West Seattle, Washington
19 Wednesday
Unwind Café is about to open across from Seacrest (aka the West Seattle Water Taxi dock), at 1619 Harbor Avenue SW. It’s actually something of a “reopening” because Unwind Café’s proprietor Vanessa Kammeyer was a co-proprietor of the shop that used to be in the space, Moondrop Coffee and Tea. Vanessa tells WSB that while the new name is a fresh start, otherwise, “everything is the same”:
Same menu; fresh juices and smoothies made with real fruits/vegetables. We have dairy-free bubble tea, organic/fair trade coffee provided by “Grounds for Change,” locally roasted in Poulsbo, which I pair with organic milks only. My dad’s anise/almond biscottis will still be stocked. Bagel sandwiches made with Einstein Brothers bagels, and smoothie bowls topped off with superfoods like cacao nibs, chia seeds, spirulina, granola, etc.
Vanessa notes that she has worked for 14 years in the food-service industry, running the Harbor Avenue shop since October 2014:
One of my goals has been to serve healthy food with great ingredients to my community; Unwind Cafe is my opportunity to do that. And to top it off, we have a great view of the Seattle skyline. … It’s a great place to come and unwind.
Vanessa expects to reopen the shop this Friday.
(WSB photo, this morning)
Back in January, Harry’s Chicken Joint (6032 California SW) posted a somewhat cryptic message on social media: “Thanks to everyone as we enter our 7th and final season. No regrets, no reruns, no spin-offs.” Last night was the season finale, according to this post on Harry’s Instagram page pointed out to us this morning by a texter (thank you!):
(If you drive that stretch of California at night, you know the neon sign was usually on, even after-hours, so the turning-off clip carries extra weight.) The little hole-in-the-wall eatery named after its proprietor’s dad had proceeded slowly toward the exit, cutting back to two nights a week earlier this month, six years after its debut. Pre-Harry’s, the space was long home to Jade West, not-so-long home to Meander’s. As for what’s next – nothing in the permit files yet …
Arthur’s in The Admiral District is celebrating its 2nd anniversary this week.
On Thursday (March 28th), proprietor Rebecca Rice tells WSB, “We’ll have food and drink specials in honor of the date, with a lot of new fun menu previews. We’re starting a fresh shucked oyster program and would love to gauge the neighborhood’s interest, as well as continuing to showcase our amazing Australian meat pies, fresh and seasonal spring flavors, and drinks discounted all night.” Arthur’s opened in March 2017 at 2311 California SW, previously home to Angelina’s.
The sign’s been up for a few weeks, and now we finally have caught up with the folks working to open the Pacific Room at 2806 Alki SW, where Hawks Nest West closed earlier this year. Kurt Niemeyer tells us they’re planning to be a live music venue – 3 or 4 acts a week – as well as restaurant/bar (serving “bistro-type food”), open to all ages. They are remodeling the space right now and hope to be open in May.
(Photo courtesy Luna Park Café)
Luna Park Café is celebrating its 30th anniversary today. Though the café says its “big bash” will be in the summertime, nonetheless it’s “happy to be a landmark business of West Seattle” and invites you to stop by and celebrate with specials including a Birthday Cake Shake that they’ll be offering for the rest of the month. The café’s announcement shared with WSB has words of gratitude for customers, too: “The local support throughout the years has been amazing!” If you’re new and haven’t been there yet, LPC is at 2918 SW Avalon Way, just south of the West Seattle Bridge. P.S. The building and area have even more decades of history, as the café website explains.
(WSB photo, last month)
Almost two weeks ago, when contacted by WSB to ask about reports the restaurant had been sold, Mashiko founder Hajime Sato confirmed it. The restaurant subsequently was closed for several days; we never heard from the new owners, but a longtime employee said in a comment that they expected to reopen last week, and that appeared to have happened, at least when we passed by one night to look. Then tonight, via the same messaging channel we used to contact Sato, we received this message:
Due to issues beyond my control, the sale of Mashiko that I announced last week did not occur. I am still the owner of Mashiko. The restaurant is still for sale, and I hope to have happier news to share about that soon. In the meantime, I am back to working most nights. Mariah and Brandon are still here too, so be sure to stop in for the same amazing sustainable sushi you have come to expect from us!
My family is still planning to move as soon as possible, although things have now been very delayed by these circumstances.
Please accept my thanks to the community for the kind words and support during this extremely difficult time.
Found in city permit files: MOD Pizza, the Seattle-headquartered chain that opened in The Whittaker a year ago, is adding a second West Seattle location. It’ll be at Westwood Village, with a space including the former Giannoni’s Pizzeria spot; the “site plan” document shows the rest of the space as the current Baja Taco, though the same building includes the closing-soon Payless Shoes.
