E4E News & Events

Business Showcase, June 7th Join us for this one hour Spring luncheon at Water Street Café. Enjoy inspiring stories from the latest group of entrepreneurs who have completed E4E's comprehensive Business Training Program. You won’t want to miss the products and services of businesses Enterprise for Equity has helped to launch here in the South Sound.

Related Info:

Blue Lotus Cafe
412 Franklin St SE
(360) 357-3875
Hours:
8-3 Mon-Fri
(Starting in June:
8-3 Tue-Sat)

Email the cafe

Karen's page in E4E's Business Directory

E4E's Business Directory main page

Previous issues of E-Ventures

Entrepreneur of the Month

Karen McSwain’s Blue Lotus Café serves delicious home-style breakfasts and lunches in a bright, sunny corner at 412 Franklin Street SE in downtown Olympia. The restaurant is right next to the Olympia Mahayana Buddhist Center and just down the street from the YMCA.

The menu features salads, vegan soups, sandwiches (meat & vegetarian), organic breads, delicious baked desserts, and fair-trade coffee, among others. Baked goods, such as organic pastries and rolls, are made fresh from scratch each morning.

The motivation to open the Blue Lotus stemmed from Karen’s belief that food preparation can be artful, and that restaurants can play an important role in building community by offering places to relax and connect with others. Ecological and wellness principles are also important components of Karen’s recipes and business strategy, as reflected by her emphasis on purchasing local produce and meat when available, and using packaging that can be composted after use. She estimates that about 85% of her dishes are organic.

The Blue Lotus Café

Karen completed Enterprise for Equity's Business Plan Training Program in Fall 2006. Here’s what she has to say about our program: “For the past ten years, I have felt the pull to start my own restaurant, but the task seemed too daunting in so many ways. Working with the trainers in the Enterprise for Equity program provided me with the education, focus and confidence to realize my dream, and the skills to write a viable business plan. Working beside the other students in the program has been an invaluable gift. Every class was an opportunity for me to learn from and be inspired by the creativity of other entrepreneurs. Enterprise for Equity is an amazing resource for the Olympia community, and I am incredibly thankful to have been a part of the program!”

Contact information for the café is listed along the left side of this page.

Enterprise for Equity is a community supported nonprofit that helps people with limited incomes start and sustain small businesses.
We grow entrepreneurs!
Enterprise for Equity is an equal opportunity provider.