Grumpy's Cafe
Grumpy’s has always been a café, but it hasn’t always been Grumpy’s. Built in 1934 as Bennett’s Cafe, it was operated by Ina Bennet until 1947. In that year, Mary Ann Maycock and Minnie Parks ran it as Bennett’s Mary Ann Cafe through 1959, when Gail and Clara Ramey took the helm. They resumed calling it Bennett’s Cafe until 1965. In that year, Clara changed the name back to Ramey’s Cafe. In 1977, Clara married and sold the cafe to Jerry Prosek, who renamed it The Alpiner.In 1978, Florence Johnson purchased the property and changed the name to Flo’s Alpiner. it was later the Beach Pancake House for some time. It is now known as Grumpy’s under the management of Niki Sampson and family. Open for breakfast and lunch, they also serve baked goods including enormous cinnamon rolls, doughnuts, and more. Grumpy’s has won the commercial category for Best Halloween Decorations for at least three years. Could the presence of “Roger,” a prankster ghost who haunts the premises, contribute to their success?
Simply Charming: From Theater to Beloved Clothing and Gift Shop
The first building on this site was the Rivoli Theater, constructed in the 1920s by the Bradley family, later to be owned by the Harvey family under the name SeaVu Theater. The Sohler family owned a rooming house and confectionary south of the theater, which the Harveys combined with the Rivoli. Kay Harvey ran a real estate and insurance office next to the theater. That was operated by Claude (Dude) Smith from 1950-1954. The original theater building was torn down in 1956.In 1965, Ken and Jo Christensen built the Clothes Hanger in the current mid-century modern style prominently displayed by the building’s storefront today. Ken Christensen, Rockaway’s mayor at the time, ran his bookkeeping and tax office from the northeast corner, where SAI Design is located today.The front portion of the building is currently the location of Kim and Steve Tackett’s Simply Charming. Housewares, coastal-themed gifts, and unique clothing are their main offerings. And if your dog enjoys the beach as much as you do, they can always find a drink of cool water and a treat or two while you shop.
El Trio Loco: Former Insurance & Real Estate Office
Historically, this building was adjacent to the Rockaway Barber Shop, formerly at 120 Hwy 101 N (near the current location of the Bayocean food cart pod). Adolph Swanson originally owned two rentals on this lot. In 1951-52, Mrs. Arnold Leno ran one of the rentals as Pat’s Toddle Inn; Walt and Victoria Clapp operated the other as a cafe from 1952-1954. The front portion was added in 1955 for use as George Sutherland’s insurance office.Later, Harold Amos ran a barber shop here. In the early 1960s, Farrell Fisher operated a real estate office as well as the Tourist Information Center. Joe Ducham purchase the buildings in 1962 and continued to run the barber shop.Today, El Trio Loco III is one of a number of family-owned Mexican restaurants with locations in Gearhart, Manzanita, and Garibaldi as well as Rockaway Beach. El Trio Loco is popular for tropical cocktails and Mexican food made from traditional family recipes. It became popular with locals and visitors alike as one of the first restaurants in Rockaway Beach to stay open till 9 PM. (Previously, many restaurants in town closed around 7 PM.) And while their patio is a very pleasant spot to dine in the summer, their tabletop firepit makes it welcoming even in damp weather.
The Little Crow
This site was historically part of the same complex that today includes the Schwietert’s next door. Originally the site of the Fireside Hotel built in 1914, it was later owned by Al and Nettie Post, who called it the Rockaway Hotel from 1923 through the 1940s. The lower floor housed the G & H Grocery, an open-air fruit and vegetable stand operated by Gus Rinella. From the early 1940s, W. H. Kepka bought the grocery store, and E. E. Richmond ran it until the building burned to the ground in 1947.Stanley Kremers purchased the property and constructed a three-storefront building on the site in 1949. At that time it was home to the Tillamook People’s Utility District office, the Rockaway Variety Store, and the Post Office. (The Post Office was moved to its current location on N. 3rd in 1981.)In 1955, the building housed The Corner Store and a bakery. Between 1965 and 1973, Catherine Clammer ran K-T’s Variety and the Greyhound Bus Station from the location. Bob and Nancy Holmberg acquired the business in 1973 before purchasing the building in 1976.Today, owner Anne Kennedy Savage offers an eclectic selection of new and vintage clothing, housewares, and accessories. Between The Little Crow and neighbor Schwietert's, check out their collection of unique and stylishly cozy clothing that's perfect when a visit to the beach turns out cooler than anticipated.
