Café, Concerts and Community: ALMA’s Next Act Takes Shape

Downtown Tacoma’s former ALMA building has a name for its next chapter: Riverbend Social. The Puyallup Tribe plans to reopen the space with a café, lounge and performance hall, bringing public activity back to a venue many Tacomans remember for food, music and community gatherings.

The Tribe announced the plan September 21. It is aiming for a spring 2027 opening for all three first-floor spaces, though the date remains a target rather than a confirmed opening day.

ALMA LLC gifted the 22,000-square-foot building to the Tribe in July 2025. The transition was facilitated by Anpo, an Indigenous-led nonprofit. Riverbend Social will operate under Puyallup Tribal Enterprises, with Puyallup Tribal Member Sheila Dillon serving as general manager.

The team plans to build on the building’s existing layout. Renovations by the Tribe’s Tahoma Construction Services are focused largely on the first floor and the fenced outdoor area connected to the performance hall.

Some familiar features should survive the change. Dillon said she intends to keep the small open-mic stage in the café and preserve the building’s character while refreshing its design.

What will be served is still being worked out. Dillon said she is interested in incorporating traditional foods, including organic teas, huckleberries and salmon, and hopes to source ingredients locally. No final menu has been announced.

The performance hall could host music, themed parties and other shows. Dillon also sees possibilities for seasonal gatherings and Tribal cultural events in the hall and adjoining outdoor space. She hopes storytelling might eventually be part of the programming.

For downtown, the plan offers the prospect of a mid-sized performance venue returning to use. For the Tribe, it is also an opportunity to shape a gathering place under Tribal ownership while retaining parts of a space Tacoma already knows.

The first opening will cover the café, lounge and performance hall. Renovations upstairs are planned for a later phase, and details about shows and opportunities for Tribal Member involvement will come as work progresses.

Read the Puyallup Tribe’s full announcement, including architectural renderings here.