Two weeks ago, we reported that a restaurant/bar called Lady Jaye would be taking over the West Seattle Junction space that’s been home to Pecado Bueno for six years. Tonight, we have word of PB’s closing date. The company’s marketing director Tim Larson tells WSB that this Sunday, June 30th, will be the final day of operation at 4523 California SW. He adds, “No news yet on a new location. All our team there will be transferring to other locations.”

The sign on the door confirms it: West City Sardine Kitchen at 3405 California SW is closing after tomorrow (Thursday) night. Its building has been sold; it’s been on the market (as a blind listing) for more than a month and a half. We haven’t been able to contact the restaurant/building owners; the two employees working when we stopped by a short time ago said the staff got the news of the impending closure a few days ago, although at the time it didn’t seem the closure would be quite this fast. What’s next for the site? No info on that yet – no public filings of any kind so far. West City opened almost six years ago, two and a half years after the abrupt closure of another venue, The Bohemian, in the same space.

Four months after first word that Harry’s Beach House was on its way to the ex-Tully’s at 2676 Alki SW, we spotted crews at work this afternoon, so we stopped in to ask for an update. Proprietor Julian Hagood – known for Harry’s Fine Foods on Capitol Hill – was there, with family members too. He’s currently hoping to be open “late July, early August” but says the biggest bottleneck is a challenge faced by so many projects: The slow-moving permit system.

(WSB photo, last week)

Exactly one year after we first reported that The Habit Burger Grill would take over the ex-KFC at 3501 SW Avalon Way, the full grand-opening plan has just been announced. Last week we had word that it would be open by June 2, as the West Seattle Food Bank announced it would benefit from sales during part of that day; now, a news release reveals the rest of the plan:

Free Burger Day – Saturday, June 1, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 5 – 7 p.m.
Get a pre-opening sneak peek of the newest location and enjoy a free 100 percent fresh ground beef, chargrilled burger that is made-to-order, plus French fries and a regular beverage. Offer is limited to the first 200 people.

Fundraising Event with West Seattle High School’s Varsity Volleyball Team – Sunday, June 2, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
The West Seattle High School’s varsity volleyball team, coached by Abby West, is made up of a variety of high school students, ranging all grades. Money raised during their Habit Burger Grill fundraising event will be used for equipment and uniforms for the team to utilize during the upcoming season.

Fundraising Event with West Seattle Food Bank – Sunday, June 2, 5 – 7 p.m.
The West Seattle Food Bank is committed to providing food security and community connections to its neighbors in need. It envisions a strong and connected community in which all people have access to safe and nutritious food and the essential necessities of living.

Free Habit Day – Monday, June 3, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
The first 200 guests in line will receive a delicious chargrilled meal from one of our preset menus.

During the fundraiser events, the specified beneficiary gets 100 percent of the sale proceeds. Next Wednesday, June 5th, is the official grand-opening date. Also from the news release:

The Habit Burger Grill currently operates more than 250 restaurants across 12 states, coast to coast, and welcomes the newest 1,933 sq. ft. West Seattle location, which seats 24 guests. The restaurant is the eighth of the Washington franchise, with several additional locations set to roll out across the state before 2020.

The Habit Burger Grill West Seattle dining room is open from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and the drive-thru is open from 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday – Saturday. On Sundays the dining room and drive-thru are open from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

P.S. As a followup, we asked the company’s spokespeople if the above-specified windows were the only times the restaurant will be open on those pre-grand-opening dates. Short answer: Yes. Longer answer: If they hit 200 giveaways on the “free” dates before the two-hour windows are over, that’s the end for that day. And they will be closed June 4th, getting ready for the official June 5th opening.

Lots of questions about when The Habit Burger Grill will finally open its West Seattle location at the ex-KFC (35th/Avalon). No exact date yet but we have reason to believe it will be open by June 2nd, because the West Seattle Food Bank made this announcement today:

Bring the family and join the West Seattle Food Bank on Sunday, June 2nd from 5 – 7pm, to welcome the new Habit Burger Grill to Avalon & 35th. Have a great chargrilled meal and 100% of the proceeds will go to providing the 11,500 individuals we serve with nutritious food and other much needed services.

That dovetails with what the franchisees told us a few months back when we checked in, that they would, just before their grand opening, “host a couple charity events by partnering up with local non-profit organizations in the Seattle/West Seattle area. We will be giving them 100% of the sales from those events.” We of course have an inquiry out to see if we can find out more about their timeline but in the meantime, plan to help out the Food Bank on June 2nd!