Schwietert's
As with The Little Crow, this address was originally the Fireside Hotel, built in 1914. From 1923 till the 1940s, Al and Nettie Post owned this, calling it the Rockaway Hotel. The ground floor contained the G & H Grocery, with an open-air fruit and vegetable stand run by Gus Rinella.In the early 1940s, W. H. Kepka ran the grocery store; later, E. E. Richmond ran it until the building burned to the ground in 1947. In 1949, Stanley Kremers purchased the property and built the three-storefront building in 1949. At that time it was home to the Tillamook People’s Utility District office, the Rockaway Variety Store, and the Post Office, which was moved here from the Couchman building (now the location of the Hope Chest), where Nona Fulton Taylor was postmistress.From 1965 to 1973, Catherine Clammer had K-Ts Variety, and the site was also the town’s Greyhound Bus station.Bob and Nancy Holmberg bought the business in 1973, then purchased the property in 1976. They ran the First Resort Department Store there through the 1980s.Today, it’s home to Schwietert’s, a popular ice-cream shop with locations up and down the Coast. They also offer candies and other treats, especially the perennial favorite, salt-water taffy. The black-and-white cow bench in front of the shop provides a photo opportunity that's not to be missed.
Sea Breeze
Constructed in the late 1920s, this building has a past as purple as its exterior. Housing a card room and pool table, the business here was run by “Red-headed Ruby,” the town’s bootlegger during Prohiobition. After Prohibition ended, this became the Rockaway Bakery from 1935-1938, operated by Jack and Jean Treblehorn before it was purchased by the Cowgill family.In 1945, Hans Rasmussen bought the existing Sam Moulton’s hardware store at S 3rd and S A street, moving the business here in 1945. In 1950, C. P. Fitzgerald ran the hardware store through 1953, when Edward Jones took it over, running it through 1961. It remained a hardware store under Walt and Vernita Edwards from 1961-73, passing into the hands of Albin Bean and later Ron and Beth Holland, who operated it into the 1980s. One previous owner when this was an Ace Hardware store: Tom Martine, currently serving on the Rockaway Beach City Council. The Sea Breeze name and the switch to ice cream, saltwater taffy, and kites came some decades ago, when it was also known to locals as Big Al’s.The current owners are Corinne Rupp and Donald Allgeier (director of the Tillamook County Library). In addition to Tillamook and Umpqua ice cream from the Oregon Coast, the store sells homemade candies and fudge. You can also shop here for kites, always popular on Rockaway's seven miles of beacn but especially in September, when we hold our annual Kite Festival.Locals sometimes claim an unfair advantage to the Sea Breeze, because the aroma of hot, freshly made waffle cones, redolent of vanilla and butter, drifts out onto the sidewalk, rendering residents and visitors alike powerless to resist.
Beach Crafters
Historically, this site housed Mitchell’s Grocery, then later the Rockaway Public Market until 1952, owned by B. J. Brody and M. Meyers. They sold to Edward Kasnick, who owned it through 1955. Earl Duke ran the meat market inside from 1953-64, while Fredrick Henricks ran it until Kasnick sold it to Ralph and Hazel Christie. The Christies sold it to Earl Duke, “Rockaway’s poet laureate,” in 1964. Earl’s poetry was included in the advertising for “Duke’s Market” until 1971, when Duke sold to Jim and Shirley Mitchell.Today, Beach Crafters operates as a gift shop with a focus on craft making materials, including a selection of quilt fabric as well as other gear for locals and visitors alike looking to create their own memories. They share the building with Croman and Associates realty, if you're thinking about establishing a permanent (or part-time) foothold in Rockaway Beach.
