Shari’s Cafe and Pies, located in Campus Square on Enchanted Parkway in Federal Way, is officially closed. In 2024, the restaurant chain experienced financial distress, resulting in the closure of 15 of its 20 locations in Washington.

According to records from the Washington State Department of Revenue, the restaurant opened its Federal Way location in April 1999 and officially closed in December 2023. As of now, the cafe building and sign are still standing, but the windows are boarded up.

The restaurant chain first originated in Hermiston, Oregon. By the end of 2024, the company closed all of its locations in Oregon.

Shaun Fortier, a resident of Federal Way, said the restaurant was one of his go-to places.

“I was kind of shocked at first, I’m not going to lie to you, and a little hurt because I used to go there every morning for breakfast, you know, for probably like a good couple of months … every Sunday or every Saturday,” he said.

The cafe served breakfast, lunch, dinner and brunch along with handcrafted and award-winning pies.

“Don’t get me started on the pies,” said Fortier. “Sometimes when I feel like eating something sweet, I would always go for a banana cream pie.”

“My first reaction when I heard the shop was closing was, where am I going to get pies now?” said longtime resident Shawn Hill. “I used to always go down there and order about three pies with my daughters.”

Belki Vasque is also a Federal Way resident and former frequent customer of the restaurant. She said what she will miss is the mozzarella sticks.

“I’m lactose intolerant and I always had to sneak and eat them … I always say I might as well go for the best and sacrifice my stomach hurting later … now I have to go all the way to Costco to get mozzarella sticks,” Vasque said. “I don’t know what they could put there that would be better. … I think that there’s nothing really that’s comparable or that can replace it. It was a special place.”

Meredith Neal is the Economic Development Director for the City of Federal Way. Neal said the city is currently looking for new investments to expand the area.

“We’ve heard from the community that they’re looking for more gathering places in the city, so we’re hoping for a bakery, a café, a coffee shop, or something like that,” Neal said, adding that as of now, no permits have been submitted.

There is no deadline for when the building will begin reconstruction or replacement.

“We reached out to the commercial broker who represents that property,” said Neal. “But it’s kind of up to the broker then finding who might be a good fit … the goal is to fill the space with something more vibrant and really support the business landscape in that area.”

There are only five standing Shari’s locations left in Washington: Puyallup, Olympia, Vancouver, Bellingham and Moses Lake.

“As long as they use that space as a convenience store or another restaurant of some sort,” said Fortier. “I’m all for bringing a Waffle House there … that would bring people in the community.”