West Seattle business notes: 3 signs of change

If you’ve driven through Fauntleroy/Alaska over the next few days, you have likely noticed another rebranding in progress at the gas station on the east side of the intersection – we’ve received four notes about this so far. Most recently, it’s been a 76 station; before that, a BP. WSB contributor Katie Meyer went over for the photo and a check on what the blue color scheme portends; answer – Arco. She talked with the crew working on the rebranding – including some digging that has to do with infrastructure for the pumps’ payment system – and neither they nor the employees could tell us whether this means an ownership change, or just a rebrand, just that they’re working to get it done as fast as possible. Another national brand spotted not far away:

Thanks to the WSB’ers who wrote with sightings of the Sprint sign in the window of what was briefly a Starbucks on the north side of inner Jefferson Square (and Infinity Espresso before that) – we haven’t rustled up the projected opening date yet (here’s the city project page), but the sign promises “coming soon.” Jefferson Square had a cell-phone store until Cellular World closed after opening a new storefront in Morgan Junction. There’s also a quick update on an in-progress project we wrote about a few months ago:

(WSB photo from last December)
The former pharmacy at California/Brandon – reported here in December as in transition to a “neighborhood restaurant and bar” – has applied for its liquor license, and in the process its new name is now public: Outwest Bar. We checked again with the new tenants, who told WSB they don’t have anything more to say yet about their plans.

ADDED 8:44 PM: Making a periodic check of the commercial-real-estate listings, we note that the OTHER gas station on the west edge of The Triangle, currently a Shell station, is now for sale – just under $2 million.

16 Replies to "West Seattle business notes: 3 signs of change"

  • cj February 16, 2011 (5:37 pm)

    I hope Outwest is more restaurant than bar. We have more than enough places for people to get drunk around here.

    Also whats with telecom companies taking over our coffee houses? lol, I know it was just an available space but still the coincidence is funny and still sad.

    • WSB February 16, 2011 (5:48 pm)

      CJ, good observation, I didn’t think of that – Cellular World to ex-Tully’s, Sprint to ex-Starbucks.

  • miws February 16, 2011 (6:16 pm)

    I don’t recall that particular station ever being a Texaco, however the one on the southwest corner was one.

    .

    But regarding the soon to be Arco, it was a Mobil station at one time, I believe immediately prior to it being a BP. Previous to that, I just don’t recall right now.

    .

    Mike

  • cjboffoli February 16, 2011 (6:18 pm)

    ARCO (Atlantic Richfield Co.) has been a subsidiary of BP for over a decade. Interesting that a lot of ARCO stations across the US that were re-branded with the BP “Helios” logo are going back to ARCO in the wake of last year’s environmental (and PR) disaster for BP.

  • cheers February 16, 2011 (8:36 pm)

    We need a good dive bar with an even better jukebox!!

  • Elevated Concern February 16, 2011 (8:54 pm)

    Hope the transition includes picking up the trash in the former car wash, removing the Cycle University sign that’s never been installed, pressure washing the concrete so you can stand to get out of your car. This used to be a beautifully landscapped well maintained service station. They actually still have the same dead plants in their planters for the past three years. Clean up this place!

  • miws February 16, 2011 (9:20 pm)

    I’d forgotten about the BP/Arco connection.

    .

    Since reading this earlier, I’ve been running gas station/oil companies names through my mind, trying to remember the various changes in the Seattle/Puget Sound area over the years.

    .

    A few years back, Texaco started disappearing, being replaced by Shell, which had been absent from our region for several years, after being replaced by BP, IIRC.

    .

    Mike

  • NotMe February 16, 2011 (9:22 pm)

    And… we need a gun store right next door. Now THAT would start some shiznit! :-)

  • sun*e February 17, 2011 (1:29 am)

    YEA! Now it’ll be much more closer/convenient to take my cell phone/complaints to Sprint! However, I do hate the Jefferson Square NIGHTMARE!

  • Yardvark February 17, 2011 (7:53 am)

    Thanks, cjboffoli, for pointing out that BP owns the ARCO brand. We shouldn’t be allowing this brand to operate anywhere near West Seattle, rather than welcoming a second one.

  • austin February 17, 2011 (8:15 am)

    Jefferson square isn’t that bad as long as you don’t drive there. Good to see an empty storefront filled, even if it is for cell phones. I’d seen some folks in there as if they were taking measurements or something the other day and wondered what was up.

  • dsa February 17, 2011 (11:01 am)

    If BP owns ARCO I won’t buy there either.

  • JunctionMonkey February 17, 2011 (12:01 pm)

    BP bought Amoco, Arco, Castrol.
    Exxon bought Mobil.
    Shell had a joint venture (Motiva) with Texaco that gave it the rights to it gas stations
    Chevron had a joint venture with Texaco that gave it rights to it branded lubricants such as “Havoline”
    Chevron has since bought Texaco and the lube business, but Shell retained the rights to the gasoline business.
    Chevron also bought Getty
    Shell bought Penzoil/Quaker State
    Conoco bought Phillips and Union 76 after spinning off from DuPont.

    I retired from THE Big Nasty Oil Company in 2007.

  • villagegreen February 17, 2011 (4:44 pm)

    I seem to remember someone in the forum commenting a while back that this new bar/restaurant will be a gay bar. The name “Outwest” seems to support that claim – the word “out” being key. I’m not the intended demographic, but that would be awesome if West Seattle finally had an actual gay bar after Guppy’s closed so many years ago.

  • East Coast Cynic February 17, 2011 (9:29 pm)

    Arco gas really blows. I always get lousy mileage on my Honda with their gas. I believe they water it down. I wouldn’t use it regardless of who owned it.

  • tiffany rowland March 6, 2011 (2:46 pm)

    The jefferson square sprint location has opened as of march 1st. Please come in for wonderful customer service. Ask for shawn for a 125 dollar bonus when setting up a new line and porting over your number.

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