BIZNOTE: West Seattle’s Taco Time remodels, bans cash
We’ve been getting questions/tips about two changes at West Seattle’s Taco Time restaurant (3500 SW Avalon Way). We’ve had inquiries out to Taco Time Northwest‘s corporate headquarters and got some info today. First, they’ve closed their interior seating temporarily for what a spokesperson calls a “simple remodel.” She’s still waiting for information on how long the work is supposed to last. The drive-through remains open, which is how customers learned about this: They’re no longer accepting cash.
(Photo sent by reader)
Signage says they’re refusing because of burglaries, and the Taco Time NW spokesperson affirms that, saying this is the only location in their regional chain with this policy: “We accept cash at all locations except West Seattle due to several recent break-ins. Our priority is employee safety, and this temporary measure helps mitigate risks at this location.” (We reported on one break-in back in late April.)
BIZNOTE: Boss Drive-In celebrating 9th anniversary Wednesday with gifts for you
It’s been a big year for Boss Drive-In in South Delridge – and Wednesday they’re offering you freebies to celebrate.
Eikam Singh is managing the restaurant while home from college for the summer. His family bought it a year and a half ago. They also own the nearby South Delridge 7-11 and the one at 35th/Barton, but Boss is their first restaurant.
The biggest recent change: They’re now open 24 hours a day. Singh says they’re usually busy until 3 or 4 am, and then the staff focuses on getting ready for the next day. They’re still working on their breakfast menu, he says – it’s not quite perfected yet. They’ve installed one self-checkout line and are planning another.
They’re also working with delivery services now, and Singh says that has revealed they have fans beyond the immediate neighborhood – the average order, he says, travels 8 to 10 miles, and they’ve had some customers from as far away as Tacoma.
Boss also has been beefing up community sponsorships, like backing a West Seattle Baseball team, and are looking to do more of that, Singh says. They’re aware that the burger biz is about to get another local entrant, with Five Guys moving into Westwood Village a short distance west; they’re serving a different market, pricing-wise among other things, Singh believes. And right now, it’s time for Boss Drive-In to celebrate: Free fries and ice cream on Wednesday (June 7th): “We wanted to do something big.”
(Boss Drive-In is at 9061 Delridge Way SW.)
GIVING: Marination serves up a double donation to South Seattle College
(WSB photo, 2009)
Our photo above is from July 4th, 2009, when Marination brought its already-famous food truck to West Seattle. Co-proprietors Roz (in the photo) and Kamala opened Marination ma kai at Seacrest three years later, and that’s become a West Seattle staple. But now Marination’s original truck is back in West Seattle, in a new role along with a sibling. Here’s the explanation from South Seattle College (WSB sponsor):
Marination, a Hawaiian-Korean culinary team that started with a food truck in 2009 and has now expanded to multiple brick-and-mortar locations in the Seattle area, donated two food trucks to South Seattle College earlier this month, including “Big Blue,” the truck where it all started (read an ode to Big Blue on Marination’s Instagram page).
Automotive Technology students will gain experience working on the trucks to get them in prime working order and then our Culinary Arts students will get to create food truck menus and feed our campus community with both sweet and savory concepts, simulating the entrepreneurial experience many of them may wish to take in their future careers.
(SSC photo)
The college will rebrand the trucks with new names and paint jobs, involving the campus community to come up with fun concepts. The trucks are expected to be fully functioning next academic year, and Culinary Arts students have already promised their first stop will be feeding Automotive Technology students as thanks for their mechanical expertise.
“Marination’s donation of food trucks to our college is an amazing gift and we are so grateful for their generosity,” said SSC’s Dean of Hospitality and Service Occupations Brian Scheehser. “Marination is a shining example of how to succeed in Seattle’s culinary industry, and we are proud to have part of their company history become part of our college culture and curriculum.”
South Seattle College’s Professional & Technical Career Training Programs have benefited greatly from donations over our 50-plus years in operation, from jet engines to support Aviation Maintenance Technology student learning to shelves that improved our Landscape Horticulture greenhouses. Anyone interested in donating equipment to support our programs (thank you!) can contact the Seattle Colleges Foundation.
