West Seattle business news: Cellular World taking over ex-Tully’s

Less than two months after Tully’s Coffee vacated the storefront on the southeast corner of Fauntleroy/California, we know what’s moving in: Cellular World. A few WSB’ers had e-mailed saying they’d heard “a cellular store” but we hadn’t been able to confirm which one – until we heard from Gypsie, who saw the signs go up today. Cellular World already has a store in Jefferson Square; we just talked with its manager Carlos, who says it’s not yet settled whether that store will stay open after this one is up and running. Whatever happens with that, he says, the Morgan Junction store is scheduled to open July 1st.

39 Replies to "West Seattle business news: Cellular World taking over ex-Tully's"

  • JW May 19, 2010 (3:36 pm)

    Yawn. (Sorry).

    What I really meant to say was, welcome! I’m happy in this economy that there are jobs and businesses being created!!!

  • j May 19, 2010 (4:26 pm)

    Totally lame….but in all honesty, that space is very awkward and small.

  • johnnyblegs May 19, 2010 (4:28 pm)

    Was hoping for a good sandwich joint or something else kinda cool to compliment the surrounding businesses. Oh well.

  • LMA May 19, 2010 (4:38 pm)

    nice to have some one there

  • vanessa May 19, 2010 (5:02 pm)

    At least it’s not another nail shop, teriyaki, yoga, or another coffee shop. Some kind of a healthy “fast” food joint would have been good. Too small for Trader Joes.(Sorry, you know we have to get a TJ shot in these comments every once in awhile)

  • T May 19, 2010 (5:35 pm)

    A BECU branch would have been better…

  • ArborHeightsMom May 19, 2010 (5:40 pm)

    I am finding it very hard to get excited.

  • lenguamor May 19, 2010 (6:03 pm)

    A cell phone store?! At least if it were a new business you could be happy about new jobs, but this will just shift jobs around. And a cell phone store is at the bottom of the list of desirable businesses for that space.
    Yech.

  • Concerned May 19, 2010 (6:21 pm)

    Whoopie!! I know it’s a small place but …. anything would have been better!!! Yeah, I agree a small sandwich shop, or … who knows! Anything but another phone store! There aren’t enough of those already though are there??

  • pigeonmom May 19, 2010 (6:21 pm)

    *groan*

  • uglybrowncrow May 19, 2010 (6:31 pm)

    I like the new business. I will be their first customer.

  • me on 28th Ave SW May 19, 2010 (6:37 pm)

    I think it should have been filled with playful scampering kittens….yeah, that’s the ticket! ; )

  • austin May 19, 2010 (7:20 pm)

    I support the kittens idea.

  • k May 19, 2010 (7:37 pm)

    bummer.

  • Mom May 19, 2010 (7:56 pm)

    Cell phone stores are about as exciting as vitamin stores. Will it really stay in business?

  • Cali May 19, 2010 (8:10 pm)

    I support kittens serving taco bell.

    But If I don’t get that, it will be nice to have my cell phone carrier within walking distance.

  • ricky bobbie May 19, 2010 (8:48 pm)

    Where does everyone get their phones?
    Obviously the JS location was not as good as this one or they would not have signed the lease.
    JS is much less visible than this location.
    OR, the JS location is up to it’s ears in business and they needed a new spot to better serve their customers. If the JS location stays open, then jobs WILL be created.
    If you don’t like the business DON’T SHOP THERE!
    Or open your own instead.

  • stormsacomin May 19, 2010 (9:49 pm)

    We were bummed to hear this too as we were so hoping for something ‘cool’. Outside of the cornering the market on the iPhone they will have a hard time doing big business there. But hey, I guess it beats going to South Center.

  • Jim May 19, 2010 (10:25 pm)

    @ricky bobble. I won’t shop there. Nor will most other people most of the time. The point isn’t that we don’t like the business, although it’s barely even that. The point is that for one of the few retail spaces in that area, most people were probably hoping for something they’d actually use on a regular basis. Buy cell phones online for goodness sake.

  • BG May 19, 2010 (10:46 pm)

    maybe everyone would be happier if it was all boarded up and nothing moved into that spot. I for one am happy that something is moving into an empty building, but from what I can tell in West Seattle, people aren’t happy unless it’s the business they want to have go in there. West Seattleites will complain if there is an empty building, and they will complain if there if a building is filled with something they don’t like. Maybe squatters and drug dealers in the building would make you all happy.

  • chas redmond May 19, 2010 (11:09 pm)

    @BG – actually on a slightly different note, the space does have a street visibility which would have made it a good place from which to have “street theater” – some form of Little Gym type place – or reptile terrarium like place. No more warm but fake fireplace, either.

