EVICTED: West Seattle Junction’s Vine & Spoon restaurant, Alchemy bar

That’s one of the eviction notices dated/timestamped 2 pm today, now up at both Vine & Spoon (4706 California SW) and Alchemy (4717 42nd SW) in The Junction. Court records show Equity Residential, which owns the two-building Junction 47 complex housing both, sought court action to evict the same-ownership venues because of tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid rent.

Vine & Spoon already had been closed for more than a week, first posting a notice that it would reopen at the end of next week, then replacing that with a notice that it would reopen December 26th. We spoke briefly at the end of last week with an ownership representative who said they had a new investor who would assist them in reopening, and they promised to call us back to talk more about their plans. That call never came. Then, this afternoon’s action.

Court records show the eviction dates back to an “unlawful detainer” filing by Equity in late October, saying they had first served an order to pay back rent or vacate in July, at which time the documents say two months of the $15,000/month rent was owed; that had grown to $105,000 by the end of October, the filings said. Two weeks ago, the court reissued a “writ of restitution,” noting that the sheriff – which enforces eviction orders – could break and enter if necessary. The separate case involving Alchemy has a similar timeline of documents and actions, with a filing in late October alleging that three months of its $5300/month rent was due by July, and that $89,000 was owed by the end of October.

Vine & Spoon had opened just six months ago, a year and a half after the same ownership opened Alchemy.

117 Replies to "EVICTED: West Seattle Junction's Vine & Spoon restaurant, Alchemy bar"

  • Question Authority December 19, 2018 (5:18 pm)

    With rent like that it would be hard to stay afloat, unfortunately it will happen again and again in West Seattle as it’s being saturated with dining choices thereby lessening return customers when they can go elsewhere.

    • Just saying December 19, 2018 (9:08 pm)

      Nobody went to Vine & Spoon. The rent could have been $1,500/mo and they still would have defaulted. 

  • Michael Waldo December 19, 2018 (5:33 pm)

    I guess I am partly to blame. I kept meaning to go but never did. So they never got my money.

    • Sue December 21, 2018 (7:16 pm)

      Too funny!

  • Dawson December 19, 2018 (5:39 pm)

    Ouch for the employees this time of year. Sadly not surprising given the concept and price point match up. Neither place executed very well. 

  • AT December 19, 2018 (6:01 pm)

    So they opened in June but were already 2 months past due in July?  Basically Vine & Spoon never paid rent?

  • Gardenmakers December 19, 2018 (6:38 pm)

    The second I laid eyes on those tacky fake vines stuck to the wall and the fake ficus trees I knew they were doomed.  

    • Lori December 20, 2018 (4:12 pm)

      Oh, snap! Your comment is so great….cracking me up!!

    • Lauren December 22, 2018 (9:05 am)

      What about those nightmare-inducing illuminated planters? 

  • EdA December 19, 2018 (6:53 pm)

    No surprise with vine and spoon, over-priced food that just wasn’t very good.  You just needed to go once to know no reason to return.As for Alchemy, who makes a bar where there is zero seating except at the bar where you can actually sit and talk?  All the chairs were 10 feet apart with big tables between them.Looking forward to what moves in as the rent for that size and area is reasonable.    

    • Huh 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️ December 19, 2018 (9:04 pm)

      $15k per month per space is reasonable?!!! What planet are you from. These guys were dinner only… 

      • Swede. December 19, 2018 (10:44 pm)

        The rent for the ‘Alchemy’ space was ‘only $5300/month. The restaurant space was $15k. Which is about the same as ‘Great American Diner’ pays btw…

        • Dawsonct December 23, 2018 (8:37 pm)

          I don’t believe the Alchemy space has a kitchen, if I remember right from when they opened

  • RS December 19, 2018 (7:00 pm)

    Although I never went to Vine and Spoon, I had been frequenting Alchemy recently while my son was at School of Rock. I thought the cocktails were brilliant, and the service was great! I appreciate any business that takes a chance by trying to do something different here in our little village, and I really feel for the employees who find themselves out of work when they aren’t able to make a go of it.

    • AM December 20, 2018 (7:46 am)

      Not in the junction, so may not be convenient for you, but if you’re looking for another good cocktail place, the Nook in the Admiral junction is amazing! 