BIZNOTE: Mother’s Day brunch at Lily’s
If you haven’t finalized plans for Mother’s Day (this Sunday, May 14th) yet, Lily’s Salvadorean Restaurant proprietor Lily Anaya asked us to share this invitation:
On Sunday, May 14th, Lily’s Salvadorean Restaurant will be hosting a special Mother’s Day brunch from 11 am to 1 pm. There will be a Mariachi band performing during this time to add to the festive atmosphere. However, the restaurant will remain open throughout the day to continue the celebration of all mothers.
We are excited to invite families to join us for a delicious meal and a fun-filled day at Lily’s. We will be offering a special menu for the occasion, featuring some of our most popular dishes as well as some new creations.
We look forward to welcoming many families to Lily’s Salvadorean Restaurant this Mother’s Day!
Lily’s – which also runs a popular West Seattle Farmers’ Market booth – has been open more than a year at 2940 SW Avalon Way. (Anybody else with a special Mother’s Day plan? Let us know!)
BIZNOTE: Wanna Burger and Teriyaki closes
That’s the sign on the door of Wanna Charbroiled Burger and Teriyaki at 1513 SW Holden in Highland Park. After a tip late Monday night about closure plans, we went over at what would have been opening time Tuesday, but they already were shuttered – no sign then, but when we went back in the afternoon, the sign had since been placed. We’ve been unable to reach the restaurant’s ownership by email or phone, and their website has gone down since it was last cached on Sunday, but staff at the SeaMart convenience next door told us that Monday was Wanna’s last day. The restaurant had been open almost a decade; among its predecessors there was the original home of the late, lamented Zippy’s Giant Burgers, which opened in the 16th/Holden spot exactly 15 years ago, moved to White Center three years later, and closed last year.
BIZNOTE: What The Spot West Seattle is doing to remedy public-health violations (update: reopening Saturday)
That’s the sign at The Spot West Seattle in the Luna Park neighborhood. We went over after Public Health – Seattle & King County announced this morning that it had closed The Spot yesterday for “inadequate refrigeration capacity to safely store foods (and) repeat critical food safety violations including cold holding, cooling, and lack of thermometers to monitor food temperatures.” We also emailed proprietor Philip Sudore, who tells WSB, “Our refrigerator system went out and we are working as fast as we can to fix or replace the units. This will be a quick remedy. We look to be serving our community again no later than next week. We have always maintained an excellent rating with the health department. Quality, health standards and service is at the top of our list in terms of core values. We look forward to the upgrades and will be back soon better than ever.” (You can search the PHSKC database for this or any other King County establishment by going here.)
FRIDAY NIGHT UPDATE: Sudore tells WSB, “Our refrigerators are fixed and we have been re-inspected and cleared to open tomorrow for normal business hours.”
BIZNOTE: Fire Tacos invites you to Alki anniversary celebration
Another business is celebrating its anniversary! Erika and Jorge Saldivar of Fire Tacos on Alki asked us to let you know that they’re planning a party on Monday (April 24th) to start their second year at the beach. Between 4 pm and 9 pm, they’ll be offering 99-cent tacos as part of a special anniversary menu (with some restrictions – 10 per person, no takeout or to-go orders). They’ll have live mariachi music, too. The Saldivars want you to know, “We are extremely grateful with all the love and support we have received.” If you haven’t been to Fire Tacos yet, it’s at 2738 Alki Avenue SW, west corner of 61st/Alki, a bricks-and-mortar expansion of the Saldivars’ original Kent-based food truck.
