Dreams come true at Valley eatery
In the short time the Mangrove Cafe has been open, it’s already attracted a few regulars, some of whom are greeted with hugs.
Owners Jerry and Ratree Shadduck opened the cafe on Oct. 1.
It was a long-held dream for Ratree Shadduck, who worked as a baker in a Spokane Valley restaurant for 10 years. A few years ago, the couple purchased the large lot just off Sprague Avenue with two smaller, older homes on it, and they set to work turning one into a cafe and the other into their home. At one point a fire set them back a bit, but Jerry Shadduck said they worked through it.
“It’s always been my wife’s dream,” he said. “We just really want to do this.”
Everything is made in house, and the counter is stocked with biscuits, scones and homemade quiche every morning. The Mangrove Cafe also has a full line of espresso drinks and teas.
Crepes with fruit are on the menu, and there is a rotating lunch special with a Thai theme. Ratree Shadduck said customers are already returning for the pad thai.
“I would like to have much more Thai food on the menu,” she said.
Ratree Shadduck grew up in Thailand. aShe met Jerry, who is from Wisconsin, at a dental clinic on a U.S. military base there. They have been married for 40 years and have three grown daughters. They came to Spokane when he got a job at the VA hospital. Jerry Shadduck worked there for 20 years, and is now retired.
The bakery is located in an old home that’s been carefully restored and redecorated to fit its new purpose. Ratree Shadduck painted and stenciled decorations on the walls and the two did most of the remodeling together, except for electrical and plumbing.
A garden surrounds the cafe, and when it gets warmer, customers will be able to eat outside.
When the Shadducks purchased the homes, there was just grass and a few shrubs on the lot. They agreed to get rid of the lawn and plant roses and perennials instead.
“I said no more lawn, but she’s the gardener,” Jerry Shadduck said. “She has the vision and I provide the hard work.”