After two reader tips, we’ve just confirmed with a spokesperson for restaurateur Brian Clevenger that one of his West Seattle restaurants, Haymaker (4706 California SW), has closed. His other restaurants – including West Seattle’s Raccolto and GH Pasta and Pizza – remain open. Here’s the statement we received in response to our inquiry:

Haymaker is officially closed and most teammates are transitioning to other General Harvest locations.

After a great five years and a ton of support from the West Seattle community, General Harvest has decided to focus on the two brand concepts the company has grown over the last several years and will continue to develop in the future.

The first is small neighborhood spaces offering a selection of handmade pastas, fresh local vegetables, and a variety of seafood and protein dishes – similar to Raccolto, Vendemmia, Autumn, and recently opened Haerfest.

The second is the GH Pasta and Pizza model, offering fan-favorite large bowls of fresh pastas, a variety of 12” pizzas with rotating specials, starters, and salads, all at approachable prices.

Haymaker, while well loved, was a bit of an outlier and thus it made sense to move on to new ventures aligned with the above. We’re wishing the next restaurant the best of luck!

No restaurant has announced a takeover plan for the space yet, but it’s been listed for sale. Haymaker opened in the space in summer 2019, a little over half a year after the first restaurant in the space, Vine and Spoon, was evicted (at the same time as Vine and Spoon’s sister establishment Alchemy). The Haymaker closure comes just months after another restaurant closure in the Junction 47 complex – The Lodge Sports Grille closed there at the end of last year.

Two food biznotes tonight:

(Photo sent by Joel)

IN PIZZA WE CRUST: Thanks to everyone who sent photos of the signage that’s popped up in the windows at 3207 California SW, where The Swinery recently closed. It’ll become home to the wood-fired pizza of In Pizza We Crust, which you can currently find in the U District, a family business whose backstory is here. We have messages out to find out more about their West Seattle plan.

ADDED THURSDAY MORNING: Just heard back from In Pizza We Crust’s Stephanie Tran. She tells us:

We have acquired the location, where we will settle our new business venture. We are a family-run business with our three sons and started out as a food truck doing wood-fired pizza with a semi-permanent location in Bellevue for 6 years. We have also done many offsite events like concerts, festivals and many private parties, just to name a few. Our goal is to continue our food truck business, as we already have a summer filled calendar this year. Our food truck business is on pause for now until we are able to open the shop on California Ave. We have some permits that will take up to 60 days once plans are submitted so our open date is still tbd, but hoping for early June if all goes well! The biggest change to the ex-Swinery location will be changing the BBQ pit area in the courtyard to a dome brick oven. The second largest change will be to transform the front room into a casual dining area where folks can dine year round. The courtyard area will also have seating in a covered outdoor space where folks can watch all the pizza action. We couldn’t be more exited to be part of West Seattle’s warm community. Fun fact, I went to West Seattle HS my senior year!

LOTUS ON THE BEACH: We reported last week that this new Asian restaurant was close to opening at 2768 Alki SW, formerly home to (speaking of pizza) Pegasus. Now LOTB has announced its plan to “soft open” on Sunday, April 14. Same ownership as nearby Alki Phở & Bar, planning to offer “a hybrid of traditional and Asian fusion inspired dishes.”

(Photo sent by Andreea)

Readers have been asking about the status of the new restaurant moving into the ex-Pegasus space at 2768 Alki Avenue SW, now that signage is up. Lotus on the Beach is hoping to open in a week or so – but that depends on the results of inspections this week, they tell us. The new restaurant is opening with the same ownership as Alki Phở & Bar, which opened almost two years ago just a few doors west. They described what they plan to offer at Lotus on the Beach as “a hybrid of traditional and Asian fusion inspired dishes. Some Vietnamese, Thai, and Chinese inspired traditional dishes, and hopefully Korean and Japanese in the future. We also would like to emphasize our own original craft cocktails, as well as our take on some classics.” They’ve been remodeling the interior, too – you can get a sneak peek here.

12:01 PM: One month after Mission Cantina closed at 2325 California SW after 19 years, it has new owners who plan to reopen the restaurant/bar soon. Here’s the announcement we received a short time ago:

Mission Cantina, a cherished Mexican restaurant nestled in the heart of West Seattle, is excited to share that we will be reopening soon.

The Admiral treasure, founded by Peter Morse and others over 19 years ago has operated for the past decade under the leadership of Peter Morse, Shawn Padilla, and Tina Schlotfeldt Padilla, will re-open and continue to operate under the ownership of West Seattle couple Gina Topp and Ben Johnson.

