The team behind Wooden City is turning their original Pacific Avenue space into a new bar and restaurant called The Loyal, bringing oysters, fried chicken and martinis to downtown Tacoma by the end of July.

The Loyal will open at 714 Pacific Ave., the same address Wooden City occupied before relocating to 1102 Broadway this spring. Chef Dre Neeley, co-owner of Gravy on Vashon Island, is bringing his signature fried chicken recipe to the new concept. The recipe is gluten-free and has appeared on the Gravy menu and at pop-up events around the region, the Tacoma News Tribune reported Wednesday, July 29.

The menu will center on three items: oysters served raw and roasted, Neeley's fried chicken, and a drinks program built around martinis and champagne.

Neeley runs Gravy with his wife, Pepa Brower. He is known for cooking over open fire and has built a following through pop-ups in the Puget Sound area. His exact role at The Loyal, whether as partner, consulting chef or another arrangement, has not been publicly detailed.

When Wooden City moved to Broadway this spring, the team promised new life for the original space. Wooden City's website confirms the restaurant is now open daily at 1102 Broadway from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., with the bar staying open until 11 p.m.

The Loyal adds to a growing list of restaurant investments along the Pacific Avenue corridor. As we reported July 28, at least seven new restaurants and cafés opened across Tacoma between spring and July 2026, including three within a half-mile of each other downtown.

A $400,000 tenant-improvement permit filed with the city proposes a new Chipotle at 1712 Pacific Ave., and UW Tacoma's planned $115 million Husky Landing residence hall would bring nearly 500 students to the downtown core by late 2029.

No specific opening date has been announced beyond the end of July.