WEEK AHEAD: Dine at Endolyne Joe’s on Tuesday to support Fauntleroy Fall Festival
(WSB file photo)
Paintable pumpkins are part of what’s needed to put on the fun, free Fauntleroy Fall Festival every year. If you’ve ever been, you know the festival also offers live music, birdhouse-building, salmon-hat-making, a cakewalk, a chance to see raptors up close, a climbing wall for kids … and it’s all powered by donations and volunteers. One of the biggest donation events to raise festival funding is happening this week, Tuesday (April 18th), at Fauntleroy restaurant Endolyne Joe’s (9261 45th SW). On Tuesday, go to Joe’s for breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner – its hours will be 8 am-10 pm that day – and part of the proceeds will be donated to the festival. At dinnertime, you can buy tickets for the gift-basket raffle (5-9 pm), even if you’re not dining. Meantime, set your calendar – this year’s festival will happen on Sunday, October 15th.
BIZNOTE: Morgan Junction McDonald’s closing for overhaul
Another West Seattle McDonald’s is closing for an overhaul. That sign, displayed on the doors and drive-thru menuboard at the Morgan Junction McDonald’s (6546 California SW), announces it’s closing after tonight. The sign doesn’t estimate how long the closure will last, but the person who tipped us to this says they spoke to some “VIPs” on the site who told them it would be about two months. The restaurant closed for a few weeks back in December, but permit filings indicated that mostly involved equipment upgrades. That’s most of the information visible regarding this closure too – the online summary says, “Remodel existing McDonald’s restaurant. Update mechanical systems and new kitchen hoods.” An earlier tip – which we weren’t able to confirm – said this remodel is expected to be “extensive.” Another area McDonald’s, the one at Westwood Village, recently reopened after a major overhaul.
SIDE NOTE: City permit files also show another remodel on the drawing board for the Admiral McDonald’s (3003 California SW), which was overhauled five years ago. This probably won’t start for a while as the early “pre-application” was just filed a week ago.
FOLLOWUP: Ex-Pegasus Pizza space up for lease
Four months after Pegasus Pizza was evicted from 2768 Alki Avenue SW, the space is being offered for lease. We’ve been keeping an eye out for this ever since the eviction and closure, and noticed tonight that the sign had gone up since our last pass through the area a few days earlier. At year’s end, we noted that a court filing indicated the eviction ruling would be appealed. but in March, the appeals court closed the case, saying followup documents due in January had never been filed. The space is listed for lease by Alki Property Management, the building owners who have their offices next to the ex-pizzeria.
GRATITUDE: West Seattle HS career/internship fair worked well
Before spring break, West Seattle High School held a job/internship fair. A month earlier, we published a call for businesses and organizations to participate. WSHS’s Career Connected Learning coordinator Brian Fitzgerald says they had a heartening response, and asked us to publish this message of gratitude:
West Seattle High School would like to say THANK YOU to the organizations that participated in our job and internship fair on Wednesday, April 5th. Thanks to their participation, students were able to learn more about opportunities available to them, practice networking, and how to navigate a job fair!
Take a moment to check out these community-focused businesses/organizations:
Seattle Public Utilities – https://www.seattle.gov/utilities
Seattle Parks and Rec – https://www.seattle.gov/parks
Seattle HappyFeet – https://www.seattlehappyfeet.com
YMCA – https://www.seattleymca.org
Seattle Skill Center – https://skillscenter.seattleschools.org
Amazon Career Quest206
Girls Rock Math – https://girlsrockmath.org
UW Dining – https://hfs.uw.edu/Home
Southwest Youth and Family Services, Young Writers Workshop – https://www.swyfs.org/what-we-do/education
Domino’s on California Ave & SW Hanford St. – https://www.dominos.com
Laborers International Union of America – https://www.liuna.org
AJAC – https://www.ajactraining.org/programs
Sharetea Jefferson Square – https://www.instagram.com/sharetea.westseattle/?hl=en
Chipotle Alaska Junction – https://locations.chipotle.com/wa/seattle/4730-california-ave-sw
Tilly’s Southcenter Mall – https://www.tillys.com
Wheel Fun Rentals – https://wheelfunrentals.com/wa/seattle/alki-beach
Honda and Toyota of Seattle
NW Kidney Center – https://www.nwkidney.org
City Year – https://www.cityyear.org
SH Worldwide – https://shworldwide.com
WCP Solutions – https://www.wcpsolutions.com
Wildwood Market – https://wildwoodwestseattle.com
Also, a big thanks to the West Seattle Blog for helping get the word out!
