After a tumultuous year for small businesses in Everett, it's wonderful to see a new one about to open that'll be a great addition to the neighborhood it's in. Catalyst Café on 23rd in the old MJ Café space is aiming to open in August, and owner AJ Gearhart took time out of their busy renovation schedule to tell me more via email.

Please tell me the story of your business. How you decided to open, how you ended up with the space, and any challenges you faced.

I had been working for over 10 years in a job that paid well but wasn’t remotely fulfilling. In my need to feel like I’m doing something meaningful and work to make things better for myself and others, I had repeatedly tried to find ways to drive change within my employer’s company culture. Eventually, I recognized it for the exercise in futility that it was and gave up. When Covid hit, I was faced with a constant threat of being laid off while having more work piled on me. To preserve my mental health, I decided that the universe was telling me that it was time to do something else.

As a member of the Snohomish County LGBTQ+ community, I share a frustration with so many others of not having a place to take my family where I feel truly welcome. That’s not to say there aren’t places that accept the queer community in Everett, but there is a noticeable lack of spaces that were created with us in mind…especially for those of us who are parents and/or don’t drink alcohol. So, even having a gay bar wouldn’t meet the specifics of my need to connect with community. I figured I couldn’t be alone on this. Even if I am, who doesn’t love good coffee and Italian sodas?

Since I have always wanted to own a café or small restaurant, have worked in commercial kitchens, and am rather fond of pestering my Facebook family with pictures of over-the-top sandwiches, I thought maybe I could combine my interests. In December of 2020, I entered the GSBA business incubator program and began a course with Ventures LLC to learn business ownership basics and build a business plan.

In March, 2021, I formed Catalyst Café, LLC, but didn’t have a venue until June. Rentals built out for food service are notoriously difficult to come by as they are typically in high-demand and grabbed quickly. Coincidentally, the first place in Everett that I lived in when I moved from Eastern Washington 11 years ago was about a block away from where the café is now. I used to shop at Welch’s and order from Best Teriyaki & Wok regularly.

To this day, I still drive through the Bayside neighborhood sometimes because it’s so beautiful. On one of those drives, I happened past the “FOR LEASE” sign on the building and decided to contact the agent.

The intended value in Catalyst Café is beyond the product. The goal is to create and normalize an environment that not only welcomes queer money, but queers and their families. I also want to be very mindful of how my business impacts local communities of color, folks with varying levels of accessibility needs, and people with dietary restrictions.

I want there to be a little something for most people at Catalyst…whether that something is a menu offering, a piece of art on the walls, a sense of welcoming community, or in how we source our ingredients and eventually hire. In that mission, I’ve partnered with Olympia Coffee Roasting, a certified B Corporation, to make fantastic craft coffee within the highest standards of social and environmental impact. I’m also working with Shambala Bakery out of Camano Island for my gluten-free and vegan baked items.

Are you from Everett? Live here? If you moved here from somewhere else, how did you end up in Everett?

I have lived in Everett, but am originally from the Spokane area. I moved to this side of the state in 2010 to raise my son and get a good-paying job with an employer that wouldn’t discriminate against me transitioning to live life authentically.

What do you love about Everett? Any favorite hangouts, restaurants, events?

There is much to love about Everett, but the north side is my favorite. For food, my first stops are most often Strawberry Patch, Kate’s, Red Rock Subs, Café Zippy, Scuttlebutt, or Terracotta Red.

I will also happily make a trip to south Everett for Oshima Sushi. I’ve spent far too many afternoons wandering the aisles of the Sno-Isle Co-Op and bothering Ms. Lynn at her shop, Moddejonge’s Herbals. My family and I spend a lot of time outside. So, we love summer Music at the Marina, Jetty Island, Legion Park, and pretty much any other park.

Want to be a part of Catalyst Café's success? Support it via GoFundMe or the café's Amazon Wish List.

Catalyst Café
1513 23rd St.
Everett, WA 98201
(425) 212-9364

Christopher Bragg works from home in Everett and loves walking, swimming, and cats. You can find him all over town, but only if you keep weird hours and avoid crowds like he does.