  • Nwmama December 19, 2018 (7:44 pm)

    Why hasn’t the dog/coffee shop by Capers opened yet?  It’s been at least a couple years since they’ve been occupying that space with their sign (and the deli before them was great!) We could use some more fun local places to shop and spend money at. 

    • Dawsonct December 23, 2018 (8:43 pm)

      Yeah, this one mystifies me.And the butcher shop/deli (Terra something) had it’s moment and a real chance, but they messed up somewhere. Quality meat at fair prices, and initially a decently stocked deli with a fair amount of in-house product.The last few times I’ve gotten anything to eat at the Swinery (pardon the digression) it’s been rather mediocre, at best. 

  • WS Guy December 19, 2018 (8:23 pm)

    Loved Alchemy.  That’s a bummer.

  • wsn00b December 19, 2018 (8:49 pm)

    WSEA needs more wealthy people in more local high rise apartments to hang out these places to sustain them. Oh well; maybe we’ll get two new pizza places instead.

  • JK December 19, 2018 (9:11 pm)

    While I wish it had been successful given the need for more interesting higher end dining here in West Seattle, this place was doomed from the start.  They  spent more time and effort on their Facebook posts prior to the opening than they did on business planning, menu development, staff, or training.It will probably be replaced by yet another pizza joint….  sigh.

  • Quora December 19, 2018 (9:40 pm)

    Y’all hear that? That’s the sound of bubbles bursting all over the place. Hold on to your hats and I hope nobody purchased real estate in the last 12-18 months…

    • Azimuth December 20, 2018 (9:08 am)

      I don’t think I agree with the bubble burst (but yes some who bought in the last year or 2 won’t see fabulous returns if that was their goal), though a small droop to reality and then leveling off is probably more realistic. There is tons of wealth in Seattle as a whole to sustain the city and county economy, I just think we are looking at some combination of over-extending (ala A Terrible Beauty), poor planning (if they have been eating rent since their “coming soon” signs went up they must have paid tens or hundreds of thousands before the first customer walked in), and the local market (the Junction et al) probably not ready to keep a place that positioned itself as high-end/non-family running with lots of much cheaper and almost as good competition around. All of that is a wicked hill to climb. I went there once with friends and it was fine but they clearly had service and kitchen issues and left us the impression that “I’ll get back there in a few months when they get their act together” which clearly never came, and now never will.

    • Peter December 20, 2018 (9:55 am)

      Gimme a break. One restaurant failing due to their own faults is in no way at all an indication of “bubbles bursting.” 

    • Markymark December 22, 2018 (11:43 am)

      Commercial real estate is always up and down but as far as restaurants and bars go they usually stay or fail within the five year timeline . Non commercial housing or multifamily housing will always be fine here some hiccups but always rebounds or goes up. I think someone who runs up 75,000 in unpaid rents for a restaurant is either pocketing the money somehow or doesn’t know what they are doing or in this case expanding too fast with multiple locations .

  • roddy December 19, 2018 (9:42 pm)

    Only went to Alchemy once. Turned off by the pretentious servers and the overpriced cocktails, which only made me say “so what”? Who needs $15 smoky cocktails anyway? I only needed one look at the Vine & Spoon menu to say no thanks. WS ain’t Capitol Hill….yet, but it’s sure trying.

  • J47 Resident December 19, 2018 (9:48 pm)

    Very interesting. I live in Junction 47, the apartment building above Vine & Spoon, and it seemed they rarely had more than a few people dining at any time recently, although they’ve been closed more than open the past couple months. My water and sewer utility bill nearly doubled right after V&S opened, so makes me wonder if they weren’t paying their utilities either and the apartment management was passing that on to their tenants instead. They said we aren’t billed for commercial space utilities, but when I asked about the cause of the utility increase, I never got answers other than “the rates have gone up” (no they haven’t) and “we’re only recouping what the building was billed for utilities. ” Hmm.

    • pam December 20, 2018 (4:08 pm)

      J47- If you really suspect that could be true, is that legal? Sounds terrible for you and other tenants! Yikes! 

