SEQUIM — Ely Yao got tired of driving to Seattle to get the food items she uses for the Asian dishes at her restaurant.
“Sometimes it’s so ridiculous, especially in the winter,” Yao said Wednesday inside her new business, Yao International Market, 202 N. Sequim Ave.
“When it snows, I have to turn around and come back.”
To make the trip short for herself and others, she is opening the market next door to the restaurant she has owned and operated for 17 years, Ely’s Cafe.
Yao’s grand opening is at 10 a.m. Friday. Hours will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
She said she believes she will keep the store open six days a week, Monday through Saturday to start, and add Sunday hours if there is demand.
It will feature Asian dry goods, canned and bottled sauces and fresh Chinese produce — all used to make Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean and Thai food — with everything from flour and vegetable noodles, dried seaweed for sushi, soup bases, dried mushrooms and fungus, and dried shrimp to pure sesame oil, organic wheat-free tamari, sweet chili sauce and Japanese and Chinese candies.
A native of Taiwan, Yao first settled in Bremerton when she immigrated.
Liking the view, she moved to Sequim 17 years ago to open a restaurant.
Yao said she wanted to open the store long ago and believes it can be successful with Sequim’s larger, growing population.
“I had to do something to make everybody happy,” she said. “It’s really convenient for anybody.”
Yao said she has plenty of space to expand and will start out small, growing with demand and what customers want.
She said she will offer cooking tips to help people use the food items they buy at the store.
The store will be managed by Kitty Sokkappa, freeing up Yao to serve breakfast, lunch and dinner at her restaurant.
“I have a lot of room, so I want to add on little bit by a little bit,” she said, adding she’s excited about the Friday opening.
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-681-2391 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.