Mariner Cafe
Location: 609 W. Washington St., Ste. 1, Sequim
Phone: 683-1055
Hours: 7 a.m.-8 p.m. daily
Hugs, tears and bouquets were on the menu at the Mariner Cafe on Saturday, Oct. 1, when longtime waitress Marie Dickinson opened the popular eatery as its new owner.
There were congratulations from regular and occasional customers as Dickinson’s staff didn’t miss a beat, serving breakfast in their customarily efficient way to a crowded house. And as she has since 1999 when she first began waitressing at the Mariner, Dickinson made the rounds of her tables, swooped through with coffee or water and tended the cash register, all the while accepting best wishes.
“I got very emotional that Saturday because the restaurant had so much support — it was wild,” Dickinson said, still moved by the outpouring.
Over her 17-year stint, she has worked with three owners: Doug and Barb Jengtes, James Blake, and Reynaldo Garcia and Nacho Morales. When the latter decided to sell to pursue other ventures, Dickinson admits she was nervous.
“I really worried about how, if somebody else would buy it and didn’t understand what it is, they’d make all kinds of changes and I just really worried about my staff,” she said.
So Dickinson and her uncle Bob Clark stepped forward to buy the business so the Mariner could keep its staff of 18 working.
“I’d hope that nobody noticed any differences because I really tried to be seamless (in the transition). The big thing is there aren’t any menu changes except to offer an early bird special now from 3-5 p.m. I’m also trying to find some senior specials — that’s in the planning stage,” Dickinson said. “I want to bring back the ‘all you can eat’ night and specialty nights, too. I’ve also applied for a full alcohol license, so stay tuned.”
What’s different, she said, in moving from employee to owner, is that “I get to have the final say about specials. If I have an idea, I get to try it to see if it fails or succeeds and so far, it’s been successful.”
The Mariner has been an institution in Sequim since 1998 and a move to the west side of town in 2013 in a newly remodeled building hasn’t deterred customers.
“I stayed because I don’t like change and every boss I had made it better than the last one. Everybody tweaked things to make it better. I’d miss my customer base and wouldn’t see the same faces every day and get to know them as a family,” Dickerson said.
Asked what makes the Mariner special, she didn’t hesitate. “The staff, definitely the staff because they care about their customers. If you’re new, you’re going to get asked about yourself. All the girls try really hard to know customers’ names — when I hire, I tell the girls they have to know people’s names and something about them because Sequim still is a small town. It’s the kind of place where you can trust everybody. And if you need something, you can ask anybody.”
She’s also proud that “the kitchen always has been fast,” noting that jack of all trades Pedro Serrano “has stepped into the head cook’s shoes and has stepped into them very nicely. He’s done a fabulous job.”
To the uninitiated, the Mariner Cafe has an extensive breakfast menu of egg/meat combos, omelets, European pancakes and Belgian waffles; lunch/dinner has its own full menu with hot and cold sandwiches, burgers, seafood dinners, home-style dinners, full-meal salads and desserts. And for the sprinkling of folks who grew up actually liking liver and onions, you can find it at the Mariner Cafe, too.
Although ordering your meal can’t commence until 7 a.m., Dickinson said, “If the lights are on and the door’s unlocked, come on in for some coffee.”
Reach Patricia Morrison Coate at pcoate@sequimgazette.com.
