Reporter's Notebook

Woody’s outfits on the cheap

Instead of spending a bunch of money he didn’t have to outfit his new downtown Vancouver Mexican restaurant, Woody’s Tacos owner and head chef Scott Holzinger hit up two awesome resources for cheap supplies – ReStore and Craigslist.
ReStore is a chain of Habitat for Humanity retail outlets that collects building materials and household goods for discounted public resale. At the Portland ReStore, Holzinger snagged Italian tile for 25 cents a square foot, grout, paint and borders, he told me in the midst of making mayonnaise and cookies at the same time.
In true fashion, he found the restaurant’s wooden bar that some guy made in his garage on Craigslist for $150 along with dozens of glasses, wood, a refrigerator and hand sinks.
“You can find anything on Craigslist,” Holzinger said as a waitress and an electrician he found on the site showed up for work.
And, all of you cheapie builders, you won’t have to hold your breath much longer for Vancouver’s ReStore to get up and running. Kristina Aitchison, Evergreen Habitat for Humanity’s executive director reports that the nonprofit is inches away from announcing the location of the new store, which is set to launch Dec. 1.

- Megan Patrick-Vaughn
mpatrick@vbjusa.com