Feast @316 Opens Outdoor Seating Thursday After Major Investment

Camas, WA — As Tim McCusker, co-owner and Executive Chef of Feast @316 was hauling lumber into the protected cover of his restaurant today, he told Lacamas Magazine he and his team will begin their outdoor seating tonight beginning at 5 pm.

It’s been a long haul to get their outdoor seating set up — which has been approved by Clark County Public Health — given challenges of finding outdoor heating units, tents, and last week’s $2,600 theft of lumber that was purchased to create seating decks.

“It’s a big gamble,” said McCusker. “But, we had no choice. I’d also like to give a shout out to Shur-Way Building Center in Vancouver. When we learned about last week’s theft, I called them and told them our situation. They cut us a great deal.“

The downtown Camas steakhouse is known for its exquisite culinary achievements, guided by McCusker, an Iron Chef and his talented team.

When the current COVID restrictions went into place, the Feast team jumped into action and kept a positive attitude, but it’s cost them a lot financially. McCusker said the outdoor seating, which includes the high grade tents, two sets of decking, hardware, tables, chairs, and outdoor heating units cost $45,000, not including labor.

The gamble is that Governor Inslee could at any time shut down outdoor restaurant seating, a topic which came up during a local Restaurant Roundtable meeting today, which includes local business owners, as well as local and state officials.

Restaurant owners feel they’re taking the brunt of the restrictions without adequate data to back up the current restrictions. Schuyler Hoss, representing Inslee’s office, said the rising cases in Clark County justify the closures. When pressed by restaurant owners, Hoss said “the state doesn’t know definitively if (COVID) cases are coming from restaurants.”

But, Feast presses forward, encouraging takeout orders for lunch and dinner, and offering specials for Thanksgiving.

To order, call 360.210.7498 or go to www.camasfeast316.com