Troxel's Gem & Jewelry Company
Built in 1913, this was the Rockaway Post Office operated by Ida Miller Clayton. She also rented upstairs rooms and sold candy, tobacco, and sundries in her shop called “Clayton’s Variety,” until 1969. The Post Office was moved to the Studio Building (currently Joe’s Snacks and Beer, across Highway 101) in 1934 when Blanch Wood became Rockaway’s postmistress. Between 1959 and 1962, Frank Ferguson ran a bakery here. In 1973, Catherine Clammer ran this as “K-T’s Mama Bear.”Troxel’s Rock Garden (the “yellow brick road” mini-golf course just south of the jewelry store) was previously the location of Churches Candy. Today, the gem & jewelry company highlights art pieces made by Jen and Victor Troxel, while the mini-golf course attracts Oz fans of all ages. Troxel’s also provides beach-accessible balloon tire wheelchairs, which can be taken down to the beach at the ADA-accessible ramp located directly across Highway 101 at the Wayside.
The Hope Chest Too
Previously, this site was Will and Ada Irwin’s Grocery (1923-1938), when it was combined with Chet and Gladys Couchman’s bicycle shop and penny arcade until 1966. This was another site of the Rockaway Beach Post Office, after the location was moved from what is now Troxel’s; the Post Office was later moved to the Rockaway Studio in 1934, then to the Grocery Store where the bank was till 1966, and finally the current location in 1981.The original building also housed Chet and Gladys Couchman’s bicycle shop and penny arcade into the 1960s. Many visitors to Rockaway Beach to this day recall the penny arcade as a fun site for kids.In 1966, the property was cleared and the new U.S. Bank building was constructed. The bank closed in 2020 and remained vacant until it was acquired by Hope Chest c. 2024 The Hope Chest Too reflects this location as the second site for the Hope Chest, a long-running charitable organization which has raised more than $2 million for a number of local causes, especially the Meals for Seniors program which feeds thousands of locals annually.
Trash & Treasures
On August 31, 1934, the Rockaway Beach business district including what is now the brick Trash & Treasures building suffered a massive fire. Losses were estimated at $35,000 in 1934 (equivalent to more than $822,000 today).Early on that Friday morning, the Jenkins Bakery was preparing the morning’s doughnuts. Jenkins himself went home for a cup of coffee leaving assistant George Valentine on the premises. A stovepipe fell onto the kettle of hot grease, burning Valentine’s arm badly. Soon, the entire kitchen was consumed in flames.The Rockaway fire department rushed to the scene, assisted by teams from Bay City, Garibaldi, Wheeler, and Tillamook. Sadly, water was insufficient to quell the inferno. A Tillamook firefighting crew began pumping water from the Natatorium (at the location of today’s Wayside), saving a small number of cottages nearby.But by 7 PM, the entire block had vanished, including stores and the 1911 Rockaway Post Office, along with the saloons and dance halls which occupied this stretch of town.The brick construction here was part of the Monk building, which had previously been the site at 180 Hwy 101 S that housed Frank Miller’s IGA grocery store. It stood vacant for many years until Phyllis Underwood opened a thrift shop on the site in 1982.The neighboring building at 173 Hwy 101 S was the original site of the first building in Rockaway Beach, Miller’s General Store, constructed in 1910 by Frank and Ida Miller. Before the 1934 fire, this block was the location of Fosters Drug Store, Monk’s General Store, Newell Olson’s barber shop, the Chico Cafe, and more.One notable business in this block after the fire: the Beachcomber, part of the Monk complex of buildings which now include Trash & Treasures. The Beachcomber continued in operation from 1955-67; a new Beachcomber opened in 1971.
Tie Breaker
Originally Bill Sederburg’s garage in 1924, later this location served as the Oasis Tavern. That building was lost in the 1934 fire that took out so many original buildings on this stretch of the Rockaway Beach business district.. In an ironic twist, the replacement building burned in November 1969. Historically, this location housed the Cowbell Creamery, Drug Store, and Milkshake spot.Today, many visitors to Rockaway Beach have fond memories of the old Cowbell Creamery, where home-style breaktasts and lunches fed countless visitors over the years.Today, the Tie Breaker is a popular family restaurant and sports bar with 20+ television screens. They were also one of the first establishments in Rockaway Beach to stay open until 9 PM, and they regularly have live music and karaoke.
