Left to right, Debi McAlpine with daughters Stephani
and Danielle and granddaughter Kirah,
who all help out at Le Bistro. Gig Harbor’s Le Bistro has been a popular downtown café for nearly two decades, with its cozy atmosphere and home-style food. So when owner Debi McAlpine decided to retire and sell the building last year, longtime customers were quite disappointed.

But McAlpine’s retirement was short-lived. After selling most of her fixtures, décor and equipment last summer, McAlpine found out the real estate deal fell through, and the chances of selling the building to someone else were slim in the current market. By November, McAlpine and her two daughters, who help run the business, found themselves greeting customers once again.

“I’m not unhappy to be back at all,” she said. “I love my customers.”

McAlpine bought the café from its owner about a year after its opening in 1990. By then, she was in charge of just about everything, from hiring to cooking. Although she had no prior restaurant experience, McAlpine knew her way in the kitchen and had the talent of tasting a dish then coming up with a better version.

Over the years, Le Bistro’s menu has expanded to include quiche made by her husband, Ken, all sorts of wraps and sandwiches, chili, a long list of desserts and a lot more. It had become a popular destination for regular customers and a place where McAlpine’s youngest daughter, Stephani Williams, grew up.

Williams’ sister, Danielle Saice, has been helping at the café from the beginning. And her daughter, Kirah, literally grew up around Le Bistro, like her aunt. Now 9, Kirah is one of the helpers. McAlpine’s daughters share in the responsibilities of managing the business.

McAlpine calls herself an adventurous cook who likes to experiment every chance she gets. When she found some unusual spices, for example, she decided to add a chipotle chili to the menu. When she couldn’t find a recipe she liked for French onion soup, she developed her own. “Cooking and grocery shopping are two things I enjoy even on my days off. It’s recreational, therapeutic,” she said.

The reopening brought a much smaller version of the menu back due to the fact the McAlpine sold her equipment and it will take a while to get new one. Gone are the desserts many customers were fond of — the dessert case was one of the fixtures sold. One addition is familiar to some Gig Harbor residents: Australian meat pies. The Australian diner across the room closed just as Le Bistro was reopening, so McAlpine bought their warming oven and the pies.

Soon, the café will also have a drive-through, something McAlpine’s wanted for a while. The reopening prompted her to apply for the necessary permits, and she says they’re ready for the faster pace the drive-through will bring.

McAlpine says it took her a year to decide she was ready for retirement, and the would-be sale devastated her. But she’s keeping up her optimism. “I still have my beautiful building, some of my décor, and the support of the community,” she says. “I feel blessed.”