Two West Seattle biznotes:

JUST POKE: On the way for 5 1/2 years, the regional chain Just Poké is finally close to opening in West Seattle. Mel sent the photo after noticing the sign had gone up Thursday at the future Just Poké at 4735 42nd SW, across from Jefferson Square, four-plus months after construction began, four years after the previous tenant vacated. We checked today with JP founder Norman Wu about opening plans; he tells us “We’re currently on track to open the last week of June!”

SPORT CLIPS: Thanks to Richard for the tip on this. After almost six years in central Westwood Village, Sport Clips – part of a national chain that specializes in “haircuts for men and boys” – has shut down and cleared out, signage and all. We don’t know how long ago they closed, but Richard thought it was relatively recent.

(WSB photos)

Want to get out of the home office, without leaving West Seattle? That’s just one reason to check out West Seattle Coworking (WSB sponsor), which just celebrated the grand opening of its brand-new space at 9030 35th SW [map].

Co-proprietors Ross and Crystal Bevilacqua were joined by West Seattle Chamber of Commerce leaders and members for a ceremonial ribbon-cutting and party last night. They’ve opened this space in addition to their West Seattle Junction location (4452 California SW) and it’s truly new – they’re the first to occupy this space in the new mixed-use building.

The West Seattle Coworking space has a variety of ways in which you can work – open desks in shared space, or more-private areas:

If you need even more privacy for, say, a videoconference meeting or phone call, this room is set up for that:

West Seattle Coworking has meeting rooms, too, which are rentable even if you’re not an ongoing member:

And of course the other things a successful workplace needs, like a kitchen:

Want to check it out? The FAQ page on West Seattle Coworking’s website includes contact info for taking a tour, as well as lots of other info about how it works and what they offer; this page has rates for memberships and passes, plus a long list of what you get with a membership.

From Shelby at Metropolitan Market in Admiral:

This little penguin got separated from their people over the weekend at our store, Metropolitan Market at Admiral, and they are very anxious to be reunited.

They’ve been helping us out in Floral, Sushi (which they did very much enjoy doing quality control tasting), and Produce, which I think is their favorite department, for some reason…

Still, there is no place like home and they would love to be found. Inquiries can be made with any of the front-end managers. We have them safe in our office. They are clearly very loved and must be very missed.

Four biznotes today:

NEW BARBERSHOP: Tommy Andrade, whose charitable work we told you about in March, is opening a new barber shop at 3614 California SW. Southpaw Barbershop will have a grand opening noon-6 pm on Friday, May 26th, benefiting Amara foster-care services. He explains his community philosophy:

I was previously an engineer who worked at SpaceX and made the switch to barbering. My business partner Jeff Chou also made the switch from corporate America, working for Amazon’s corporate offices. We met in barber college and had the dream to open our own shop and give back to our community. We both are ambassadors for Amara foster care and we offer our services free to foster kids! We are cultivating a culture of community first and want to give back as much as we can. All of my barbers are encouraged to donate services to a cause near and dear to them. One of my barbers offers free haircuts to homeless veterans and another offers free head shaves and haircuts to cancer patients for the entirety they are undergoing treatment. We will also be donating 20% of every dollar we make the first week of the month to a different cause in the community.

SUNDAY SOUL SPAS: Maari Falsetto from Inner Alchemy is hosting Soul Spas on Sundays at Jet City Labs (4547 California SW) during Farmers’ Market hours so you can stop by while you’re in The Junction. Here’s the plan:

We are open from 10 am-2 pm, same hours as the Farmers’ Market.

We offer mini-sessions of reiki, massage, hypnosis, and acupuncture. There is local jewelry, candles, tea, and more.

Inner Alchemy Soul Spa is a fun community experience of meeting our talented local healers, makers, and artists right alongside the Farmers’ Market. Mini sessions, shopping, connecting, and Timmy cooking brunch!

First one is this Sunday, May 21st, and then almost every Sunday through August 27th – it’ll be in our event calendar.

NEW DECK: We stopped by C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor) for a latte earlier this week and noticed this out back:

C & P co-proprietor Pete Moores told us they’re building another deck to enhance their outdoor seating area, as they’ve done with other parts of the C&P grounds.

FUTURE PRIMITIVE ALKI FOLLOWUP: One week ago today, we broke the news that Future Primitive Brewing is expanding to add a taproom at 2536 Alki Avenue SW. At the time we reported on it, we didn’t have information on what happened to the previously announced plan for the site, renovating its two business spaces and adding a residential level above. We have since spoken with Matt Schilling, who was working on that plan; he told us he sold the property a month ago, back to its previous owner, local entrepreneur Tom Lin, and he expected the property will now remain unchanged for the foreseeable future. Meantim, Future Primitive told us they hope to open next month.

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Award-acceptance speeches are generally about gratitude – with words of thanks to the award-givers as well as those who helped the recipients get to where they are now.

What was said at today’s Westside Awards celebration went beyond that, with inspiration, reminiscences, and community history.

The West Seattle Chamber of Commerce presents the Westside Awards each year in four categories – Business of the Year, Emerging Business of the Year, Westsider of the Year, and Not-for-Profit of the Year. This year’s recipients were announced in April and honored during a breakfast event this morning in the Brockey Center at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) on Puget Ridge.