For 19 incredible years, Mission Cantina has been an integral part of the West Seattle community. It’s more than just a restaurant; it’s a cornerstone of cherished memories and cherished moments. From family dinners and community events to first dates and milestone celebrations, Mission Cantina has been there, woven into the fabric of our lives.

“We couldn’t bear the thought of saying ‘adios’ to this beloved establishment that has meant so much to our family, and we’re incredibly grateful to the previous owners, Peter, Shawn, and Tina, for allowing us to take on Mission’s next chapter. Their vision, passion, and dedication have built an irreplaceable community asset, and we are honored to be its new stewards. It’s truly a testament to the enduring spirit of our community and commitment to preserving the traditions and memories that make West Seattle unique that we are able to re-open Mission Cantina,” said Gina Topp and Ben Johnson.

Please stay tuned for more details on our grand re-opening.

The restaurant/bar had been listed for sale for a while before the closure announcement. You might recognize new co-owner Topp’s name – she is also the recently elected Seattle Public Schools board representative for West Seattle and most of South Park.

1:29 PM: We sent Topp two followup questions. First, about the new owners’ restaurant experience: “Neither Ben nor I have direct experience in the restaurant industry. However, before finalizing the purchase, we curated a strong team. We have a consultant who owns multiple WS/Burien restaurants, along with a seasoned general manager. We will rely on their expertise and guidance.” Second, any major changes planned? “Although there will be some updates and fine-tuning, our primary objective is to maintain the community asset that is Mission Cantina.”

After 15 years at 3207 California SW, The Swinery is closing. Its proprietors asked us to publish this announcement:

Dearest customers, it breaks our hearts to announce that the Swinery will be closing March 24th, 2024.

The economy has made it impossible for us to continue.

Since 2009 we have had the pleasure of getting to know you, and watching your families grow.

We will not be leaving our beloved West Seattle, so hopefully we’ll see you around town.

Follow us on Facebook, you never know when or where the Swinery may pop up next for your Cassoulet, sausages etc…

Thank you all for everything,

Kim and Danny

The Swinery’s original ownership founded the butcher shop/eatery in 2009; it’s had much acclaim, and even national-TV spotlights – along the way. Kim – who has worked there since that first year – and Danny bought it in 2018. They’ve turned to community help in recent years, and have had The Swinery on the market, but have now decided to close their doors.

ADDED: Kim says she’d like to build an email list to notify people if they do a pop-up, community BBQ, etc. – if you’d want to be on that list, kimanneleveille@gmail.com is the address.

After a month-plus closure, Duke’s Seafood on Alki reopens today! Duke’s is sponsoring WSB this week to be sure you hear about the reopening and a special giveaway. Here’s their announcement:

(Photos courtesy Duke’s Seafood)

Great news for West Seattle! Duke’s Seafood on Alki re-opens today (Wednesday, February 28) after being closed for about a month. This was to make extensive repairs due to flooding from burst pipes during January’s freezing temps.

To celebrate and to thank West Seattle for supporting Duke’s Seafood all these years, Duke’s on Alki (2516 Alki Avenue SW) will offer One Free Bowl of Chowder to anyone who stops by during the first week of re-opening (Wednesday, February 28 – March 5). After that, the restaurant plans to launch a new weekly special for the entire month of March, which they will announce on Instagram every Wednesday here: instagram.com/dukesseafood

Owners Duke Moscrip and John Moscrip made lemonade out of lemons by using this temporary inconvenience as an opportunity to give the location a few updates. New flooring and carpet, of course, but also new lighting and décor, new paint, as well as kitchen upgrades. Alki has a fresh, new look – same sustainable-seafood dishes and award-winning chowder – open 11 am-10 pm daily.

Duke’s Seafood uses the strictest standards for sourcing ingredients. All seafood is 100% sustainable, chicken and eggs are organic, all beef is local and grass-fed, and produce is local and organic whenever possible. Every item is made with ingredients that are chemical-free, nitrite-free, BGH- and BST-free, cage-free, hormone-free, growth stimulant-free, antibiotic-free, and contains no high fructose corn syrup or aspartame.

Duke’s Seafood is a family-owned restaurant group in the Seattle area, founded in 1977. It operates seven restaurants in the Greater Puget Sound region, as well as a special event space, Dockside at Duke’s, which hosts events for up to 350 guests. dukesseafood.com

We thank Duke’s Seafood for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here; email patrick@wsbsales.com for info on joining the team!