to cook and eat and talk about cooking and eating. They were invited by Mr. Bret Lundsford into the sacred space of The Business and there they converted an old darkroom into the tiniest of kitchens.

With a little home oven and two plug-in electric burners the girls turned out soups, sandwiches and a decadent array of sweet and savory baked goods, including the belly-filling ‘smugglers’. The hand pulled espresso machine steamed and foamed some of the best coffee around. The back room at the Biz was a warm and homey nook for reading, music, drinking, and eating. A year passed, and more and more people came to eat and drink. The tiny kitchen seemed to grow tinier.

As New Year’s resolutions were made in 2003, Nicole and Drea talked about their dreams for the future. They both dreamed of living outside the tiny kitchen, and knew that it was time for changes. Drea decided that it was time for her to return to school and Nicole decided that it was time to make a determined foray into the insane world of restauranteuring. The little caf?ɬ? cooked through the winter, and then closed its doors in May.

That spring Nicole was invited to become a tenant in the historic Wells Building in Old Town Anacortes. The 100 year old building had suffered structural damage in the 2002 earthquake and the owner, Barbara Wells and her family, decided to renovate the building so that it would last at least another hundred years. Under the direction of super-contractor Jerry McCool, the building was being fitted with earthquake-proof stainless steel beams along the walls and through the floors. The street level of the building was totally gutted when Nicole became involved, which meant that she was able to design the restaurant from the ground up.

Having always worked in small restaurants and kitchens, where all the employees did all of the tasks – cooking, waiting, and cleaning – all while interacting with the customers, the most important feature of the new huge space would be an open kitchen with a wrap around bar. There would also be a spacious dining room. The space was decorated to reflect the natural beauty of the San Juan Islands. If Nicole was to be in the restaurant for the hours typically kept by restaurant owners, she at least wanted to be able to pretend that she was outside. The cement floor was stained to look like water, the ceiling painted the color of a dark night sky, the walls a foggy grey-blue-green, accented with the dark red of madrona trees.

As summer ended the work was done. There was a big spacious kitchen to work in, with a walk-in refrigerator, a six-burner stove and lots of counter space. The two plug-in burners were hung on the wall, a tribute to the tiny kitchens of the past. Cafe Adrift grew into a restaurant, and opened its new doors on August 16th 2003.