Side note – if you have employee and/or intern needs, listings are free in our Community Forums. Follow the “jobs” tab on our site menu, and if you don’t have a Forums log-in yet, get it here.
BIZNOTE FOLLOWUP: Next phase of Luna Park Café’s reopening
Three weeks after Luna Park Café reopened following six months of repairs and maintenance, it’s in Phase 2 – owner John Bennett reports, “We are now open 7 days a week for breakfast and lunch. 8 am -3 pm. When the weather gets better we will open our outdoor patio. We are working on a plan to be open for dinner soon. Stay tuned.” Shortly after reopening, the restaurant at 2918 SW Avalon Way celebrated its 34th anniversary.
BIZNOTE: Portage Bay Café adding days in West Seattle
(WSB photo from PBC’s West Seattle opening day in January)
Three months after adding a West Seattle location, Portage Bay Café says things are going so well here, they’re adding days. General manager Peter Gunnar asked us to let you know that starting next week, they’ll be open seven days a week – instead of five days a week (they’ve been closing on Tuesdays and Wednesdays). So starting the week of April 10th, Portage Bay Café’s West Seattle hours at 4725 42nd SW will be 8 am-1:30 pm Mondays-Fridays, 8 am-2 pm Saturdays and Sundays.
WEST SEATTLE ART: New mural inside JaK’s Grill
Jak’s Grill is revealing a new community-minded mural this Thursday, March 30th, 2023, 6PM at its 4548 California Avenue location.
That depiction of an early-20th-century streetcar is at the heart of West Seattle’s newest mural, “Birth of the Junctions.” It’s on a wall inside JaK’s Grill, and tonight artist B Anthony Nelson drew cheers as he signed it:
Nelson explained in his event announcement, “For generations, the West Seattle community has played, celebrated, thrived and connected around the Junctions. With such a rich tradition of murals and fine art throughout the area, it felt like a hole in the West Seattle story not to represent where the Junctions come from. This is my small contribution to how much they mean to those of us who live here.” Nelson’s mural comes as JaK’s has done some simple interior “refreshing” – new window coverings, for example – and added a few new menu items (including Wagyu beef).
BIZNOTE: Yen Wor Village plans to close at month’s end
One year ago, we reported on a fundraising campaign to try to keep Yen Wor Village, the restaurant/bar at 2300 California SW in The Admiral District, from closing. As noted at the time, the Wong family, owners of Yen Wor for more than 30 years, has been struggling with both financial and health challenges. They’ve made it through another year but now have announced a plan to close. The restaurant says it’ll close at the end of the month. No special events in the works to mark the end of an era, so far, but we’re told that could change. The crowdfunding campaign launched last year is still active – a poster for it is still displayed in the Yen Wor’s window:
But there’s no indication that a rescue is possible now. If you want to support the restaurant by dining/drinking there in the meantime, before the March 31st closure, they’re open seven nights a week.
BIZNOTE FOLLOWUP: Luna Park Café reopening
(WSB photos)
After multiple test runs, Luna Park Café will reopen tomorrow (Friday, March 17th) – but only for breakfast and lunch for starters, according to founder John Bennett. Six months have passed since the restaurant closed for maintenance, repairs, and upgrades.
They’ve also made some menu changes, most notably adding this vegan menu. As with any place opening/reopening, they hope you will be patient, don’t everyone rush in at once! The 34-years-in-business café at 2918 SW Avalon Way will be open 8 am-3 pm Wednesdays-Sundays as of tomorrow.
WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Restaurant burglary
10:56 AM: That photo is from Pecos Pit (35th/Fauntleroy; WSB sponsor), which was burglarized overnight. The restaurant is closed for lunch while it assesses the damage; we’ll be checking back to see when they reopen. If you have any information, the SPD incident # is 23-067996.