If you weren’t there, you can see and hear the winners’ speeches in our videos:

BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
Easy Street Records

Easy Street proprietor Matt Vaughan was introduced by fellow Junction entrepreneur Jack Miller of Husky Deli, who declared “the reason West Seattle is cool is because of Easy Street” and observed that the music shop/café “is like a sacred place for a lot of people.” That includes the musicians whose work ESR deals in – of the artists, Miller mused, Easy Street “is a place where they want their music to be sold at.” Here’s Vaughan’s full speech:

Vaughan talked about his staff, his customers, his community, and his family – wife Kisha, kids Archie and Daisy (pictured with him above). “When it comes down to it, this is a family business, and they’re the reason I do it.” He estimated that he’s employed “more than 2,000 people over the years.” And he shared an LP’s worth of personal history, starting with growing up as a “rec-center kid .. between rec centers and record stores, I found my safe place.” He told the tale of going from record-store employee to record-store owner as a college sophomore, first taking over a space a few doors up California SW, then moving to the corner after a few years. How did he nab such a prime spot? Back then, “every other storefront in The Junction was vacant,” he explained. And after 35 years and many trials and tribulations – he recalled back-to-back burglaries in 1990, for example, and a six-figure embezzlement – the shop is alive and thriving, as is he. Words he said he lives by include “A kick in the ass is still a step forward.”

EMERGING BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
Papa Tony’s Hot Sauce

Tony Wilson rose from an even rougher childhood, which he said he chose to share with the audience so they could “see in human form what it is like to defy the odds.” Here’s his full speech:

Emerging from a difficult upbringing, and battling depression and anxiety resulting from childhood trauma, he started on a life of community service, starting with Hurricane Katrina relief. He also “worked in the music world and performed spoken word” – and then during an intensive home-cooking phase of the pandemic days in 2021, he invented “The Sauce.” After moving to Seattle, he turned “The Sauce” into a company – he’s selling it at farmers’ markets and stores, and has big plans to go regional and then nationwide. Wilson said he “had to learn about my power … the power you feel inside,” and strongly believes in ethics, morals, and community involvement. “We succeed by building together and not tearing each other down.”

WESTSIDER OF THE YEAR
Claiborne Bell

Bell owns Seattle Sorbets and the commissary-kitchen business at which it’s based, Distinguished Foods Kitchen Rental, in The Triangle. It’s home to 13 food-and-beverage businesses now, and, said Chamber executive director Whitney Moore in introducing him, he’s “putting entrepreneurship on the radar for so many young people.” Here’s Bell’s full speech:

Bell declared the Westsider of the Year honor to be “a team award,” saying his team started with his grandparents’ expectations of hard work and achievement, followed by his parents’ expectations of excellence, and onward. “Even when things were extremely bad, I never questioned that I was on the right team.”

NOT-FOR-PROFIT OF THE YEAR
Providence Mount St. Vincent

Emcee Brian Callanan introduced The Mount’s administrator Charlene Boyd by noting the center’s century-long history, including child care at its much-lauded Intergenerational Preschool. Here’s his introduction and Boyd’s speech:

Boyd observed that “We’re fortunate to live in a place where neighbors are helping neighbors” and recalled how that has played out so often for The Mount – when calls for help were answered with everything from masks during the pandemic to air conditioners during a historic heat wave. Dating back to its founding by the Sisters of Providence, The Mount has built “relationships that span generations,” Boyd said.

The event concluded with a reminder of other upcoming Chamber-presented events – as listed on the organization’s website – starting with the Battle for West Seattle softball game Sunday, which is a fundraiser for the West Seattle and White Center Food Banks.

P.S. You can see the lists of past Westside Award-winners – chosen each year from community nominations – by going here.

Another sign it’s almost summer – the West Seattle Junction Association‘s flower baskets arrived today! As we first reported back in January, WSJA is using a new grower this year – Van Wingerden Greenhouses – and though this year’s 93 flower baskets are bigger, they need less water.

Again this year, WSJA offered flower-basket “adoption” to help cover the costs; WSB is among the dozens of businesses and individuals who pitched in. P.S. The Junction’s biggest event of the year, West Seattle Summer Fest, is now just two months away – Friday through Sunday, July 14-16.

Another pop-up shop has opened in the Senior Center of West Seattle‘s ground-level corner space at California/Oregon. Proprietor Sev Sengul, a West Seattle resident, is selling “handmade rugs, handmade antique decorative pillow covers, Turkish bath spa towels. and other unique stuff. Everything is handmade, from all over the world, very discounted price.” The shop is open daily 9:30 am-6 pm through May 29th. Purchases through Mother’s Day get a free gift of handmade jewelry.

Busy week ahead – and if you haven’t already seen it in the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar, here’s the announcement for a first-ever event, happening Thursday:

West Seattle/White Center LGBTQ Business Owner Meetup
Thursday, May 11th | 7 pm to 9 pm
Launchpad Co-Working Space, 6030 California Ave SW

It’s about time LGBTQ West Seattle and White Center business owners gathered together for support, networking, and fun! Join us for our first-ever meetup Thursday, May 11th at 7 pm at Launchpad Co-Working space in Morgan Junction. Let’s get to know each other and see what ways we can support each other. This meetup is specifically for those who identify as LGBTQ and are local business owners (all-size businesses, contractors, entertainers/artists). Drinks and appetizers will be provided.

Hosted by Monica Colgan and Autumn Lovewell, owners of Youngstown Coffee, HeartBeet Cafe, and Launchpad.