New West Seattle business: You’ll find wine in Bin 41

Three weeks ago, after a liquor-license application notice went up at the former Georgia Blu space in The Junction, we published this short item – noting what the license was for, and mentioning we’d reached the applicants. They told us they weren’t ready to talk at the time, but promised details when they were. Today they’ve made good on that promise, and sent this announcement to share with you:

Bin 41, the Junction’s upcoming retail wine shop which will be moving into the former Georgia Blu space, is owned by long-standing West Seattle residents, T. Frick and Jon McNamara. Both Landscape Architects by training, T. and Jon discovered a passion for wine over a decade ago that developed into an understanding of the value of wine in our everyday experiences. They are looking forward to both bringing this passion for wine to the Junction and to contributing to their local community.

Bin 41 will be collaborating with the community’s first retail wine shop, West Seattle Cellars, and other neighborhood businesses. “We want to contribute to the spirit of West Seattle through the collaboration of local business. Our goal is to work closely with our friends, Tom and Jan, of West Seattle Cellars to provide the West Seattle community with more access to fine wine. This will be a win-win for the community in that consumers will have more choice overall; in wine selection, weekly tastings and educational opportunities.”

Bin 41 will be providing retail wine sales by the bottle and wine-related merchandise. Their portfolio will have a strong focus on local wines from the Pacific Northwest as well as various labels from around the world. In their field of design, the McNamara’s have been committed to contributing to a sustainable future. We are excited to continue this commitment to reducing our environmental footprint by working in the neighborhood in which we live as well as incorporating other sustainable concepts into the shop. The proprietors hope to open for business sometime in March, with a grand opening in early April. More information will be posted as plans progress further.

We had to ask – where did the name come from? T’s reply: “Our passion for wine, winemaking and the dream to open the shop grew out of our home on 41st. So we wanted to carry the number forward. Bin represents the storage of wine.”

21 Replies to "New West Seattle business: You'll find wine in Bin 41"

  • CB January 29, 2010 (8:59 am)

    A nice addition to the Junction. Best of luck with the new biz!

  • cjboffoli January 29, 2010 (8:59 am)

    This is great news! Maybe I won’t have to go to SoDo or Eastlake so much to do my wine buying. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that they’ll include a good selection of Walla Walla Valley wines.

  • Silly Goose January 29, 2010 (9:49 am)

    Although I always admire new business ventures and their desire to open in West Seattle, but we need clothing stores and retail space where we can shop for childrens clothes etc without going to the mall. Doesn’t the West Seattle Business Council have some sort of quota on how many food and beverage business’s can open here. What happened to mixed retail in the junction?

  • dotty January 29, 2010 (10:15 am)

    i heard chatter about a wine bar opening in the old capers space. is this what i was hearing or will we have both? west seattle *needs* a good wine bar!

  • OP January 29, 2010 (11:05 am)

    Check out the Alaska J., getttin’ all swanky wanky and stuff! Such a cool time to be WS resident!

  • waman January 29, 2010 (11:05 am)

    wine & jazz!

  • Gabe January 29, 2010 (11:17 am)

    Great news! Best of luck with the new venture Jon and T.

  • Sasquatch January 29, 2010 (11:19 am)

    So excited about this wine shop!

  • mike January 29, 2010 (11:22 am)

    Yay! Good luck T and Jon!!

  • Smitty January 29, 2010 (11:54 am)

    Awesome!

    Please carry some Goose Ridge for me!

  • glendafrench January 29, 2010 (2:07 pm)

    We’ve got our yummy french bakery, now this – anyone want to open up an artisan cheese shop in the Junction now? Ooh la la!

  • wundrgrrrl January 29, 2010 (2:56 pm)

    One word – “friggin’ awesome!!” Okay, that was two… I got carried away.

  • n January 29, 2010 (4:27 pm)

    this is a great, welcome addition to the junction.

  • dawsonct January 29, 2010 (6:17 pm)

    YES! Cheese. Please.

  • west seattle golfer January 29, 2010 (10:03 pm)

    Awesome! Wish you the very best!

  • Patrick January 30, 2010 (8:46 am)

    A wine bar would be great! Metropolitan Market’s cheese dept is as good as it gets. You can’t limit what kind of stores open it the junction — it’s a free market system. If there was a big enough market for independent children’s clothing stores, Georgia Blu would have been a success. The vast majority of parents would rather go to Target, Old Navy or WalMart to buy cheap, mass produced clothes for their kids since that’s all they can afford nowadays – and the kids grown out of them.

  • Kati January 30, 2010 (11:06 am)

    Jon and T!!! Woweee!

    Congratulations, that is so great – what a dream! I’ll be first in line. Will’s first question after we read this: are you hiring?

  • grr January 30, 2010 (4:50 pm)

    Silly Goose…really? are you serious?? Tell ya what…why don’t you call some of the property managers that handle some of the retail space in the junction and ask how much the rent is? That should answer your questions about small clothing stores. Two words: Profit Margin

    I LOVE LOVE LOVE what the junction is turning into. Getting to where I never have to go back across the bridge when I get home. And I know I can always get my nails done and some pictures framed at the vegetarian kid-freindly shops. :)

  • grr January 31, 2010 (12:16 am)

    also…Chris…why the hell are you going to Sodo or Eastlake??? Once we discovered West Seattle Wine Cellar (and Bear, Tom and Jan), we’ve never needed to go anywhere else. They have an AMAZING selelction, and can get any ‘special order’ that you can possibly imagine.

    of special note is The Bin in front of the Wine Tasting bar. Nuthin’ over $15, and anything in there will be amazing tasting, and a great bottle. And, if ya want the $120 Chateneuf, they’ve got that as well..

    AND…free tastings every thursday evening. Can’t tell ya how much I’ve learned over the years from them.

  • sandrad January 31, 2010 (6:12 pm)

    I wish you the best, Jon and T! Sounds like a wonderful new venture, and a fantastic location too..

  • dawsonct February 1, 2010 (10:36 am)

    Metro Mkt. does have good cheeses, but the selection is restricted (the cheese manager seems to have some well defined prejudices) and the prices are outrageous, even considering the cheeses. I won’t even mention the truly sad olive bar (“we’re out!? open another can!”).
    I’m talking about a place with master affineurs where the cheese isn’t pre-cut and -packaged in plastic wrap. If they recognize that the NW produces world-class cheeses and carries them it would be an added bonus.

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