EVERETT — The clock hits 7 p.m. The lights dim. A disco ball reflects light around the room. Welcome to Marcel, the latest hangout spot in downtown Everett.
At Marcel, located at 2814 Rucker Ave, customers can grab a glass of organic wine, craft beer or a non-alcoholic brew. There are also pre-packaged snacks, and customers can bring their own food or get some delivered.
The thread of events that led to Marcel’s opening began around 16 years ago when Abby Ritt and Aaron Sheckler met at the University of Northern Colorado. They went their separate ways: Ritt to Los Angeles and Sheckler to New York City.
Ritt met her husband, John Baca, and they started working at an L.A. brewery. Sheckler met his partner, Scott Hulme, when he moved to Phoenix and the pair moved to Everett in 2020.
In 2021, Sheckler and Hulme opened Petrikor, a home and garden store. It started online, but they ended up opening a brick-and-mortar store a couple of years later on Rucker Avenue.
When the space next door became available, they started leasing it in hopes of turning it into a bar one day. And sure enough, two years later, they did.
In early 2024, Ritt and Baca had to move out of their L.A. apartment because of a rent increase. Their knowledge of beer and wine, coupled with Sheckler and Hulme’s experience in Everett, was the perfect recipe for Marcel, so Ritt and Baca made the move to Everett. The four friends are all co-owners of Marcel. The quartet held a soft opening in November.
“We had a lot of good local support,” Baca said. “A lot of it was based on Petrikor’s success and overall aesthetic because people trusted the fact that if they were opening a bar, it would be cool.”
In December, Marcel opened for full service. They’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback from customers, Baca said.
“If you make it something that you really enjoy, a lot of people are going to enjoy it too,” he said.
So that’s what they did. The decor is inspired by the group’s trips to Europe throughout the years and the laid-back energy they fell in love with. Hulme constructed nearly everything himself.
“A little bit of an unhurried, slowdown sort of moment,” Baca said. “Just enjoy yourself with people around you. It’s fast enough out there.”
The name Marcel doesn’t come from anywhere specific, the owners said. They wanted a name that gave the bar an identity and represented its European influences.
The owners want Marcel to be the ideal spot to get a drink before an AquaSox game, a show at the performing arts center, a high school volleyball game and everything in between. Living in downtown Everett for nearly five years, Sheckler and Hulme were craving a bar they truly felt comfortable in. So was the community.
“They shove into those booths on a Friday night and they’re ready to eat their food, kick back and have a party,” Sheckler said.
So far, they’ve seen customers of all ages — over 21 — enjoy the space. The owners hope Marcel’s opening sets a trend for other restaurants and bars to open in downtown Everett, so residents have more of a reason to stay in Everett instead of going to Seattle for drinks.
The owners wanted to create a space that welcomed everyone, no matter how much they know about beer and wine. But they also wanted customers to leave having expanded their horizons. All of Marcel’s wine comes from small-batch, organic farms around the world. Baca curates the beer list from good-intentioned breweries, also from around the world. The selection is also European-inspired. One of their prized beers is Super Bock from Portugal, one of only five kegs on the West Coast.
“It’s a Portuguese national lager, it’s a 25-year, gold-medal-winning beer. Why not be able to experience that?” Baca said. “Rainier is fantastic, but hey, let’s try a Super Bock.”
Other customer favorites include the bar’s spritzes and orange wine.
On New Year’s Eve, Marcel held an event with a DJ, wood-fired pizza and an open bar. They’re hoping to hold more events throughout the year. Hulme said he’s also looking forward to employing people from the community.
“As a small business, that’s a pretty big milestone, to be able to give other people the opportunity to be a part of it,” he said.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that the Marcel’s owners bought the bar’s building.
Jenna Peterson: 425-339-3486; jenna.peterson@heraldnet.com; X: @jennarpetersonn.
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