BAS-QUE Bakery (pronounced like the word “basket” without the “t”) is a locally owned walk-up bakery located in downtown Tacoma. To learn more, including how to order their signature cheesecake ahead of time, visit: www.getbasque.com.
BAS-QUE’s owners, DJ Park and Seong Hyun Lee, recalled how their idea for a one-of-a-kind bakery came to be. They had took a six-month journey in Europe and “fell in love with the lifestyle and culinary philosophy of the Basque region, where food acts as a communal anchor. Since we couldn’t move there, we decided to bring a piece of that philosophy back home to Tacoma.”
The couple moved to Tacoma because of Park’s work as a restaurant consultant. They immediately fell in love with the Pacific Northwest, especially the region’s natural beauty.
Park has 25 years of experience as a professional chef, where he developed a sourdough using nuruk, or a traditional Korean grain starter. Park explained: “The three-day fermentation process naturally breaks down gluten, allowing Seong [who is sensitive to gluten] and many of our neighbors with similar sensitivities to enjoy real bread again.”
The owners shared their bakery’s philosophy and values: “We only serve what we would feed our own family. Nourishment is at the core of every decision we make in the kitchen.” They primarily use fresh ingredients grown and sourced in Washington State to support local farms.
They are also a no-tipping bakery because they want “to ensure consistent pricing and focus entirely on quality and service. While this may evolve if we eventually hire staff, it defines our current commitment to straightforward, honest hospitality.”
Park and Lee are proud to live in the same neighborhood as their bakery, as they are fully invested in the City of Tacoma’s thriving. They simply love Tacoma. However, they shared: “We are dedicated to elevating the quality of life here in Tacoma, but we believe the city needs to do more to meet small businesses halfway. While the community support has been incredible, the Health Department frequently creates hurdles that hinder small, artisanal businesses from popping up and truly thriving. We are vocal advocates for change because we want to share more with our neighborhood than just good bread; we want to help build a more resilient, accessible, and connected city.”
Park and Lee have been actively thinking of BAS-QUE’s near-future goals. They are aiming to become a zero-waste bakery and “already repurpose our espresso pucks for our coffee rye bread and syrups, and we are currently developing a coffee Basque cheesecake using spent grounds. Whether it is repurposing ingredients or seeking plastic-free options, we aim to minimize our footprint however we can.”
They are also working on a new and separate project: to launch a nearby neighborhood bodega and deli concept: “While it will be a different entity from the bakery, it shares the same DNA: a hub for locally sourced essentials, fresh produce, and nourishing food. As part of this effort, we are also developing a community food pantry initiative to help address food insecurity among local university students.”
Rachel Endo is an award-winning educator, leader, and scholar who is currently based in the Tacoma area. She was born and raised in Nebraska and hails from a multi-generational Nikkei family. A first-generation college student, she graduated from the University of Nebraska at Omaha with honors, where she also earned her MA in Education and MPA in Public Management . She holds a PhD in Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. To learn more, including how to contact her directly, visit her website at: www.rachelendo.com
