Left: Washburne Chicken
Salad Wrap
Right: Beth Mason,
Karen Hageman,
Phillip Boateng
HISTORY IN THE MAKING
A Springfield café connects past and future
D
owntown Springfield’s Main Street strip
continues to tread the line between gentrified
and generally sketchy. And the permanent
closure of Ruthie B’s Antiques in a couple of
weeks marks the end of one of the neighborhood’s
anchoring storefronts.
But last May saw the addition of the Washburne Café, a
homey breakfast and lunch place just down the street.
“I wanted to create a place that I’d like to go, that was
comfortable and welcoming,” says café owner Karen
Hageman. Originally from New Jersey, Hageman says the
Washburne is her first foray into restaurant ownership after
stints in construction, real estate and retail.
At breakfast time, Hageman’s new venture serves
various egg dishes with cibatta toast, including a
“Washburne bowl” with eggs, meat and potatoes.
Lunchtime fare includes paninis on locally-baked focaccia,
as well as house-made soups. The chicken salad wrap is
especially tasty and includes cucumbers and cranberries in
the mix. Fluffy, house-made baked goods include tropical
fruit scones and peach muffins, complemented by a coffee
bar ... and free Wi-Fi.
“It’s getting busier all the time as word gets out,” says
Hageman.
BY AARON RAGAN-FORE
And she seems to be right. During a recent visit at
almost 2 pm on a weekday afternoon, the lunch rush had
yet to abate. The crowd proved eclectic, too. Some patrons
read while dining alone. A couple of parents had children
in tow. A group of college students, laptops and calculators
spread across a round table by the window, discussed APR
and interest rates.
Hageman says she has the city government to thank for
her success. “It’s just a real can-do place to be,” she says
of Springfield. “When the voters passed the urban renewal
issue, I was appointed to the advisory committee for the
Downtown Urban Renewal District.
“It’s one of the most exciting things to be on the ground
floor of a developing downtown,” Hageman adds.
Part of developing that downtown, in Hageman’s book,
is supporting area artists. Photography and art by locals
line the walls, and the Washburne is a stop on Springfield’s
Second Friday Art Walk. On those nights the café features
live music, most recently a four-piece jazz band.
“I had well over a hundred people from five to eight,”
says Hageman, who has applied for a beer and wine
license to accommodate the artsy folks.
Entering the café, one of the first things a patron
notices is that the charmingly mismatched farmhouse
furniture and historic photos of old Springfield lining the
walls make it a natural fit for Main Street’s antiques row.
An investigation by a UO student revealed that the
Washburne storefront dates back to 1906, and was
originally used as the Springfield Armory. The building
has been home to a hardware store, a real estate office and,
more recently, a spa.
Once upon a time it was a bank as well, and Hageman
enjoys playing history detective in her new digs. “You can
see where there are indentations,” she says of the in the
Douglas fir floorboards, pointing out the “little teeny pock
marks that run in four little rows” where spike-soled men
from the local mills stood in line to cash checks or make
deposits.
Hageman says she hopes the Washburne will make
some history of its own. “I like the community feel,” she
says. “I am a huge Springfield proponent.”
Now it’s time to see if downtown Springfield is a
proponent of Hageman, and of The Washburne Café. ■
The Washburne Café, 326 Main St, Springfield. 746-7999; open 7:30am-5pm
Mon.-Fri.; 8am-4pm Sat.
PHOTOS BY KAI HAYASHI
http://www.wix.com/2theblackhole/kai-hayashi
We’re cooking up something for everyone!
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395 W. 5th, Eugene
Corner of Lawrence since 1979
(541) 342-2075 | Th eKeystoneCafe.com
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CHOW! Winter 2011 9