West Seattle businesses: Ex-Tervo’s to be Corner Store & Deli

EDITOR’S NOTE: Many WSB’ers have asked about the former Tervo’s at 4415 Fauntleroy, which has changed hands a few times recently and been closed a while. Suddenly this week, windows were installed on its south side, and painting was under way. We asked WSB contributor Keri DeTore to check it out; here’s what she discovered.

Update and photo by Keri DeTore for West Seattle Blog

New owners Negash Yassin (pictured) and his brother Daniel have purchased the former Tervo’s site in The Triangle and are adding it to their Corner Store & Deli franchise. This West Seattle location will feature fresh Boar’s Head sandwiches, some fresh produce, and a substantial wine and beer selection. It will still offer some of the typical corner-store products, such as sodas and cigarettes, but in a more “upscale” environment.

Negash says he and his brother studied the neighborhood to determine what it seemed to need, so in addition to the previous offerings, they will offer more coffee options. They will be featuring Ethiopian coffee in their mochas and lattes and providing punch cards for coffee drinks and sandwiches.

As for the renovation, the inside has been completely gutted, with new wall systems being installed and the wood-framed windows presenting a more inviting street front. Says Negash: “We try to look our best; we don’t want it to look like a prison.”

He says “Corner Store & Deli #2” will be open for business within the next two weeks. (#1 is in the Central District, at 1720 S. Jackson.)

Melissa August 30, 2011 (7:57 pm)

Congrats to these guys for bringing new life to this space! I’m excited to see the more inviting storefront and the coffee punch cards :) Can’t wait for the grand opening!!

JVC August 30, 2011 (8:12 pm)

I’ve known the Tervo’s forever so the name change has some mixed emotions!

MJ August 30, 2011 (8:29 pm)

This is good news to me! We live just up the street and I won’t miss Tervos one bit. The place is looking great and we will definitely stop in once they are open.

out for a walk August 30, 2011 (8:34 pm)

Welcome to the neighborhood!

Foy boy August 30, 2011 (8:53 pm)

This is great. Always nice to see someone living the dream. Good luck guys.

Brenda August 30, 2011 (8:58 pm)

Negash, can you carry some injera for West Seattle? Please:)

aes August 30, 2011 (9:46 pm)

We’re just down the street, can’t wait for the store to open!

celeste17 August 30, 2011 (9:56 pm)

JVC, I agree. I can remember walking down the street to go there. I knew Mr and mrs Tervo since I was a child. I remember one of their sons (not by name). :)

thee August 30, 2011 (10:13 pm)

no baggies, no pipes, no screens, no bongs, no whippets. ok? OK! welcome to 36th Ave SW.

thee

Diane August 30, 2011 (10:37 pm)

wow, looks much improved; love the new windows
~
sorry to say, didn’t know it was named after a family
~
11 yrs in West Seattle, never even been in there

Bonnie August 31, 2011 (12:32 am)

Love the new look. I will have to stop by after my Jones BBQ fix next door. Thank you for letting us know they will be using Boar’s Head meats (great product) in their sandwiches. I’m sold!

bridge to somwhere August 31, 2011 (8:22 am)

This is great! Just look at what that place used to be like: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=4415+Fauntleroy,+seattle,+wa&ll=47.564358,-122.377396&spn=0.000007,0.009602&sll=47.564251,-122.377904&sspn=0.006295,0.006295&layer=c&cbp=13,338.01,,0,16.15&cbll=47.564299,-122.377478&gl=us&z=17&vpsrc=0&panoid=PWFDVJLbMUzw7lkMUxT5wQ

It should be illegal for businesses to put more than one of those stupid banners (Budweiser! Corona!) on the side of their building. I can think of a couple of trashy gas stations in West Seattle that do a similar thing–and they are a major blight on the neighborhood.

WSB August 31, 2011 (10:08 am)

Bridge, those banners were so … I can’t quite find the right word … that when I saw the window installation before assigning Keri to the story, I thought I remembered that side of the store as having NO windows (instead of, windows almost completely obscured by banners, grating, etc.) … good find on the G-Map, nice enhancement to the story! – TR

WS August 31, 2011 (8:46 am)

Can you buy the store on 35th & Webster?! Please! We want a NICE corner store like yours in our ‘hood. Congrats & best of luck…

Sharonn August 31, 2011 (8:51 am)

Congratulations and welcome to our Triangle neighborhood!

bridge to somwhere August 31, 2011 (11:34 am)

@WSB: yes, it’s hard to find the right word for those banners. I’ve often thought those banners do a fine job of 1) signaling to those with good taste “we don’t want your business”; while 2) signaling to loiterers and thugs, “please hang out here in front of our store all day”; while 3) telling the neighborhood the business is in, “we don’t live here so we don’t really care if we make your neighborhood look trashy.”

WSB August 31, 2011 (11:45 am)

“Eyesore” came to mind, when I tweeted about your comment. Not that I would bash advertising, as a person whose business is solely supported by ad revenue, but we have tried like hell for four years to have our advertising NOT be an eyesore (unlike some news websites that even throw advertising at you to block a story before you can read it, and other forms of invasiveness). Anyway, stand by for other local business notes this afternoon, unless breaking news intervenes, we’ve collected several of them for a roundup … TR

Jehu August 31, 2011 (12:27 pm)

So glad to see someone is fixing up that eyesore, especially since it is one of the first things you see coming off of the bridge into West Seattle. Best of luck, Negesh and Daniel!

Now what will it take to convince the owners of the hideous nearby teriyaki shop to do the same? You know the one that advertises the best “teriya” in town. Seriously, how long has that sign been like that?

Foy boy August 31, 2011 (12:58 pm)

Talk about an eye sore. Right as you come into WS we get to look at the Alki crapie lumber racks.

WSNative dimbulb September 1, 2011 (10:42 am)

Tervo’s…Wow that brings back memories! I remember the original Tervo’s in the junction back in the 60’s. He moved to Fauntleroy in the early 70’s. Mr. Tervo was quite a character. He was a large man, who looked like Colonel Sanders with black hair. Very quick witted, & never without a cigar stub in the corner of his mouth. Mr. Tervo became a Seattle legend when, unarmed himself, he calmly stared down an armed robber, & told the man if he didn’t leave immediately, he was going to jump over the counter & implant the gun where the sun doesn’t shine. The robber ran off. No one messed with Mr. Tervo!