Lakebay couple take over Gig Harbor mall

By Sharon Hicks, KP News

 
When Susan Campbell of Lakebay decided she wanted something to retire to, she wasn’t thinking about a home. Last November she and her husband, Michael, took over the lease on the Gig Harbor Gift Mall after seeing it on Craig’s List online.

Susan and Michael Campbell at their gift mall. Photo by Karina Whitmarsh

Susan’s life wasn’t off to an easy start after a divorce many years ago, leaving her with three young children to raise and little money for food. She had a job at a pizza restaurant and would eat what would have normally been thrown out at day’s end. Eventually she became a police officer in Tacoma for seven years, and also worked as a security manager at the Tacoma Mall. She is currently a security officer for Boeing, where she works 12-hour days.  Her dream has always been to have her own place to retire where she could still be active and involved in something.

The Campbells took ownership Nov. 18 when business was just picking up for the holidays. Susan says, “I’m a chaotic person but I love all my staff of three … This place has ambience and the people are very family-oriented and friendly.” She foresees new experiences and growth but not without more attention, public awareness and newer signs. There are plans for enhancing the entrance and stairway, which will be done with a little “family” work. The chamber of commerce tells her that if she joins, they will provide a new Gig Harbor Gift Shop sign with a red ribbon grand reopening ceremony in a month or so.

Michael commutes to Everett for work every day so is not around except weekends; his focus is on maintenance.

The building is owned by John Gilich, whose father, Anton, built it as a hotel in 1924. The top floor consisted of 14 guest rooms while the ground floor held a pool room, barber shop and drugstore. It was one of the first main buildings in Gig Harbor. Anton Gilich and his brother, Andrew, jointly owned the property with Mr. Richardson, a well-known businessman at the time. The property was divided in approximately 1927, with the area of the Roxy Theater (where Wild Birds Unlimited now is) going to Mr. Richardson and the Gilich brothers keeping the hotel property. John Gilich took over ownership after his father died.

The building was relinquished as a hotel about 20 years ago and became an interior design studio, but now houses the gift mall upstairs and Spiro’s Restaurant on the ground level.

Campbell subleases the 14 rooms on a month-to-month basis to entrepreneurs who have antiques, collectibles and new items to sell. There is a children’s room, one has handmade quilts, another contains Northwest food items and another has alpaca wools from a local alpaca farm. Each room is unique and together they form about a three-quarter circle. In the middle is what used to be the registration and parlor.

The gift mall is operated on a co-op basis, having a central purchase station so sellers don’t have to be there all the time, as merchandise is marked with their personal number. Turnover varies, and some renters have been there since it opened while others as little as a few months. Campbell loves being hands-on, and will continue that when her Boeing retirement starts and she and Michael focus all their time on the Gig Harbor Gift Mall.

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