    • ttt December 20, 2018 (6:24 pm)

      That sounds like it could be worth talking to your neighbors about and organizing a group enquiry. Especialy since hosuing demand is slowing down.

    • Also J47 Residents December 20, 2018 (9:01 pm)

      J47 – I too live in the building and asked about unusual water/sewer rate increases. I didn’t get much of a response from property management or the billing company. Have you talked to others in the building about this?

    • chemist December 20, 2018 (10:08 pm)

      third party utility billing laws in Seattle allow you to request a copy of the original bill and be given the methodology used to calculate your bill.  Sadly, there’s no great summary documents from the city so I’d recommend reading the ordinance.any landlord employing billing practices shall post in a conspicuous public
      space in the interior of the building copies of the three most current utility
      bills for master metered or other unmetered utility services provided to the
      building as a whole that are included in the bill sent to the tenant, together
      with a written description of the methodology used to allocate each such
      utility service and a copy of this chapter.

      • J47 Resident December 21, 2018 (7:13 am)

        I did request building utility bills. Took a while, but finally got bills from the past two years. Unfortunately, they’re not terribly useful since they only show total gallons and cost, but I don’t know how many gallons are from resident use vs commercial or how many ways it gets split. Management isn’t interested in providing me any more information to that end (even people in Equity Residential’s regional office downtown refuse to help me), so I’m filing a complaint with the city. That was the recommendation from the Seattle Tenants Union when I spoke to them. No idea if that will actually accomplish anything, but worth a shot. Haven’t talked to many other residents, but I’m sure I’m not the only one wondering how a rate hike that steep could be justified. I brought up V&S as potentially the cause months ago and was told it was just increased resident water usage, but that doesn’t pan out since we’re submetered and pay for our own use. We’d have to be running water constantly in all of the common areas to double our bills.

        • chemist December 21, 2018 (4:03 pm)

          Keep at em.  Most landlords aren’t posting bills and I think you’d have a clear argument that they need to provide you with enough information to calculate your total (your use/total use x total bill, or some variation).  My experience with third party utility billing was similar to yours, insufficient information to calculate the bill and a somewhat random spikes that weren’t very clear.I also really didn’t like how bi-monthly utility bills were being converted to monthly and essentially resulting in double the service charge, but I can understand how it would be a lot easier for the landlord.

    • Sue December 21, 2018 (7:23 pm)

      Check out the Tenants Union of Washington State. They may be able to help.

    • Markymark December 22, 2018 (11:49 am)

      If the water sewer cannot be separated the building owner has to pay it or include the average costs into the rents they charge as an inclusive if without individual water meters they are raising your rent or trying to charge you extra contact the seattle tenant association because that’s not legal to do if you have a lease 

  • Thomas Haley December 19, 2018 (10:21 pm)

    My guess is little or no market research was done. It was proven without a doubt that what they conceived was a loser. Don’t let it ever happen to you. 

  • Sheila G December 19, 2018 (10:28 pm)

    Went to Alchemy several times and had fun  there, drinking  well-priced Happy Hour cocktails. Limited selection of appetizers, somewhat small portions, but definitely creative. And tasty. We ate at Vine and Spoon once and, while we liked our meal, we decided we would not go back because there really wasn’t anything else on the menu that we wanted to try. It was definitely pricey food and we wondered if V&S would be able to stay in business very long. So…we’ll miss Alchemy but not the full-service restaurant.

  • rpo December 19, 2018 (10:31 pm)

    I walked by Vine and Spoon on Thursday evening and noticed the lights off but a couple people seated at tables on laptops and had a feeling that they were doomed. Alchemy, on the other hand, was seemingly full of patrons on the same evening. 

  • Jim December 19, 2018 (10:49 pm)

    Wine & soup? Wine & pudding? Wine & gravy?Regardless, it’s a sad day when the ampersands of 2011 Portland migrate to West Seattle. Ampersands: the new mullet.”Quoting myself from the 6/1 post. It takes more than tired  hipster retreads to run a good food and beverage spot, esp. in high rent locations.

    • Mr J December 20, 2018 (9:39 am)

      And apparently comments in the WSB. Keep it classy Jim. 

