BIZNOTE: Here’s what will replace Copper Coin

More than a month after Copper Coin closed, with only a simple note on the door that the 2329 California SW restaurant was “temporarily closed,” we finally have information about what’s happening there next. About a week into the closure, we reached proprietor Aaron Shepherd, who told us he was not ready to comment on what was happening but expected to have something to say soon. That was the last we heard from him. We eventually found a listing indicating Copper Coin had been up for sale for months, and the listing was marked “pending,” indicating a sale in progress. No indication of who would be taking it over – until today, when a liquor-license application revealed the new owners. We reached one of them, Tony Barbano, by phone this afternoon. They’re planning to open a restaurant called West Wings, specializing in, as you’d probably guess, wings. They have a background in the restaurant business, having operated Round Table Pizza in Burien for 15 years. They’re hoping to have West Wings open in July. Copper Coin was in operation for almost 9 1/2 years; two years after it opened, Shepherd and partners opened Coastline in The Junction.

31 Replies to "BIZNOTE: Here's what will replace Copper Coin"

  • ARPigeonPoint April 7, 2022 (8:04 pm)

    I know everyone always says no more pizza, but I wouldn’t hate it if a Round Table opened up here. It’s my favorite and I drive down to the Burien one because we’re out of the delivery area. Welcome to West Seattle, Tony!

  • Josh Lyman April 7, 2022 (8:09 pm)

    Hoping to see a President Bartlet special :)

    • Leo McGarry April 8, 2022 (12:31 am)

      CJ will have the details at the afternoon briefing. 

    • cjboffoli April 8, 2022 (1:56 pm)

      And there will be no seating in the joint. Everyone will have to eat their wings whilst constantly on the move, in one long Steadicam walk and talk.

  • Mike Zen April 7, 2022 (8:20 pm)

    Damn — no more Copper Coin.  So sad.  Best burgers and fries.  It was our go-to place all through the pandemic.  Best to all the employees.  What will become of the photo of the crow? It is iconic. 

    • Betty April 8, 2022 (12:59 pm)

      I hear there will be burgers at West Wings too! 

  • BW April 7, 2022 (9:24 pm)

    Round Table? Is it 1987 again. Love Coastline though!Hopefully the Wings are legit. 

    • Admyrl Byrd April 11, 2022 (9:50 pm)

      Sorry but Roundtable is still one of the legit chains of reliably good pizza.  Best chain, and better than rolling the dice on an unknown local place.

  • Kmas April 7, 2022 (11:13 pm)

    As soon as they changed their menu to a self serve situation I had a feeling that was the beginning of the end. Coastline burgers is exactly that. People want to go to their neighborhood restaurant and actually sit down like an actual restaurant. 

    • aa April 9, 2022 (4:02 pm)

      I think its unfair to criticize how any business has chosen to evolve in order to stay afloat these past two years.  Coastline is such a small space, maybe they felt going self serve was the best way to keep their employees safe by adding more distance between them and the customers.  It’s obvious they don’t have the room to provide a sit-down option.  If thats what you are looking for you need to go elsewhere. No reason to gripe about them not offering what you want. What if we decide to believe everyone is doing their best in a time no one was prepared for.  

      • Admyrl Byrd April 11, 2022 (9:52 pm)

        I don’t think it was the sit down/stand up aspect as much as it lost me when it became burgers only.  I made the decision to buy in WS over a lunch at Copper Coin and was enamored with the fish tacos and other aspects of the menu.  It will be sorely missed, but not just for the burgers.

  • Andrea April 8, 2022 (7:10 am)

    Exciting! Love the idea of a wings place close by!

  • helpermonkey April 8, 2022 (8:47 am)

     A dedicated wings place sounds like a great place to nosh before a movie at the Admiral. I hope they keep the sweet little bar!

  • star 55 April 8, 2022 (9:14 am)

    Yes for Round Table!!

  • NotOnHolden April 8, 2022 (11:31 am)

    I will miss Copper Coin, really enjoyed having dinner there after movies with my kiddo when they still had the larger menu. Actually had a sit down meal there right before COVID I think before or after watching Parasite next door.  Kept ordering takeout during COVID.   I actually used Copper Coin and Coastline as an example of how to use public records for my son.  The buns and fries are the same and I explained that without just using google how we could look up both properties via King County, look at WA SOS, and Seattle business licenses and see they are the same people.  It was fun.