12:17 PM: We just stopped by Pecos Pit to follow up. They don’t expect to be able to open today; the burglar(s) did serious damage to the point-of-sale system, so that has to be repaired. Some food was also stolen. They’re hoping to be able to open tomorrow – regular hours would be 11 am-9 pm.
BIZNOTE FOLLOWUP: Luna Park Café has one hurdle to clear before reopening
(Photo sent by Bryan)
Last weekend, some fans of Luna Park Café were excited to see that sight – signs illuminated, people inside. It wasn’t a quiet reopening, though – the café had a few invitation-only test runs, following six months of closure for maintenance, repairs, and upgrades. Proprietor John Bennett tells WSB the test runs went well, but now there’s one last hurdle to clear: “We’re trying to hire line cooks so we can open next week. Anyone who wants to be part of our team can contact us at lunaparkcafe.office@gmail.com.” Luna Park Café (2918 SW Avalon Way) will celebrate its 34th anniversary this month.
BIZNOTE FOLLOWUPS: Westwood McDonald’s reopens; Dué Cucina West Seattle about to open
Two food followups:
WESTWOOD McDONALD’S REOPENS: Multiple readers, including Thomas – who sent the photo above – report that the Westwood Village McDonald’s is now open. The entrances were still coned when we went by around 9:30 am today, so the opening happened sometime after that. As noted here again Monday, the restaurant’s been closed almost six months for a “transformation.”
DUE CUCINA OPENS TOMORROW: Thanks for the texted tip that the new Italian restaurant in The Junction (4437 California SW) has announced tomorrow as its opening date, a week and a half after installing the exterior signage. We couldn’t find any info about what time, though, so we went over to look, and found one staff member who told us they’re expecting to open Wednesday around 11 am. This will be the fourth restaurant for the regional mini-chain, after Roosevelt, Capitol Hill, and Totem Lake. We first reported the West Seattle expansion plan six months ago.
BIZNOTE: Wondering when Westwood Village McDonald’s is reopening?
11:48 AM: It’s been the most popular business-related question in the WSB inbox for weeks: When is the Westwood Village McDonald’s reopening? It closed six months ago for what a corporate spokesperson told us would be a “major transformation.” At least from the outside, the work has appeared complete – drive-up menu boards illuminated, among other things – so we’ve tried repeatedly to get official word on the reopening, but no reply from corporate spokespeople. So we’ve been going by daily to check. This morning we found a work crew member who told us his company had been told their work has to be finished in time for a “March 1st opening.” That’s this Wednesday. Not an official answer, but in lieu of corporate comment, it’s the best we have.(Let us know if you find it open sooner!)
4:59 PM: Commenter says it appears to be open now.
7:05 PM: We just went by. The entrances are coned off again, but it looks like more of a private party inside – balloons, etc.
RESTAURANT BIZNOTES: Circa anniversary, Pagliacci freebie, Talarico’s addition
Three restaurant notes today:
(Photo courtesy Circa)
CIRCA’S 25TH ANNIVERSARY: It’s happening today! Circa in The Admiral District at 2605 California SW is celebrating its 25th birthday today, and co-proprietor Gretchen tells us they’re offering “$12 burgers, $2.50 mini cake slices, $2.50 Manny’s Pale Ales, $15 red beans and rice plate.” If you visit today (they’re open until 9 pm) you’ll also find “decorations [photo above] and fun!” Circa is the Westside Awards‘ reigning Business of the Year, by the way.
PAGLIACCI FREEBIE: Just noticed while in The Junction that Pagliacci Pizza (4449 California SW) has window signage promising free slices on Valentine’s Day (Tuesday, February 14th), 4-8 pm.
TALARICO’S ADDITION: Speaking of pizza, Talarico’s in The Junction (4718 California SW) is adding weekday lunch starting Monday, February 20th – they emailed us to announce they’ll open at noon Mondays-Fridays. They’re expecting to offer lunch specials but are still working on the details.
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