SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES
Dori: Mandate defiant Chehalis restaurant owner claims LCB agents recently raided Mackinaw’s
Apr 18, 2022, 3:14 PM
Laurel Wheat Khan, the owner of Mackinaw鈥檚 in Chehalis, has announced she's running for governor. (Courtesy of Mackinaws on Facebook)
(Courtesy of Mackinaws on Facebook)
The owner/chef of a Lewis County restaurant featured last year on Food Network鈥檚 鈥淒iners, Drive-Ins and Dives鈥� 鈥� and later on The Dori Monson Show for resisting state COVID closure demands 鈥� is facing even greater penalties after she says 10 Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) agents raided her business last week.
Chef who loses liquor license calls Washington state鈥檚 approach 鈥楩ear, fear, fear鈥�
Just days before Christmas 2021, the state board revoked Laurel Khan鈥檚 liquor license and seized her remaining alcohol at Mackinaw鈥檚 鈥� a popular farm-to-table eatery with its self-described 鈥淐hicago-style hip city bar鈥� vibe.
This came after four violations filed by the state board against Khan鈥檚 business, starting in 2020 during the initial COVID-19 outbreak. Mackinaw鈥檚 was under scrutiny over refusing to temporarily close during the statewide COVID-19 outbreak.
鈥淚 was served a search warrant on Thursday, read my Miranda Rights, and I had crime scene tape across my door as 10 officers searched my restaurant,鈥� Khan told Dori and his listeners.
In December 2021, Mackinaw鈥檚 was allowed to remain open as a 鈥渇ood only鈥� business after the liquor license suspension, but her sales have been down more than 50 percent since then.
Her initial resistance to Washington state鈥檚 business-closure orders was because 鈥渋t was incredibly unjust,鈥� Khan explained.
When interviewed by Dori in January, Khan expressed her frustration with what she saw as a double-standard between how 鈥渢he Safeways, the Costcos, the WalMarts鈥� were allowed to stay open while she felt a 鈥渢humb down on the neck鈥� of 鈥渁ll the little guys.鈥�
Now she鈥檚 equally frustrated by what she calls an 鈥渋nconsistency鈥� between how non-bar restaurants are targeted by the state Labor & Industries Department while dining establishments that serve alcohol face penalties from the state Liquor and Cannabis Board.
鈥淚鈥檝e been a responsible restaurant owner of 15-plus years,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 have never had a liquor violation. Now, they are putting me out of business.鈥�
Khan has been ordered to appear in a Lewis County court on April 29 to address the matter. She told Dori that potential new penalties include asset forfeiture 鈥� including the boat she lives on.
鈥�(Gov. Jay) Inslee has an $800 million homeless bill,鈥� she told Dori. 鈥淢aybe I could be part of it.鈥�
Listen to Dori鈥檚 interview with Mackinaw鈥檚 restaurant owner Laurel Khan here