    • Caitlin April 9, 2022 (12:28 pm)

      I love this so much. :)

  • Leya April 8, 2022 (11:37 am)

    Loved working here for 3 years prior to the pandemic. Sad to see it go, best of luck to B, A and G. Excited for the new folx coming in. 

  • Karen April 8, 2022 (5:28 pm)

    This post sounds very critical of the owners for not keeping WSB up to speed on the transition, but to be clear, it is customary not to comment on a business sale until it is fully closed- which takes months.Anyway, thank you Copper Coin for being a fun and family friendly spot for the last 9 years.  Sad to see the restaurant go, but worry this is emblematic of how hard it has become to operate a full service restaurant.

    • WSB April 8, 2022 (5:35 pm)

      Not critical; business owners are under no obligation to talk to us or any other journalist … what we wrote is just stating the facts – we often “show our work,” as the phrase goes. We’ve been getting multiple notes almost daily for weeks asking what happened to the restaurant and I’m frankly embarrassed to have not discovered the listing sooner … I used to routinely read the “business opportunity” listings but fell out of the habit. More often the listings are “blind” but in this case it was clearly put up for sale, by name, months ago – TR

      • SB April 9, 2022 (10:30 am)

        Where does one find the “business opportunities” listings for West Seattle?

        • 4thGenWestSide April 9, 2022 (7:13 pm)

          Engage a real estate broker. 

  • Neighbor April 8, 2022 (7:48 pm)

    First, my family is super disappointed by Copper Coin closing.  It was our favorite restaurant in West Seattle and the one we frequented the most, both before and during the pandemic.  We were one of the ones reaching out to WSB about what was going on, and even called Coastline to find out.  I guess my question to the owner is, considering we were dedicated customers and considered you part of the neighborhood, didn’t we deserve more then a “temporarily closed” sign?  It dragged on so long this isn’t shocking, but why are we hearing about it this way?  Do you like West Seattle, do you like your customers, do you want people who went to Copper Coin to go to Coastline?  I recognize the owner owes us nothing but the great food and service we enjoyed, but this really seems like a bad way to exit.  Feels like being ghosted.  Regardless, we will miss Copper Coin.  😟

    • Auntie April 8, 2022 (8:26 pm)

      Not to belittle your attachment to this establishment, but as a longtime resident of West Seattle (over 40 years) you shouldn’t find this surprising. Some of the places that we loved the most just up and left. It’s just the way it goes. Now you see it, now you don’t. On to the next… it’s an ever-changing scenery and we aren’t going to be able to control any of it. I miss the things I loved, but have to look for new things to love. 

  • Tom April 8, 2022 (9:30 pm)

    I know that many of us had wondered about what was going on.  Thanks for staying after it.  I hope the wing joint has more than just wings. 

  • RayWest April 9, 2022 (5:34 am)

    Sorry to see Copper Coin go. I only ate there a few times, but always a good meal. Not sure another wing place will fly (pun intended). The one in the WS Junction didn’t last that long. It was pretty expensive for what you got and it seems like this is a fad whose time has come and gone. Time will tell. Hopefully they do offer other dining options. Good luck to both the old and new owners.

    • WSB April 9, 2022 (3:41 pm)

      Wingstop in Westwood, though, is in its sixth year.

  • Rara April 9, 2022 (9:18 am)

    Sad to see copper coin go. I did notice before the pandemic, when they took a bunch of stuff off the menu less people went there. I stopped going at that time. They took all my favorite things off the menu. Our family used to go there all the time. Such a bummer. 

    • sam-c April 9, 2022 (11:13 am)

      Same.  Our family used to go there all the time.  I had lots of favorites on the menu, Caesar salad with salmon or chicken, tacos, and our kids liked the kid menu options too, like the pasta, for one.  Their burgers are great, but we go to Coastline for those.  I don’t think we headed back after they took everything off the menu either. Sad to see them go,  I suppose.  The staff were really attentive and friendly too.

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