Five months after an eviction order permanently shuttered Vine & Spoon in The Junction, the restaurant space at 4706 California SW appears to have a prospective new tenant on the way. A liquor-license application just appeared in online files (and on the window) under the name West Seattle Harvest, bearing names including Brian Clevenger, the acclaimed chef who runs Raccolto on the north end of The Junction (and three other restaurants around the city). A spokesperson for Chef Clevenger – a West Seattle resident – responded to our inquiry tonight by saying she had no info to share “about how/if Brian might be involved in a potential new venture.”

After a tip (thank you!), we just stopped by to confirm that Agave Cocina has quietly opened its new West Seattle Junction location, exactly five months after our first report that they were taking over the ex-Fresh Bistro space at 4727 42nd SW. They tell us hours will be 11 am-10 pm for starters. Agave is a local mini-chain with other locations in Issaquah and lower Queen Anne.

They promised their Alki closure at the end of 2018 wasn’t the end of their acclaimed restaurant … and indeed, it wasn’t. The Khazaal family has announced they’ll reopen Phoenecia in The Junction this summer. The new space, 4717 42nd SW, was previously home to Alchemy (evicted last December). The Junction is a past home as well as future home for Phoenecia; as noted when the family patriarch Hussein Khazaal died a decade ago, it is where he founded the restaurant in the 1970s.

You might have noticed the big GRAND OPENING banner in The Admiral District – for the reopening of Irashai (2352 California SW). We finally got a chance to talk briefly with its proprietors today – the restaurant has the same name as the one that closed in January, but new owners. Their menu includes sushi, sashimi, teriyaki, bulgogi, and bi bim bowls. They’re open 3:30-9:30 pm Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, noon-9:30 pm on Saturdays and Sundays, closed Tuesdays.

On our way back from Beach Drive pavement photography, we noticed the ex-Tully’s at 2676 Alki SW now has the signage for its new identity as Harry’s Beach House. As revealed in early February, this will be a new outpost for Julian Hagood, who runs the acclaimed Harry’s Fine Foods on Capitol Hill. We have an inquiry out regarding the estimated time frame for opening on Alki.

Sidewalk cafés – usually added outdoor seating for existing food/drink businesses – are increasingly popular in our area due in no small part to our spectacular scenery. But many viewless venues have added them too. It hasn’t historically been easy for a business to get permission to add one, but the city wants to change that. SDOT (sidewalks are public right-of-way, so it’s in that department’s jurisdiction) is taking comments on proposed rule changes right now. Here’s the announcement:

We’ve spent the last year reviewing our existing requirements to develop a legislative proposal to improve the program. Here are some of the key aspects that we’ve identified.

· Allow cafés in more locations around Seattle.

· Formalize pilot programs to allow fence-free cafes and cafes in the curb space of the street (these are known as streateries).

· Update design standards to make it easier to walk on sidewalks.

We developed a fact sheet on the proposal for more details. The full documents of the ordinance and draft Director’s Rule are also available to review on our webpage.

The public is invited to provide comments on the Determination of Non-Significance. Comments are accepted in any of the following ways:

·Email: Alyse.Nelson@seattle.gov

·Phone: 206-684-5268

·Mail:
Seattle Department of Transportation
Street Use – Public Space Management
P.O. Box 34996
Seattle, WA 98124-4996

Comments must be provided no later than 5 PM on Monday, April 22, 2019. Appeals must be submitted no later than 5 PM on Monday, April 29, 2019. Details about the appeals process can be found in the Determination of Non-Significance posted on our webpage.

SDOT says nearly 400 businesses around the city have sidewalk-café permits right now. Since the proposed changes include an ordinance, City Council approval will eventually be required.

Three quick food biznotes:

ALKI CHICKEN AND WAFFLES: A liquor-license application appeared online this week for a new restaurant at 2738 Alki SW, formerly B’s Po Boy, after Fatburger, Bada Bistro, Beachside Café. The proprietor of record for Alki Chicken and Waffles is Tom Lin, former owner of the Alki Homestead 1 door down, which was of course famous for its fried chicken until the restaurant was abruptly closed by a fire in 2009.

IL NIDO: Speaking of the Homestead, the historic landmark building that Lin sold four years ago, the Italian restaurant that’s moving in is now looking at a “May-ish” opening, according to its Instagram page (where you can see interior sneak peeks). We first reported on Chef Mike Easton‘s plan for Il Nido back in September.

THRIFTWAY BARBECUE TIME: Tomorrow’s the first benefit barbecue of the season at West Seattle Thriftway (4201 SW Morgan; WSB sponsor), where they’ll fire up the grill around 11 am, proceeds benefiting the West Seattle Food Bank. 11:33 AM UPDATE: Just went to Thriftway to check and today’s barbecue is canceled – stormy. They’ll give it another go in two weeks (April 27th).