    • Alex December 20, 2018 (5:31 pm)

      Jim, so true & funny. It’s unfortunate to see a business (or two) fail, but still, I had  no interest in either business. The rent for V&S is outrageously high, but that’s what the market allows, and V&S knew the price they had to pay. 

    • Elle Nell December 21, 2018 (6:45 am)

      Hahahaha Jim!! Ain’t that the truth

  • SW December 19, 2018 (11:16 pm)

    Alchemy was about 20 years too late for menu and decor. It was like drinking in an Anthropologie store in the late 90’s. After going there once I was sad to find out Vine & Spoon would be the same masterminds. I have the same question about The Hydrant! When will it open? How can they keep paying rent after so many years of nothing going on?

    • Alex December 20, 2018 (10:14 am)

      That’s a good point regarding the hydrant paying rent this whole time as well. There’s no possible way they had MULTIPLE years’ worth of rent cash stored up, so I’m guessing they are on the verge of eviction as well.  If I had to guess, the main thing preventing people in this situation from admitting defeat is the sunk cost fallacy, the irrational belief that since they’ve spent so much already, they can’t afford to walk away.

      • WSB December 20, 2018 (10:44 am)

        No, they are not. The people who’ve been working on that for a few years, as reported in our last check-in in May, are affiliated with Next to Nature next door, and continuing to make progress.

        • Dawsonct December 23, 2018 (8:51 pm)

          That is some pretty darned glacial “progress.”

    • ttt December 20, 2018 (6:28 pm)

      Oh my, you are so right about the 90’s decor. that made me laugh! The drinks were tasty, but the decor was bad.

  • Bob F Forrest December 20, 2018 (3:34 am)

    “Eat & Pay & Get Out”

  • square eyes December 20, 2018 (6:53 am)

    Alchemy should have been able to make rent, they were packed every time we attempted to go and were turned away.  We did eat at Vine & Spoon a few times, it had issues and is/was no replacement for our dearly departed Blackboard Bistro and Bistro Maree.

    • ImNotSparticus December 20, 2018 (12:59 pm)

      Oh, you made me sad by reminding me about Blackboard Bistro. Now there was a fantastic restaurant. 

  • West Hipster Hipster December 20, 2018 (7:16 am)

    With the impending crash of the Trump economy,  expect to see more of our favorite little restaurants closing their doors.

    • Against Socialism December 20, 2018 (9:44 am)

      Only a person that calls himself a hipster would come up with that fantasy statement. Could you give a real economic analysis of what you see as an impending crash? You must hate economic prosperity, which is what we are experiencing. Just because a restaurant with a poor business plan can’t make it, doesn’t mean it’s about Trump. Oh yeah, everything’s about Trump. 

      • SUDS December 21, 2018 (3:26 pm)

        The markets this December beg to differ.

    • Rick December 20, 2018 (1:49 pm)

      Gotta admit, the anti-Trump comment took a bit longer than usual. My little sister stubbed her toe. President Trump’s fault

      • Elle Nell December 21, 2018 (6:54 am)

        Lol how ignorant… what ever your beliefs —- these are facts. Wake up before you lose it all, including your mind! And btw, you are in liberal Seattle… and that my friend, will not change. Happy Holidays!! *true passive aggressive here 😊

  • Taxed Out? December 20, 2018 (8:03 am)

    The business model may have been flawed;  but who will ever be successful in that space?  The city and voters will now see what even a tiny slow down in our economy will really mean to small business.  $15/hour sounds great but not when you don’t have a job to go to.  My family drastically cut our eating out budget when we received the last quarterly property tax bill and renter’s are in for an even bigger shock in the coming months (higher taxes do lead to higher rents folks).   I’ll donate money to keep free parking in the Junction, but probably won’t be eating there anytime soon. 

    • Peter December 20, 2018 (9:57 am)

      Why shouldn’t workers get decent pay? Why should businesses be allowed to exploit people by paying starvation wages? I guess it doesn’t matter how underpaid workers are as long as the rest of us can eat out more, amiright?

