Longtime Finaghty's Server Leaving to Become Bindlesticks Coffee and Beer House New Owner

My family eats at Finaghty’s Irish Pub in Snoqualmie at least once a week.  The food’s great.  The atmosphere is welcoming and comfortable and to make it even easier, most of the longtime servers pretty much know some (if not all) of our order.

My son and I sometimes say Finaghty’s is Snoqualmie’s version of Cheers – a gathering spot, which is exactly what the owners set out to create. I recognize regular faces at the sitting at the bar each time we’re in, even more so if it happens to be happy hour.  And they aren’t at the bar consuming beer after beer.  These are friends conversing.  I imagine they stop in to see each other after a day at work, or maybe sometimes on their lunch hour.  Those friends include fellow patrons and often times the people behind the bar, including longtime server, Rachelle Armstrong, who’s worked at Finaghty’s for almost four years.

That’s about to change today, though, as Rachelle works her last shift at Finaghty’s and gets ready to make her jump from Snoqualmie business employee to Snoqualmie small business owner.  As of September 1st she is the new owner of Bindlesticks, the small coffee and beer house that sits between the barber shop and old city hall in historic Snoqualmie.  Rachelle said leaving Finaghy’s was a hard choice to make, as she loves working for owners, Lisa McCord and Phil Stafford, but she is still really excited about her new endeavor.

Rachelle says she plans to make some small changes at Bindlesticks, but nothing too major.  She says she’ll maybe cozy the place up a little. Bindlesticks has a little bit of everything for everyone, from the time it opens at 7AM on weekdays until closing at 8PM.  For those who will miss having Rachelle serve them their favorite pint of beer while chatting about the latest life-happenings, well that’s covered at Bindlesticks, too.  Rachelle has 4 beers on tap and specialty bottled beer from Germany and Belgium, as well as some house wines.

When Bindlesticks has its coffee house hat on, it serves organic Caffe Vita espresso, which Rachelle says is amazing coffee.  There will also be new breakfast and lunch options like panini sandwiches, as well as the old standbys like bagels, muffins and pastries.  Bindlesticks new website should be up and going soon.

So as of Saturday morning, you’ll find Rachelle behind the coffee house bar at Bindlesticks, 8010 Railroad Ave SE.  She’s still ready to serve her regular customers so stop in and say hi. Oh, and for those of you who frequent Snoqualmie’s drive-thru coffee shop, Coffee Expresso, one of those friendly faces will be taking over for Rachelle at Finaghty’s.

Bindlesticks is open Monday – Friday form 7AM to 8PM and on weekends from 8AM – 6PM, with live music on the back patio on Sunday afternoons at 2PM.

Good Luck, Rachelle.  Lucky for me your new spot is on my daily commute between Snoqualmie and North Bend. I may have to start cheating on Starbucks!