We received a couple questions about the new signage at what had been Pailin Thai Cuisine in Admiral (2223 California SW) and is now Spring House Thai Kitchen and Pho. The former owners retired and sold the business, we were told when we reached the restaurant by phone, and the new owners took over just this past Monday. Same menu and hours – 3:30-10 pm Mondays and Tuesdays, 11:30 am-10 pm Wednesdays-Fridays, noon-10 pm Saturdays and Sundays.
Thanks for the tips that something was up at Mashiko, the acclaimed restaurant at 4725 California SW in The Junction. We have confirmed with longtime proprietor Chef Hajime Sato that, after 25 years, he has sold Mashiko to new ownership. In response to our inquiry, he sent this statement:
After nearly 25 years, effective yesterday, Mashiko has been sold to new ownership who will continue operating Mashiko in its current location. This was an extremely difficult decision, but it is the right one for my family. Thank you for trusting me to make so many meals for you. There are lots of people that I will deeply miss. Thank you for all of the great memories. I wish you many epic food adventures! Do not stop trying new things!
My wife’s cancer has made us reexamine our priorities. We are moving so that we can continue to heal mentally, physically, and financially. I will be making food again soon. If you’re ever near Detroit, come on by.
Sato has made news for, among other things, a commitment to serving sustainable seafood (as spotlighted here in 2011). Meantime, we will be pursuing more information about the new owners and their plans.
After reporting on the permanent closure of B’s Po Boy on Alki, we received this email from Alex Piano regarding Hawks Nest West about a block west, at 2806 Alki SW:
We are sad to announce that the Hawks Nest West on Alki has been sold to new ownership. They will be changing the concept and re-branding over the next few months.
We were given an opportunity to open a new sister location close to our original Hawks Nest in the SoDo area, we had to make the tough decision to sell our Alki spot to remain viable.
We had a fun run, learned a lot and want to say thank you to all the all the local sports fans who came in and enjoyed two exciting Seahawks seasons with us! We had an awesome time and made some amazing new friends. Don’t worry, the original Hawks Nest will be around for the long haul.
We will miss West Seattle and hope to see everyone downtown for the upcoming season! We still live in West Seattle and plan to be involved in the community! Please welcome the new ownership as they are excited to be in the community!
GO HAWKS!
Hawks Nest Ownership
We went by for a look; no note or sign, but definitely dark. We’re not sure exactly when it closed – on social media, a post last month mentioned transition to new ownership but not closure. We’ve noticed it (like B’s) listed for a while as a “business opportunity for sale”, but that kind of listing is often made while the business remains open.
SITE HISTORY: Before the change to Hawks Nest West a year and a half ago, this was Alki Huddle (closed in fall 2016), which followed Bamboo Bar and Grill (closed in fall 2014).
(Photo courtesy Tod)
Multiple readers have sent photos of the sign that just went up in the past few hours announcing the permanent closure of B’s Po Boy on Alki. We know the time frame because we were in the area around midmorning, at which time the sign was still the one that had been up for about a week, saying the restaurant was still closed because of the weather. Previously, an early February opening was promised when B’s Po Boy closed just before Christmas, citing vacation time; the business has also been listed for sale for some weeks. B’s opened a year and a half ago, run by a couple who had moved here from Indianapolis, where they had a restaurant of the same name (which closed in late 2017). The 2738 Alki Avenue SW spot had previously been the site of Fatburger, from fall 2013 to early 2017, following Bada Bistro‘s less-than-five-month run, after two years for the Beachside Café, which in turn was the successor to Alki Bakery, a corner fixture for 25 years, until November 2010.
Other Alki food/beverage closures in the past year include, west to east, Marée Bistro, Sushi Samurai, Phoenecia, Tully’s Coffee (which, as first reported here almost two weeks ago, will become Harry’s Beach House), Saigon Pho.
More info today about the restaurant on its way to the 2676 Alki Avenue SW space from which the former Tully’s Coffee was evicted. It’s from our friends at Capitol Hill Seattle Blog; Capitol Hill is the home neighborhood of Harry’s Fine Foods, whose proprietor Julian Hagood – as revealed in our community-collaborative coverage last Sunday – is opening Harry’s Beach House at the ex-Tully’s. Here’s the full CHS report, in which Hagood promises “killer brunches and seasonally driven fare” at the new place. CHS publisher Justin Carder also notes that the Alki property was sold for $1.5 million last September to a group that includes Hagood’s Capitol Hill landlord.
Eight months after we first reported that The Habit Burger Grill would take over the former KFC location at 35th and Avalon, a banner has appeared. The remodeling work at the site has been under way for three months. No official word yet on plans for opening but with the banner up and paper off the windows, it is clearly getting closer. Habit Burger is a California-based chain with more than 240 locations.