    • SUDS December 21, 2018 (3:31 pm)

      I can say this for a fact: people have been complaining about the Junction rents since the 1970’s, back when it was The Country Kitchen health food store and Turnabout Records. What’s not changed is the same story: the rents there are high. With the exception of the mid-1980’s when there was a significant worry about the long term health of the area, it’s been surprisingly fully rented, even through quite a few economic downturns. And rents have continued upwards. If it reaches a point when the owners are faced with a market that requires an adjustment, it’ll happen. Or it’ll be empty. One way or another, it will shake out. Or rent will continue to go up. Why is that so difficult to understand?

  • Oldster December 20, 2018 (8:15 am)

    For those complaining about the rent’s. What did you expect???. You called us NIMBY’s for complaining about tearing down the “old” junction in favor of “new, modern” building’s. You didn’t think higher rent’s would follow??? Is this “progress” to have a parade of shop’s try to make it??

    • JVP December 20, 2018 (9:26 am)

      Rents are much more dependent on location that they are the age of the building. 

  • ImNotSparticus December 20, 2018 (8:16 am)

    Not really surprised that Vine & Spoon closed. The service was mediocre at best, the two times we visited. And yes, the food was not at all worth the high prices. I did enjoy Alchemy but only for the rare visit; the food there was good but it’s not the kind of place you just stop in for dinner. I hope something more consumer-friendly ends up in those spots.

  • LAintheJunction December 20, 2018 (8:25 am)

    I’m sorry for the employees who lost their jobs but I can’t say that this surprises me. Three of us went to Alchemy planning to make an evening of it, but after over $50 + tax/tip for one round of TINY drinks that were two watery swallows in a glass of ice cubes and incredibly dismissive service, we left and spent our money elsewhere. I like craft cocktails as much or more than the next person and am willing to pay for quality (and just did in an amazing bar in another city), but the who vibe of the place was a super pretentious to the point of being unwelcoming. Because honestly, paying that much for so little seemed like it was the cost of the drinks that was supposed to be the draw. Almost as if it was a status symbol to drink there because it just wasn’t worth it to the average person. Needless to say, we never went back and decided to forego V&S when we heard that it was more of the same.

  • CHANDRA N ARELLANO December 20, 2018 (9:14 am)

    good both overpriced for mediocre food….i agree rent crazy but lets get some good stuff in ws 

  • Question Authority December 20, 2018 (9:17 am)

    All the more reason the Pogie is still in business and has been for many many years, it’s not pretentious or trying to oversell itself for the flash in the pan hipster market.

  • flimflam December 20, 2018 (9:46 am)

    15K in rent is nuts…that would be difficult to pull off.

    • vanessa December 20, 2018 (12:13 pm)

      Flimflam, I’m with you. WHO in the world can gamble on a new establishment and expect to afford such outrageous rent?

  • Peter December 20, 2018 (9:51 am)

    Alchemy was meh at best,  overpriced, and seriously, only canned beer? No thanks. Never went to Vine and Spoon because the limited and uninteresting menu, there was just no appeal.

    • Q December 20, 2018 (2:56 pm)

      Not specifically defending a failed cocktail bar, but turning your nose up at canned beer is a bit of a dated response. A lot has happened with craft beer in the last ten years and some of the best local and seasonal brews are in cans, and for an establishment that wants variety or to not have to maintain a tap system cans are a good option.

    • Michael December 20, 2018 (4:42 pm)

      Who goes to a cocktail bar for beer?Do you order Bud Light at Elliott Bay Brewery?

  • Walter December 20, 2018 (10:33 am)

    Went to Vine and Spoon once.  Waited 3 1/2 hours for our food and then left.  That is why they failed.  West Seattle is excited for new and interesting places of all caliber, they just have to be good.  That being said, it is sad when any business fails.  You just have to do it right!

    • Marlo Thomas December 21, 2018 (11:50 am)

      &walter- if you waited 3.5 hours for your food, you are either wildly exaggerating (common while critiquing restaurants), or, you’ve failed yourself. 

  • Um, No! December 20, 2018 (10:38 am)

    Over priced drinks and lackluster food with what I considered to be poor and a little “stuck up” service at each location doesn’t translate into a place being around very long.   Other places are paying the “higher” rents and seem to be doing fine.   Good food/drinks,  good atmosphere, and good service will typically lead to success.   Places like Matador do these things well and it’s busy every night.  

