Tag: apple-cup

A BITTERSWEET DAY AS ICONIC APPLE CUP BURNT TO THE GROUND

by Richard Uhlhorn

Ryan Petersen, owner of the Apple Cup Cafe, comforts his Mother Diane Petersen as they watch the final moments of the old Apple Cup building destroyed along with many memories.

Saturday’s controlled burn of the iconic Apple Cup building was a bittersweet day for the Petersen family.

“It was our first home in Chelan,” said a sad Diane Petersen. Larry and Diane purchased the building in 1996 and settled in to becoming restaurant owners, living in an apartment in the back of the building.

Over the years, the Apple Cup Café has served thousands of hungry customers and formed a loyal following, many of whom turned out to watch Chelan Fire and Rescue conduct a training session for firefighters from Chelan, Manson, Orondo, Entiat and Waterville. “It is an important training ground for us,” said Assistant Chief Shawn Sherman.

Lt. Jones- left, Assistant Chief Shawn Sherman, Fire Chief Brandon Asher and Apple Cup owner Ryan Petersen confer during the training exercise.

Chelan Fire Chief Brandon Asher said, “Shawn did an outstanding job conducting this training. He had help from Manson’s Training Officer, Ranor Baker,” stated Baker. Asher said he told Sherman that the operation was all his to conduct.

Firefighters drag charged fire hose into the building while a firefighting team wait their turn at fighting an interior fire..

Firefighters spent several days preparing for the burn, installing over 200 pallets to help. Firefighters went inside and started fires in each of nine areas for training purposes until Sherman handed Ryan Petersen a lit flare to throw into building starting the final burn.

Inside firefighters were confronted with real fire to learn new skills. Photo by Firefighter

As the fire began to rage, firefighters used various water hoses to keep the surrounding area cool and to prevent the fire from spreading beyond the building’s footprint

Ryan Petersen threw the last fire stick into the burning building.

Learning the ins-and-outs of battling structure fires is an important function for firefighters to learn. The Petersen’s donation of the building provided regional districts an actual structure within close proximity to other structures gain knowledge for battling future events.

Over 45 personnel took part in this training exercise.
Ryan Petersen joined the firefighters for an official photograph.

Over 45 personnel were involved in this training and hundred’s of residents turned out to watch the iconic building go down in flames to be resurrected as a new café in approximately one year.

After the burn was completed, the Petersen’s fired up the BBQ and fed all the firefighters and others who wished to eat hamburgers and hotdogs with chips and drinks.

In the meantime, the Apple Cup Café lives at the Lake Chelan Community Center on Bighorn Way. They are open from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. serving up customer’s favorite dishes. “We aren’t making any money, but we are keeping staff employed,” said Petersen in an earlier interview.

The Petersen’s also plan on continuing the annual Thanksgiving Day feast they have become famous for. More information on that event will be forthcoming.

OUT OF THE FIRE A NEW APPLE CUP CAFÉ EMERGES

by Richard Uhlhorn

To Order go to: https//applecupcafe.com

Out of the disastrous March 24 fire that damaged one of Chelan’s iconic restaurants, the Apple Cup Café, a new Apple Cup is emerging, albeit in a different location for the time being.

Ryan Peterson and his wife Erin have entered into a rental agreement with the Community Center for a takeout food service. “Seventy percent of this effort is to keep my staff employed,” said Ryan. “The other 30 percent is so I can have my chicken fried steak.”

The Peterson’s hope the new takeout Café will thrive until they are able to rebuild the new Apple Cup Café at its old location on upper Woodin Avenue.

The Peterson’s used the Community Center’s commercial kitchen to conduct a pancake feed for the graduating class at Chelan High School which led to an agreement with the board of directors and Maribel Cruz, the executive director to rent the kitchen for business.

This coming Friday morning, the new Apple Cup will be open for on-line and telephone orders from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. According to Ryan, the menu will be limited, but he is in hopes that his loyal customers and others will take advantage of this new enterprise.

“It’s new for us. We will be doing just takeout from the Center. We will play it by ear.”

Customers will be able to call in or order OnLine, and then pick up their meal on the way to work or eat it outside at some picnic tables. “There will be no service,” said Ryan.

 “Our No. 1 priority is customer service. It is going to be interesting,” Ryan added. “We have no expectations going in.” His kitchen staff will provide breakfast and lunch items. “We have plans on introducing some new items when we get up and running.” One new item an Apple Cup Smash Burger. A smash burger is where the meat is smashed on a hot grill searing the outside and locking the flavor and juices inside.

The breakfast menu will have fresh orange juice. “We mostly use Navel oranges, but when they are not available, we switch to Valencia oranges,” said Ryan.

Peterson’s goal is to stay at the Community Center until the new restaurant is open for business.

The Peterson’s, based on advice from contractors who have looked at refurbishing the old building, decided it would be less expensive to level the old and build a new diner. “With all the new codes and regulations, restoring the old building doesn’t make a lot of sense.”

They are already working with an architect in Wenatchee and promise that the new restaurant will retain the diner feel.

“We are hoping to get some work on the new building this fall,” said Ryan.

In the meantime, the new Apple Cup will operate from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. from Thursday through Sunday. To order, call 509-682-5000 or go online at applecupcafe.com.