Bee Hive Restaurant

The roots of the Bee Hive go deep, back to 1934 when Mom and Pop Gunn put a large army tent on a vacant lot on the corner of Main and Olympic Highway, which is now Pioneer Avenue. They called it the "Two by Four." Along with their daughter Gladys (B.B.) Gunn, they sold a mouthwatering hamburger and hot coffee for 24 cents. Hugh Gibb purchased the business from the Gunn's in 1938 and built the current building in 1940 and changed the name to "The Bee Hive." The restaurant was buzzin' with local folks and a well known spot among tourists. After Gibb's death, his wife sold the business to her brother, Ralph Miller, who continued running the business in the Gibb's style until 1966. During this time Jack Mempa had been transferred to Elma by the phone company, from the Seattle area in 1945. Years later when he was told he was being sent to a new office in Kirkland, he quit. He had fallen in love with the area and the people and just could not leave. With no knowledge of the restaurant business he "went out on a limb" and purchased The Bee Hive in 1966. Jack was truly a character and a Montesano legend. He loved fine clothes and automobiles, placing bets on local football teams or joining his customers in the Honeycomb Room, but most of all he loved people. Jack was known as the "weekend Banker" for his generosity to his employees and customers and always said everyone paid him back. In 1971 he added the Honeycomb Room, a daring venture since the new four lane highway was bypassing Montesano. Jack kept The Bee Hive buzzin' for 31 years until illness forced him to sell in September 1997. Ralph and Paul Larson plan to keep the Bee Hive buzzin' for many years to come.