    • ThatOneGuyWhoWalkedPastYouThatYouDontRemember December 21, 2018 (8:14 am)

      Your comment is agreeable in most respects, but there is one thing that wasn not thought of. Most of the restaurants paying the ‘ “higher” rents’ you speak of, have been opened and established since before (and some LONG before, like the matador to bring up the one you mentioned) the “renovation” of the junction. Rents were much lower and times were just simply better for opening a new business. Rent being what it is now is s—ty but manageable for a business that has already become established enough to generate the revenue needed to keep its doors open before rent raised. And it has definitely raised. Significantly. Especially in that area. But still, it was for sure not what it could have become. The original chefs were not good. And they did not in any way understand the demographic of the area. And the kitchen staff was not trained or knowledgable enough to do what was needed for whatever the hell it was those chefs wanted them to do. The servers were alright. Well. A couple of them Haha. The others, not so much. Didn’t seem to know the menu or the food at all. But if you had ever eaten at Altura a couple years ago you would realize it was exactly the tasting menu in a larger plate. So unoriginal. The new chefs seemed to know what was needed and had wonderful plans and ideas. But by the time they had taken over it was already a sinking ship with almost literally no chance of fixing. And they had literally no staff in the last week of being actually opened besides the two chefs and a bartender. I cannot imagine the feeling of loss they have. Especially going in without knowledge of the unpaid rent. Not to mention it’s less than a week from Christmas and all the work they had put in to attempt to save a dying business was all for nothing. That has got to hurt. 

  • HS December 20, 2018 (10:53 am)

    Geez. Some harsh critics here. Sometimes businesses just don’t work – upfront costs too high, permitting and/or unexpected repairs delay offerings, illness, investor pull out, rental disputes, etc. Stuff happens. You don’t always succeed when you try and I imagine it’s doubly hard when you’re responsible for employees. West Seattle is open for and welcoming to business. 

    • Logan December 20, 2018 (3:18 pm)

      One of their major issues was not being responsible for employees. People kept quitting because more often than not the paychecks would bounce. The owner only cared about one person and one person only – themselves. 

    • Dawsonct December 23, 2018 (9:00 pm)

      Yep, and sometimes you have a great concept but bring in the wrong person to run the kitchen, like Ama Ama.

  • Chris December 20, 2018 (10:59 am)

    The moment we looked at the menu was the moment we said, “Well, cross this place off our list”. Ridiculously priced, bad consumer research, renting a place that was ‘way too big, and from what we’ve heard and read elsewhere (Yelp) really spotty service. With better staff training this concept might have worked in downtown Bellevue, but not in a family neighborhood like West Seattle. Sorry for the employees and the owners, too.

  • chris December 20, 2018 (1:14 pm)

    p.s. — we agree with a previous post on this page — if you want great cocktails, great service, and much easier parking, try The Nook in north Admiral.

  • Jenny December 20, 2018 (1:18 pm)

    I’ll miss Alchemy. I was planning to try the restaurant but thought I’d wait till they worked the early kinks out. Hope the staff at Alchemy find new jobs nearby, they were all great. 

  • Logan December 20, 2018 (3:16 pm)

    Hardly surprising. Any employee will tell you how often the paychecks bounced. One of the reasons the customer service was so terrible was because they couldn’t hold onto people who actually knew what they were doing. Overpriced food and under paid (or never paid) workers are not a successful combination. 

  • Mama Suze December 20, 2018 (3:39 pm)

    When I saw a guy who had been working at CHIPOTLE in the Vine kitchen…… I was pretty sure they were done….

    • CMT December 22, 2018 (10:49 am)

      That seems unnecessarily snobby.  People take a job for a variety of reasons.  Maybe chipotle guy was between better Jon’s or working his way up …

  • Anthony December 20, 2018 (3:57 pm)

    I checked out the menu in June.  $75 ribeye?  $150 tomahawk ribeye?  This must be awesome.  I told myself I’d try the $75 ribeye just once.  A few months later that was gone (along with the tomahawk) and replaced with a $32 8oz ribeye.  Oh well, I’ll try that.Went there about a week and a half ago and the place was poof.  :(  I’d walk by it going from the bus stop to home almost every day and there were hardly any customers in there.  Maybe two tables had people and the rest of the place was empty.  Sad.  Wish I would’ve gotten a chance to try it.

