By Elizabeth Lande, Reporter & Designer
Just north of the Vashon Theatre’s gravel parking lot sits the well-known island restaurant, ZOMBiEZ.
Since its inception in 2012, when Colean Payne and Jim Hassell purchased the building formerly occupied by a similar restaurant called Zoomies, the establishment has been serving up “scary good burgers” and fries, as well as fish and chips, chicken strips and ice cream.
Now, six years later, the restaurant is once again on the market as Payne and Hassell make the transition to become full-time managers of an inn and event space in Oregon.
“We decided to sell after getting an opportunity on the Oregon Coast at the Inn at Otter Crest to take over the restaurant and event space there,” Payne said. “There is the possibility of a long-term lease, and we hope to retire with it.”
This isn’t the second sale of the current ZOMBiEZ building — not even the third. The history of the building goes back to 1954, when Vashon was graced by a branch of the Dairy Queen (DQ) chain.
The DQ’s original complex was a small space with a kitchen and walk-up window. Customers ordered and received their food from the counter and then ate their ice cream elsewhere, as the building had no indoor seating.
In the late 1970s, the DQ got an upgrade that expanded the building to contain indoor seating. It remained in the same location, but now occupied more space.
Through the years, the DQ became an integral part of the Vashon community under the ownership of Ron and Joan Meyers. The husband-and-wife duo allowed clubs and sports teams to hold car washes in the parking lot, and many an island child celebrated their birthday with an ice cream cone or milkshake. In the 1997 Strawberry Festival parade, the Meyers were Grand Marshals and rode down Vashon Highway in a convertible.
Eventually, after changing hands a few times under the control of the DQ company, the space was bought by Clyde and Valerie Howe and became Zoomies.
The restaurant operated independently of any chain organization, and was owned solely by the Howes. They did, however, continue in DQ’s footsteps, selling burgers, fries and ice cream to island residents.
A few years later, in 2008, Kelly Hwang purchased the business from the Howes, keeping its name as Zoomies, but adding teriyaki dishes to the menu. The business struggled to make profits under Hwang’s management, and in 2011 Zoomies returned to ownership under the Howes.
Not intending to run the business again, the Howes put it back on the market. In 2012, Payne and Hassell took over, and thus ZOMBiEZ was born.
Both Payne and Hassell hail from restaurant backgrounds, each having worked in the food industry for over 30 years. They also have experience in running independent businesses, making a restaurant venture a perfect fit.
“We’ve always been in leadership roles at other jobs, and we’ve always had ideas for something of our own,” Payne said. “We both grew up with parents who had their own businesses, which I think planted a seed early on even if we didn’t realize it then.”
They initially looked at taking over Quartermaster Inn, located in Burton, but eventually settled on the old DQ-turned-Zoomies building. Payne said they’ve felt more immersed in the Vashon community since opening the business, and this will be the aspect they miss most upon departing..
“We’ll miss our staff, who’ve become like family,” she said. “We’ll miss ZOMBiEZ, and our customers who we’ve gotten to know and look forward to seeing on a regular basis.”
While running their own business came with significant challenges — especially in terms of balancing home and work life — Payne said the restaurant is rewarding in the long run.
“It’s a really fun business,” she said. “You have the power to change the course of someone’s day for the positive with a smile, good food and good company.”
Payne and Hassell hope to sell ZOMBiEZ to a person interested in continuing the burger restaurant style, and say that they have received interest from several parties.
However, as formal buyers have yet to come forward, ZOMBiEZ will continue to remain open for business.