Francesca Coenen-Winer has owned the Taproom since September 2022. Originally hired in 2016 by the previous owners Damien and Tiffany Cortez, Coenen-Winer worked as a cook, server, bartender, general manager, and pretty much everything else before buying the business. She used to imagine what it would be like to own a restaurant—the menus and space she would build that would welcome locals and newcomers alike. 

“I’ve been able to create what I daydreamed about,” she recalled. “I said ‘yes’ to taking over the Taproom when Damien and Tiffany offered it to me. I believe in the island community, and we call the Taproom the ‘island living room.”’

This seems to perfectly describe the space, which has the feel of a neighborhood living room—a comfortable blending of old and new. Well-loved floors, tall windows, and local art create a welcoming ambiance within the century-old historic Bayview Cash Store that the Taproom calls home. Simple wood tables host folks engaged in conversation and the bar invites patrons to belly up, sample top-rated craft brews, and hang out. 

Since it’s where she spends most of her time, Coenen-Winer has designed the Taproom to include what is important to her—staff who are and feel like family, regular patrons attracted to the pub’s bonhomie, simple good food and drink, and creations by local artists. Take, for instance, Daniel Dillingham, a part-time chef at the Taproom and Coenen-Winer’s partner.

“We met in the kitchen and now we have a child,” Coenen-Winer said of the couple’s daughter, born last September. “Daniel does a lot of our specials. His focus is being creative with food. He pulls rabbits from hats and makes beautiful food utilizing the local produce we have.”

When learning that his daughter was going to have a baby, Coenen-Winer’s father Baron Coenen moved to Whidbey from Northern California to lend a hand with running the Taproom. “When he found out I was pregnant, he called and said, ‘I’ll drop everything and come and help you,’” she recalled. “I don’t know many dads who will do that. He got a crash course on how to do things in an insanely busy summer season. He helped everything stay in operation while I was on maternity leave.”

Joining her dad is Rainier, Coenen-Winer’s younger brother, who graduated from high school last May and later moved to Whidbey Island from California. He helps with washing dishes at the Taproom and is getting to know the local scene.

The Taproom’s staff of 13—many of whom gather at the bar to chat when they’re not working—are a big reason behind the pub’s success, she said. “I want to give credit to my staff. I’m really proud of the team I have now. I built it from people I’ve known and are new. There is Joanna Cook, who worked with Damien and Tiffany before I took over. After I became the Taproom’s owner, we sat down for dinner and said, ‘let’s do this thing.’ I am thankful for Jeremy, who is our longest continuous kitchen employee, for his steadfastness and endless positivity. Hayley and Ander were previous employees and longtime friends who came to help me with the new iteration of the Taproom. We’re working on a cocktail program—hoping to debut in summer 2025. It’s going to be a wonderful opportunity to showcase BoJohn’s talents, who is our in-house cocktail connoisseur. I couldn’t do what I do without them. We all cover each other.”

One of the Taproom’s notable works of art is a large mural covering a wall in the bar. Wanting something eye-catching to look at while spending most of her time at work, Coenen-Winer commissioned Freeland artist David Iles to create a mural depicting one of her favorite Whidbey places—Double Bluff Beach. “Knowing I wanted to refresh the space when I took over, I was blown away by the level of texture and his emotionally evocative painting style,” she said. “I reached out and David jumped at the opportunity. He took several months to paint it in his home studio. The only directive I gave him was Double Bluff. I wanted to have the feeling of sitting on a piece of driftwood at the beach.” The realistically rendered mural features Double Bluff’s sandy cliffs and endless sky, pulling viewers into the quintessential Whidbey landscape. A tiny couple walk on the mural’s curving beach—it’s Coenen-Winer and her partner Daniel Dillingham. In the foreground, Iles has painted the couple’s dogs, Elsa, Puffin, and Acorn.

Running a popular pub may look easy, yet there are many moving parts Coenen-Winer intuitively orchestrates daily. “I function well under pressure. When it’s absolute mayhem, my brain organizes.” During particularly busy times, Coenen-Winer is appreciative of the Taproom’s “village,” the community of supporters who step up and lend a hand when needed. “My ‘family’ works hard to create community, and the community holds the Taproom.”

As we were talking, a man walked by to say “hello.” After greeting him, Coenen-Winer turned and said, “That gentlemen and his wife, Steven and Jennifer Cox, are my self-adopted godparents. They started as customers. Now they’re my family. They have supported me endlessly in the last couple of years. Watering plants, changing kegs, fixing plumbing. They’ve saved me [numerous] times.”

It’s all about community in Whidbey’s self-appointed living room. The next time you’re looking for delicious food and island charm, Coenen-Winer invites you to come experience it for yourself.

The Taproom@Bayview Corner is located at 5603 Bayview Road in Langley.
Visit their website at taproombayviewcorner.com.