    • Dawsonct December 23, 2018 (9:08 pm)

      I bet the NEVER sold enough of those two cuts to keep an edible stock. Sell something like that in a high end steak house, or a destination restaurant in a hotel. Those big pieces simply weren’t suited for the menu they were trying to pull off.

  • Beth December 20, 2018 (4:02 pm)

    Tracy – can you post a link to the court filing?  I just bought a gift card at Alchemy and I’m contesting the charge on my credit card – the bank is asking for proof of the closure.  Thanks.

    • WSB December 20, 2018 (4:13 pm)

      Court documents are not linkable. You have to pay to download them. (King County Superior Court electronic court records online. Something like 25 cents a page … we’ve spent thousands over the years. Case # for Alchemy eviction is 18-2-27297-1.) News coverage of the closure isn’t proof enough?

      • Beth December 21, 2018 (8:10 am)

        Thanks Tracy!  The bank wasn’t specific about what they wanted as proof – they are sending me a letter with more information.  I told them I had pictures of the eviction notice but the rep wasn’t sure if that was enough.  Thanks for the case #.

  • morgan December 20, 2018 (4:49 pm)

    Alchemy is not being evicted, Vine and Spoon is.

    • MeLOL December 21, 2018 (8:31 am)

      Incorrect! They were both evicted on the same day. Witnessed lock change along with the existing of the quite upset staff of both places

  • morgan December 20, 2018 (4:50 pm)

    oh snap, my bad, THEY BOTH CLOSED!!! WOW

  • Cynical girl December 20, 2018 (5:24 pm)

    After reading about how customers were treated at AM/PM, 24 hr fitness and Vine and Spoon, I’m glad I only patronize West City Sardine Kitchen and Realfine coffee. They both demonstrate what customer service should be.

  • Crystal December 20, 2018 (6:05 pm)

    So sad, our team got all of the coaches a gift certificate there back in the middle of November.  Feel bad that the parents money will now go to waste.  :(

  • C December 20, 2018 (7:59 pm)

    I LOVED Alchemy! I don’t get people issue with the decor, I thought it was really nice. And the cocktails we’re amazing. Happy hour was very affordable and they had ladies night, locals night and date night! The place freaking won awards. I can’t understand why the owners felt such a need to spread out into so many areas when they had their one moneymaker in Alchemy. Such a crappy thing for the employees to have happen to them and I hope they find an even better workplace quickly. Wherever the main bartender ends up I’m definitely finding my way there. That guy can make some potions 🍸

  • Rockhills December 20, 2018 (8:59 pm)

    I liked Alchemy for happy hour.  I’m not sure I ever saw anyone in V&S.

  • Junction Lady December 21, 2018 (7:45 am)

    The chef at Blackboard was amazing!  Vine & Spoon had a bad vibe and I never even opened their door…

  • Villagegreen December 21, 2018 (8:27 am)

    Good lord. Can someone please bribe a decent chef into opening a nice place in West Seattle? Someone who knows what they’re doing at least. 133,000 people on this rock and we only have two higher end chef driven options – Ma’ono and Raccalto. Yes, there are many other good restaurants, but when I want something interesting and a bit higher end I usually find myself traveling to another neighborhood. Hell, even Beacon Hill is getting better places. And no, I’m not anything approaching wealthy. I just like the occasional really nice meal. If another pizza or Mexican joint opens in this spot I may lose it. 

    • Mooks December 21, 2018 (10:14 am)

      Oh I’m with you 100%!  So far our only other hope is going to be Il Nido which is going into the Alki Homestead. if you’ve been to Il Corvo at the Smith Tower, you’re going to be stoked for this.  I’m so jealous of Beacon Hill getting Homer. Check it out sometime!

