POULSBO — After a long, stress-filled day at the office, all many people would like to do is lay back, let someone else handle everything and relax. Nancy and Brian Koontz can’t say they’ll take care of “everything,” but they will help with the relaxation part with their new business, Apollo Massage.
POULSBO — Oven roasted pork with garlic mashed potatoes or Santa Fe chicken fajitas might seem like too much to ask for dinner at the end of a hectic work day, but Tony and Lori Durham make it a breeze.
As the owners of Dream Dinners on Viking Avenue, the Durhams specialize in helping customers who want nutritious meals without the hassle of hours of preparation.
POULSBO — With a wealth of horse sense between them, Equine Essentials owners Shannon Prigger and Velvet Eberharter are confident they will take the horse world by storm with their new Poulsbo tack shop — or at least Kitsap County horses and riders.
POULSBO — Less than a year after successfully bringing a European style pub to the heart of Little Norway, Rob Difilippo and Tammy Mattson have done it again.
This time instead of expanding their first venture, Tizley’s Euro Pub, the pair has opened another business, Europa Deli, in the space below the bustling Front Street restaurant.
“I remember years ago when the Poulsbo Deli was across the street,” Mattson said. “That was the last time there was something like that in Poulsbo until now.”
POULSBO — A medical center seems an odd place for a gourmet dining spot, but Cafe Incognito makes it work every day. Opened Aug. 2, 2006, the coffee and sandwich shop has done steady business ever since, building up followers over time.
And, as its name suggests, the cafe is somewhat hidden in the North Kitsap Medical Center, something that owners Peter Fitzgerald and Angelo Bellah have not found to be a hindrance.
POULSBO — What began as dream on the arduous commute from Kitsap County to Seattle has become etched in reality on Front Street with the opening of Bayside Engravers.
Managers Lainie Patterson and Craig Hammond met while carpooling to their respective jobs in Seattle, where she was a federal investigator and he worked as a project manager for an aerospace company.
POULSBO — One of the best kept hair styling secrets in town may not be a secret for long.
After a decade nestled above the Magnolia Cafe in downtown Little Norway, Cilla’s Salon owner Cathy Larson has made the trek to the corner of Jensen Way and Sunset Street as one of the first businesses to open in Poulsbo Place II.
“It’s all about visibility,” Larson said. “I love the idea of catering to the residents in Poulsbo Place.”
POULSBO — After deciding that health and wellness were both things he wanted to pursue in his life, Nic Stearns made some smart investment plans and he’s been able to have his dream of making organic and healthy ways of living available to everyone come true.
All before the age of 25.
POULSBO — Much has changed since Brock and Nancy Baker began selling floor coverings out of a 300-square-foot space on Lindvig Way in April 1995.
Now with a building of their own, the Bakers and their business, Brock’s Interiors, have grown with the North End community they serve, but some things haven’t changed.
“We’ve kept all of the things that have made us a success,” Brock Baker said. “Just because we’ve got a new building doesn’t mean we’ve raised our prices.”
HANSVILLE — In a world that seems to become more and more violent with each newspaper headline and breaking news bulletin, one woman is taking a stand and helping others learn how to protect themselves and get out of dangerous scenarios.
Hansville resident Shelley White, over the course of about six years, has devised her own workshops called Keep Safe classes to help teenage girls and women of all ages prepare for what most hope never to encounter.
HANSVILLE — Hansville residents were hit particularly hard during the Dec. 14-15, 2006 windstorm that crashed through western Washington. One local business was able to provide heat and warmth during a time that seemed bleak and cold.
Kitsap Propane, based between Kingston and Hansville, was able to fill temporary tanks for people who had run out of gas, and had no hope of getting any from their usual providers, said Kitsap Propane owner Larry Brooke.
POULSBO — After 25 years on Bainbridge Island, Closet Transfer owner Carol Ingles decided the time was right to begin filling another closet in the heart of Little Norway.
“I have a lot of clients in Jefferson and Kitsap County who make the trip all the way to Bainbridge Island,” Ingles said.
KINGSTON — Upon entering the newly constructed building near the Kingston ferry tollbooths, the wonderful smells of fresh baked bread, pastries and fudge fill the air.
It’s enough to make any well-meaning Kingston resident forget their New Year’s resolutions.
KINGSTON — Rich Rudman’s “mad scientist lab” is like a Radio Shack on steroids — wires, batteries, circuit boards and tools explode forth in an organized chaos only he and a few others understand.
“People at the Hood Canal Brewery know me as ‘Mr. Wizard’ or the ‘Mad Scientist,’” Rudman said with a laugh. His workspace is located near the brewery at the West Kingston Industrial Park .