10:59 AM SUNDAY: The “for lease” sign has been down for a bit but there’s been no hint of what’s ahead for the former Tully’s at 2676 Alki Avenue SW – until now. A “site plan” has just showed up in city files. The early-stage plan is for remodeling the space into a “new eating and drinking establishment” that the document names as “Harry’s Beach House.”. What’s on file also notes that the siding and windows will be replaced, but the alterations otherwise are interior only. That’s all the info so far. It’s been 11 months since the Alki Tully’s suddenly closed, part of a wave of other closures around the area, followed by legal action for eviction a few weeks later.
EARLY MONDAY: In finest community-collaborative-news style, more information has unfolded in the comment discussion – thanks to Will o Wisp saying he’d learned of an affiliation with Harry’s Fine Foods on Capitol Hill, we found a clue, that Todd then confirmed.
Thanks to the texter who just sent that photo. Back on December 9th, we reported that city files revealed Agave was taking over the Junction space vacated by Fresh Bistro last spring. They never replied to our followup inquiry, but now signage has appeared in the windows. Agave has locations in Queen Anne and Issaquah.
On the second day since the closure of the West Seattle Pizza Hut at 6501 35th SW (as previewed here two weeks ago), we went by to look for signs of the space’s future. As our photo shows, the signage is already stripped; a dumpster’s in place on the south side of the building, but nobody is around to ask, and there’s still nothing in city files. The signage posted in the ex-restaurant’s windows says CLOSED, and nothing more. As originally pointed out in a comment on our previous story, Checkmate Dry Cleaners to the west also has closed (though its signage remains).
Two readers emailed us to report that they had heard Shadowland in The Junction would be discontinuing its regular slate of events including pub-quiz trivia and DJ Night soon. They were worried it was a sign of more change to come. So we went over to ask. No, manager Heather told us, not a sign of anything ahead – they are doing fine as a restaurant and bar and have decided to focus on that since attendance at events had slipped, and features such as trivia are abundantly available elsewhere. Shadowland (4458 California SW) is in its 12th year.
Thanks for the tips on these following our coverage of other recent closures:
IRASHAI RESTAURANT: Though the “open” sign remains illuminated and flashing, the Japanese restaurant in The Admiral District has closed, according to the note on its door, first noticed by Kim. The note says, “We hope to serve you soon with a new restaurant and a new menu.” (We did note recently that there was an application for a change in its liquor license.) Irashai opened a year and a half ago in a space that previously housed Mawadda Café.
CHECKMATE DRY CLEANERS: This first surfaced in comments on our coverage of the West Seattle Pizza Hut‘s impending closure – commenter GatewoodGuy noted that the cleaners next door had recently closed too. We went over to verify and found a note on its door citing “personal matters” and referring customers to Q Cleaners in The Junction. This is the second dry cleaners to close in West Seattle in six months, following the Alki Cleaners closure in July.
The staff at West Seattle’s only Pizza Hut (6501 35th Ave. SW) confirms a tip we received over the weekend – it’s closing in two weeks. January 21st is the last day, we’re told. Why? That, we don’t know, and staff declined comment; we have an inquiry out to Pizza Hut corporate media relations. (No redevelopment proposals in the file; county records do show the property had a change in the owner of record last year, not a sale but an estate situation.) This is the latest change of several in the chain-pizza scene in West Seattle – a second Domino’s opened in South Admiral a year ago, not long after the lone West Seattle Papa John’s closed (that site is scheduled to be redeveloped into townhouses). After the 35th SW Pizza Hut closes, the nearest one will be in White Center.
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.
Thanks to Marisa for the tip. After a days-long closure, Baja Taco has reopened in Jefferson Square, under new ownership (but apparently the same staff). We don’t know exactly how long it was closed after the planned shutdown at the end of November – Marisa’s tip came in yesterday; we went right over to check but it was closed, so we went back today, and found it open.
Thanks for the tip that activity’s been sighted in the empty-almost-7-months ex-Fresh Bistro space on the ground floor of Mural (4727 42nd SW). That’s led to a discovery in city permit files: A site plan for a new restaurant called Agave. Same company that has Mexican restaurants on Queen Anne and on the Eastside? The city file says yes. We’ll be following up to find out more.
Thanks for the tips. We’ve confirmed that Baja Taco in Jefferson Square is closing – as of 4 pm Friday (November 30th). After confirming that, we went over to check on Baja Taco in Westwood Village, where staff told us that their restaurant is NOT closing. (Both Baja Tacos were originally part of the Taco del Mar chain.) This is the second Jefferson Square eatery closure in less than a year, after Subway last January.
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