    • flimflam December 21, 2018 (2:57 pm)

      well, if the rent is $15,000 that might explain some of it…

  • KAM December 21, 2018 (12:59 pm)

    I always love the restaurant closing/opening comments on WSB. However, no Shahs of Sunset fans on here? One of the owners of Vine and Spoon and Alchemy and By the Pound (and Aston Manor in SODO) is Shervin. I can’t be the only one on here who likes “terrible” tv.

    • Pigeon Point December 21, 2018 (9:56 pm)

      Shervin is one of the owners?? I am a “terrible” tv fan too :) I didn’t realize he had business ties in Seattle!

      • KAM December 22, 2018 (6:51 am)

        Yay! There are 2 of us!

        • TH January 3, 2019 (3:33 pm)

          He is?!

  • Misti December 21, 2018 (5:25 pm)

    I’m sorry for the employees, and sorry to see Alchemy go. I went several times, it was a fun place and very reasonable happy hour.

  • jim December 22, 2018 (1:05 am)

    Went to both Alchemy and Vine and Spoon shortly after they opened. Not sorry to see them go, and not surprised. They seemed to have not done research into the demographic here at the Junction, not to mention that the interiors looked like they were designed by someone’s amateur friend/spouse/lover or child in interior design school. Service was sketchy from the get go and both places played loud horrible music (Note to restaurant managers, including Raccolto, loud music does not make your place cool. It makes it someplace where it is impossible to have a conversation. Better restaurants in New York, Paris and other cities in Europe NEVER play loud music, or music for that matter.) I live at the Junction and the demographic here in the new buildings, at this point, is predominantly young, single men who buy take out food and don’t appear to date, and newly retired couples escaping suburbia. Neither group wants to unload lots of cash for a restaurant meal or linger in a cocktail lounge. It’s different in the Admiral area. I was sad to see Fresh Bistro close, but their customer base seemed irregular. I feel lucky that the Junction has several good restaurants, and I do hope that a new upscale restaurant that knows what it is doing can manage to make a go of it in the large retail spaces in these new buildings. (Whoever is designing them needs to realize that the spaces are too large. Not to mention the lack of parking in the Junction area. Providing inadequate parking doesn’t encourage people to  take the bus, it encourages them to stay home.)

    • Dawsonct December 23, 2018 (9:18 pm)

      Holy cow, there is PLENTY of FREE parking in the junction. What you are looking for is a strip-mall restaurant. Good luck finding upscale in that environment.Park a half a block away. Or if you’re too precious to sully your soles on pavement, hire an Uber.

  • ws_suzanne December 22, 2018 (6:00 am)

    Would love to see The Phoenecia move into either of these locations. 

    • Dawsonct December 23, 2018 (9:20 pm)

      No kidding!Hello, Nadia? Are you ready to get back to work yet? Sure, you haven’t closed on Alki QUITE yet, but…

  • Admiral Girl December 26, 2018 (5:46 pm)

    Are they going to be selling off/auctioning the the interior items? Don’t much care about Vine&Spoon but Alchemy was special. If be willing to pay for a memento or two.

  • GeneseeMillennial December 30, 2018 (7:35 pm)

    I was excited to have something new and even somewhat sexy that is conducive for a younger demographic in W.S. Something that is for adults-only and doesn’t just cater to all the nights that you have kids in tow. We ducked into Alchemy at the end of date nights and random HH’s with girlfriends- cocktails were delicious (the one with charcoal and mint… I forget the name), service was a bit slow at times, but it had atmosphere and a little vibe. It’s a shame that it closed, and really upsetting that people crap all over anything new and different in this area that doesn’t just resemble another Tom Douglas or Ethan Stowell concept. You have to give these folks a bit of credit for seeing a need and trying (even though it does seem that they totally missed the mark with V&S). It’s nice to have options… you need somewhere outside of Matador to take all your Tinder dates! ;) We also tried Vine and Spoon- I have to agree with the sentiments about the decor/atmosphere, and the food and service were just okay but way overpriced. I’m just hoping that other businesses that aren’t totally casual/family-style only still prospect WS as a potential home in the future. WS is wonderful, but tbh, also a total snooze-fest when it comes to nights out and anything beyond casual dining. 

  • TH January 3, 2019 (3:30 pm)

    Can we finally get a salad bar type place?  Like Evergreens or Chopt? 

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