EVERETT, DEC. 5: Meet Marcel: He is there to comfort you on a cold winter night, offer a high-class glass of wine, and introduce you to new people. Except Marcel isn’t an actual person. Marcel is a new small business in downtown Everett.
The idea for Marcel stemmed from a need for a gathering space downtown, co-owner Aaron Sheckler said. Sheckler, his partner, and their two friends were inspired by European and Portuguese culture and wanted to share it with the community through a laidback, easygoing bar.
Marcel offers a wide range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages from wine, beer, and spritzes. They focus on small-batch, organic, and biodynamic wines along with craft beers.
“It’s really about being unhurried. Many of our products take a long time to make, very small batch things. Sounds cheesy to say but those are the simple moments, to be able to zoom out and pause…” Sheckler said.
Not only is Marcel a general hangout spot for 21+, but they also offer private event bookings. Sheckler said that since opening in late November, they are already booking events into February 2025.
“I want people to come and enjoy themselves and take a break from the rush of their lives, sit back and enjoy a nice cold beer,” Co-owner John Baca said. He and his wife Abby Ritt have experience in the beer and bar industry in L.A. They saw potential in Everett and were excited to join their friends in owning a bar.
The star of the show is Super Bock, the National beer of Portugal. The four owners, who often travel together, were inspired by the laid-back and community-oriented lifestyle the beer represents.
Working with distributors, Baca said he was able to get Super Bock into Marcel. There are only five kegs on the West Coast, Baca said. He said his goal was to bring a diverse range of options, not only from around the world but locally.
Sheckler and co-owner Ritt have known each other since college, roughly 16 to 17 years. Between Ritt and Baca’s experience in the beer industry, and Sheckler and his partner Scott Hulme’s skills, it was a perfect partnership.
“It was a nice compliment of their knowledge in the beer industry and our design to curate specific things is just molded perfectly,” Sheckler said.
Sheckler never thought he would be an entrepreneur. He has a background in theatre design and works as the Marketing and Communications Manager at the Schack Art Center. But during the pandemic in 2021, Sheckler and Hulme decided to open their first business, Petrikor: The Modern General.
Petrikor is dedicated to curated home and garden items, some are imported from other countries, while others are locally made. It started online, transitioning to brick and mortar, moving into the oldest brick building in Everett, located at 2816, Rucker Ave.
Sheckler and Hulme, both Everett residents for roughly eight years, said they wanted to bring in businesses and spaces that were missing in Everett.
“We have always liked downtown Everett and saw the potential it had,” Sheckler said, “There are a lot of people who need spaces and things to do and there’s not a lot of that here, so you end up going to Seattle for those experiences.”
The plan was always to own a hangout spot, and last year the pair began their journey when the space next to Petrikor became available. The building, built in 1895 is chock-full of history. They even found old bottles stuffed into the walls during the renovation.
“People will come in and say, ‘Hey this used to be the Cavern Tavern in the 70’s and 80’s’,” Sheckler said.
Sheckler said that Petrikor and Marcel couldn’t have happened without the support of the community.
“We raised a lot of funds through people in the community, just willing to give and loan money… I will never take that for granted,” Scheckler said. “The support from the community is the only reason we have been successful and able to open this second venture.”
Besides beverages, Marcel offers small, prepackaged snacks, such as chips and olives. Soon they will be incorporating charcuterie boards. You can also bring your own food, or food from other restaurants.
Marcel is open 4-10 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 2-10 p.m. Saturday, and 12-6 p.m. Sunday. Sheckler said that they are working to increase hours in the future.
Hulme, who also works as the Business Development Manager with the Downtown Everett Association, believes businesses like Marcel will help draw other unique businesses to Everett.
“This is a great opportunity for other businesses to look to Everett and see that it’s a viable place,” Hulme said. “The four of us love Everett and I will go blue in the face with how much I say it. Everett is such a special location, and we are so excited to bring Marcel to Everett.”
