Photos by Tim Marsh, University Relations
PULLMAN A new cafe specializing in seafood, the Sea Swiper, has opened for business in the newly renovated Compton Union Building. And, lest you not have enough choices, two more eating establishments, including an upscale full-service restaurant and a coffee house, are expected to open within the next two weeks. All three new restaurants are owned and operated by the family of Cougar Alum Greg Markel, also a former WSU faculty member and owner of Washington Securities and Investment Corp., who has returned to Pullman with his family after an absence of more than 20 years.
The Sea Swiper, which opened at the CUB October 24, offers an array of seafood options ranging from fish and oysters and chips, to crab and cheese sandwiches, and clam and salmon chowders. Specials such as seared ahi tuna, Chilean bass and oysters
Rockefeller are also regular features of the fare. An ideal destination for those who want fresh cuisine even on the go, the Sea Swiper will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The restaurant was named after the family’s first restaurant, which opened in downtown Pullman in the early 1970s. A fish and chips restaurant and fish market deli, the Sea Swiper operated in the building now occupied by the Café Moro.
The restaurant was named after the family’s first restaurant, which opened in downtown Pullman in the early 1970s. A fish and chips restaurant and fish market deli, the Sea Swiper operated in the building now occupied by the Café Moro.
Slated to open this week the Markel Coffee House will provide a variety of espresso drinks and snacks to enjoy onsite or grab-and-go on the way to across campus. Offering Tully’s coffee and fresh-made pastries, the coffee house is scheduled to be open daily between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Filling a role held previously by the CUB’s Regency Room as a place for a working business lunch or a special night out in the heart of the campus, Dupus Boomer’s restaurant is expected to open early November. Serving a selection of food from hamburgers to gourmet specialty items in an upscale environment, the full-service family restaurant will offer beer, wine and spirits with meals, and also feature an extensive breakfast menu that includes biscuits and gravy, omelets, quiche, and steak and eggs. “In an effort to create a destination restaurant, the Markel’s will offer a dining experience that can range from casual to high-end dining,” said CUB Director Sean Greene. “The restaurant build-out features a dining area and a small banquet room that overlooks Rogers Field.”
Dupus Boomers will be open seven days a week with extended hours on Fridays and Saturdays. The restaurant’s unusual name was taken from a cartoon created by Dick Donnell that ran in the Richland, Wash., “Villager,” a weekly newspaper which ran from 1945-1950. The much-loved local cartoon provided a humorous portrayal of the lives of people living in federal housing in the Richland area during the pre-and post-World War II era.
Restaurant-goers and others who patronize the CUB after 5 p.m. are entitled to receive a $2 parking validation in the Smith (CUE) parking garage with any retail purchase receipt of $8 or more. Receipts should be presented at the CUB information desk for validation.
Photo caption: Sea Swiper restaurant’s Arika Flynn, WSU accounting major from Maple Valley, holds one of the restaurant’s specialties, the Captain’s Platter. Sea Swiper is one of three new restaurants in WSU’s Compton Union Building. All three are owned/operated by the family of Cougar alum Greg Markel.