    • WSB May 19, 2010 (11:24 pm)

      Which brings up an odd data point … Now there’s no coffee shop on the east side of California till C&P. On 35th, there’s no coffee shop on the east side of the street at all. Delridge has Cafe Rozella and Bubbles; 16th has JoJo’s. Yeah, I know, obscure observation … TR

  • grr May 19, 2010 (11:50 pm)

    the coffee place inside Thriftway isn’t THAT bad..

    -yeah…I was hoping for something cool and fun in that spot..but it’s sooo small…not sure how it’s going to compete with Car Toys/South Center, etc…but..what the heck..it’s worth a shot..

    the vegetarian nail salon frame shop will have to go somewhere else now :)

    • WSB May 20, 2010 (12:00 am)

      I meant standalone … but a good reminder. Further north of course, the cool kids are on the east side of the street, including of course WSB sponsors Hotwire and Cupcake Royale… Sorry to digress.

  • cookie May 20, 2010 (2:03 am)

    BLAH-BlaH-bLAh-BLAh……..That’s what I think of that….but I’ll bet ya 50 cents It ain’t gonna last long so don’t worry all you people who had different ideas.. I for one think a boarded up building would look better there.. it least if would have some character!;) Paint some grafiti on the outside and boom…you’ve got instant modern art!;) (and for the above “BG” blogger, do you really think the city wouldn’t find out if squatters or drug dealers were occupying the place? That’s a little extreme don’t you think?)

  • Mr. Matt May 20, 2010 (2:10 am)

    Agreeing with grr – it’s not THAT bad. It’s so not-bad that I end up there frequently for their “happy hour(s)” cause hey, can’t beat decent enough coffee at half price. It’s my coffee counter of choice thus far that keeps me fueled enough to edit audio all day.

  • coffee May 20, 2010 (6:13 am)

    Everyone should also remember, if its a small independent business, mostlikely the rent for that space is more than they can afford. And with the fact that almost no banks lend small businesses money, it was a sure bet that some corporate style business would be going in there. The small business owners, unless they have deep pockets, are not doing too much expanding these days.

  • Kayleigh May 20, 2010 (7:59 am)

    I’ve never actually been in a cellular store. When I need to upgrade, I do it online, where there are no surly clerks or long lines.
    .
    I miss the Tully’s—it was my favorite coffee shop (other than C&P, of course.)

  • KR May 20, 2010 (8:05 am)

    LAME!!! This should be a community gathering place in such a great location.

  • uglybrowncrow May 20, 2010 (10:39 am)

    ALl you guys here, bla bWla bla…If you don’t like it, why didn’t you think of putting in a business that would appease? huh?

  • Dave May 20, 2010 (12:11 pm)

    It would be a great spot for a coffeehouse.

    One with employees that stay with the company long enough to get to know and appreciate their customers. You know, employees who build relationships that inspire customers to remember, return, and recommend.

  • displacedcoastie May 20, 2010 (1:43 pm)

    I think a strip club would have been perfect. Of course being in West Seattle it would have to be self sustaining with solar power and compostable pasties….;)

  • uglybrowncrow May 20, 2010 (5:24 pm)

    oh..no pasties(gasp)..That’s like saying the four-letter word here. We can’t have cute baristas serving coffee in pasties in W.S. Oh..my, how wrong would that be for the kids to see.?

  • pam May 20, 2010 (7:03 pm)

    Sigh. I’m not adding anything new by saying I was hoping for something fun, worth walking to from our Gatewood ‘hood.

    Bummer.

  • EAO May 20, 2010 (9:00 pm)

    Does anyone know who owns the space?

    • WSB May 20, 2010 (9:09 pm)

      The taxpayer listed on county records is Thriftway’s ownership.

  • grr May 20, 2010 (9:59 pm)

    is it too late for Hooters to go there?

  • Alex May 20, 2010 (11:20 pm)

    Wait, did the Morgan Junction suddenly warp through space to become a strip mall in Tukwila?

  • jaems May 22, 2010 (8:49 am)

    I for one wish there was a local system by which the neighborhood could vote on what businesses can open in their area. Why do corporations get to shape our towns? We should have a say! Profit driven decisions create ugly, unwanted deadstrips. Its so hard to create sustaining communities without the ability to choose what businesses move in. Dont we want walkable, vibrant, neighborhoods? Maybe if there was a list of wanted businesses in each area, good businesses would know they are encouraged and likely supported. Anyway….cell phones….

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