For the past few months, several new businesses have set their sights on setting up shop in town, with many beginning construction last winter. One of these stores happens to be a new Hobby Lobby, which has filled the empty lot left behind by Toys R Us after the company filed bankruptcy and ceased operation in late 2018. The crafts store chain has opened over 900 stores in America alone since its beginning and this won’t be the first branch opening in Washington State. Still, despite the company’s undeniable popularity and establishment as a brand, Hobby Lobby has a long history of controversies that has made some local consumers uncomfortable and sparked discussions on company ethics in Silverdale. 

Hobby Lobby was established by David Green in the 1970s as a business that sold a variety of wares without an emphasis on crafts. Green, the son of an Oklahoman preacher, cemented Hobby Lobby’s core values with elements of his family’s conservative beliefs. As the company flourished into the five billion mammoth that it is today, the conservative values remained and left a mark on the company’s image, putting Hobby Lobby onto the opposing end of numerous public debates and scandals concerning accusations of Antisemitism, racial discrimination and most notably, LGBTQ+ discrimination. Some members of the local LGBTQ+ community have started voicing their concern.

Cailey Wallace, the president of the Gender-Sexuality Awareness Club at Central Kitsap High School, says her biggest worry is how this Hobby Lobby being built is going to affect other LGBTQ friendly shops. 

“The community fears having another craft shop might put the other non homophobic craft shops out of business, not giving anywhere for the LGBT community to shop at for crafts,” Wallace stated when asked about her fears with the chain’s opening. 

Wallace’s concerns are based in the reality that Hobby Lobby, a multi-million dollar business, can hurt smaller but more open minded businesses in town. Retail competition can cause prices to fluctuate and, at worse, put them out of business. 

“I can’t support a company that doesn’t support me,” she added when asked whether or not she would be shopping at the store now that it’s opened. 

Still, Hobby Lobby has had undeniable economic success as a business that no doubt will spread here upon opening. The Silverdale branch will hire 35-50 workers and a recent job hiring event was held for the store, which was attended by Nicole Walters, a current Hobby Lobby employee who visited the job fair with a friend. Walters says she thinks Hobby Lobby is a great place to work and hasn’t experienced any trouble with other staff or any employees. 

“For a first time job especially, Hobby Lobby is the place to go,” Walters stated during her interview. 

When prompted about the company’s past controversies, Walters maintains that Hobby Lobby, or at least the Kitsap branch, does its best to respect everyone.

“The company itself is a Christian company and they’re open about that. We haven’t had any issues working with other people,” she stated when asked about her opinions on Hobby Lobby’s past controversy and history.

While Walters’ attitude stems from her positive work environment, it could be deduced that the interest of some prospective employees lies in Hobby Lobby’s pay rates. The Kitsap Sun reports that Hobby Lobby plans to pay full time employees $18.50 hourly, four dollars higher than Washington State’s minimum wage. 

For other students who work in the area and are members of the LGBT community, feelings on whether or not Hobby Lobby’s opening should be scrutinized or ignored are conflicting. One local LGBT identifying student, Lauren Johanek, works in the area and doesn’t think the chain’s opening will impact the lives of queer people living in Silverdale at all.

“I don’t think that a single store moving into our town will really affect anyone,” he said. I don’t know if one business can affect an entire group of people.” 

Johanek works at the AMC theater, which is next door to the Silverdale Hobby Lobby, where he is paid an hourly wage of $14.61, which is above minimum wage but still nowhere near the eyebrow raising rates being offered at Hobby Lobby.

When asked about the economic prospects of Hobby Lobby’s opening, including the higher wages as well as the assumption being made that Hobby Lobby will provide jobs for Silverdale residents, Johanek shrugged. 

“Yes, I guess, they will improve unemployment.” After a moment of thought, he added, “But any company or business could do that.” 

While there seems to be a split in the local LGBT community on whether the Hobby Lobby should be met with hostility or indifference, the business, which opened in earlier this month, has no doubt caused conversation. Hobby Lobby itself has seemed to avoid most of these local speculations and continued operating normally. While we can only hope this will continue, Walters said it best:

“Our main goal is to be respectful of all people coming from all different backgrounds, and it shouldn’t be any different from that of any other store.”