Coastal beer chain Pelican Brewing will open its sixth outlet in Yachats after buying Whale’s Tail diner

YACHATS – Pelican Brewing of Pacific City, which started on the beach there 30 years ago, has purchased the Whale’s Tale diner in Yachats and plans to open its sixth outlet in the former restaurant along U.S. Highway 101.

Pelican said in a news release that the former diner will be closed for a few months during remodeling and will reopen in the second half of the year.

Crystall and Robert Morigeau closed their Whale’s Tail Diner & Pirate Pub on Sunday afternoon after selling to Pelican. The Morigeaus bought LeRoy’s Blue Whale last April from Don and Angie Lindsley of Waldport, who had operated the restaurant for 45 years.

Pelican officials plan to formally announce their move to Yachats at Wednesday’s Yachats city council meeting although beer blogs have confirmed the purchase and it’s not a well-kept secret around Yachats.

Pelican is expanding up and down the coast. It opened a restaurant and brew pub in Rockaway Beach last year and its massive restaurant overlooking Siletz Bay in Lincoln City in 2022. In addition to its beach-side brew pub in Pacific City, it has a large restaurant and production facility in Tillamook and a pub in Cannon Beach.

The Morigeaus put the business up for sale last October after enduring months of long hours. “It was a bit of a struggle during the winter financially and a little more work than Robert and I could take,” she said. Crystall Morigeau said they will spend Sunday night and Monday cleaning and then hope to turn over the keys to the new owner by Wednesday.

But they’re not saying good-bye.

“We very much appreciate the community support we’ve received,” she said. “We plan to find work and stay in the community.”

— Quinton Smith/Lincoln Chronicle