A notable sight in one of the public-records sets we check daily for potential news, the list of King County liquor-license applications, which is often the first place a new business, or existing business’s new owner, will surface. Starting last week we noticed a raft of applications for specific stores around the county, mostly QFCs and Safeways, to transfer their licenses to entities with 1918 Winter Street in their names. That’s an entity of C&S Wholesale Grocers, the third party to whom more than 400 stores are to be sold if the Kroger-Albertsons merger goes through. The proposed license transfers have been appearing in the daily reports in batches; today is the first time we’ve seen any of the local stores that are part of the potential deal, per the list we reported last month: Westwood Village QFC and Admiral Safeway are now on the license-transfer list (the third local store proposed for sale to C&S is the Junction QFC). The license filings don’t mean anything operationally for now, but notable nonetheless. We double-checked with C&S to be sure they weren’t closing the deal in advance of the merger, and spokesperson Lauren La Bruno replied, “The transaction is not final and C&S’s agreement is subject to Kroger and Albertsons resolving the pending cases in court.” The newest court case is a counter-offensive by Kroger, seeking to stop the Federal Trade Commission‘s review of the merger.

Another West Seattle Junction shop is moving to a new, bigger location nearby. A texter sent the photo on Thursday from Mystery Made‘s front door at 4310 SW Oregon. We checked in with Mystery Made proprietor Cory Côté, who tells us via email that the new spot “around the corner” is the space recently vacated by Swan Dive:

Big News! We are moving down the block to the old Swan Dive spot, 4537 California Ave SW location (the original Easy Street) – can’t wait to show it off – and bring some buzz back to The Junction!

The space is definitely larger than the current space so we’ll be able to bring in more premium goods and continue to put our Northwest spin on retail as we roll into fall and the holidays.

Shooting to re-open up retail Sept 1st in the new location/home! Fingers crossed! But you can still order online in the meantime at www.mysterymade.com

Looking forward to doing a grand reopening party!

It’s been four years since Mystery Made moved from Admiral to The Junction (into a former Christian Science Reading Room).

(Photo via Instagram)

A decade after opening his fly-fishing-and-more-for-outdoors shop at 42nd/Oregon, Dave McCoy has landed a new, more-visible location for Emerald Water Anglers (WSB sponsor). But he’s staying in The Junction – Emerald Water Anglers’ new home will be the former Bin 41 space at 4707 California SW. He’s doing extensive work on the space right now (photo above), planning to be open there in late September. Though the EWA store dates back to 2014, Dave’s business, with guide services as well as full-service fly-fishing outfitting, started long before that, in 1999. EWA also offers classes and hosts events including book launches and film screening, along with selling fishing gear and outdoor apparel. So look for all that in the new space this fall; meantime, you can still visit EWA’s original location at 4502 42nd SW (which is now officially up for lease).

(WSB photos)

The annual West Seattle Boat Swap is on, happening today at Mountain to Sound Outfitters in The Triangle (3602 SW Alaska). You can browse human-powered watercraft (kayaks, SUPs, canoes) and accessories, both consigned by community members and from the stock at M2SO and its partner business Alki Kayak Tours (WSB sponsor).

The Boat Swap is on until 4 pm today.

Starbucks is apparently wasting no time dismantling its 25-year Alki store, just hours after its permanent shutdown. Alki Community Council president Charlotte Starck just sent this photo of a crew preparing to haul away the signage. The company announced on July 16 that August 11 would be this location’s last day; then yesterday (Friday, August 9), multiple readers sent word they’d spotted a sign posted on the door saying it was closing day as of 6 pm. When contacted, Starbucks claimed the original announcement just had “a typo” with the wrong date (though the same date was provided days and even weeks later to regional media outlets) and that it was always intended to be Friday. No hint yet in permit files of a successor for the space, nor have we found a public for-lease listing yet. Meantime, the Starbucks website still shows a job opening for the now-closed location, dated 12 days after the shutdown announcement.

Three and a half months after we first reported that Top Pot Doughnuts would return to West Seattle, it’s about to open. We visited the new space at 4709 California SW – where Wildflour closed in January – during a preview event this afternoon. The Top Pot team confirmed that they’ll officially open tomorrow (Wednesday, August 7), 6 am-7 pm.

Below are Mark and John from Top Pot, with Chris and Stacie from the West Seattle Junction Association:

The Junction shop is opening three and a half years after Top Pot closed its previous West Seattle location on Alki.

The chain was founded on Capitol Hill more than 20 years ago.

Today we’re welcoming Nola’s Events as a new WSB sponsor. Local businesses joining the sponsor team get the chance to tell you what they do – so here’s a message from Nola’s Events!

(Pictured with Nola: Chef Weeze, her daughter and sous chef Sarah, sales assistant Clementine)

Hello to our West Seattle Friends – We are excited to become a sponsor for the WS Blog and tell you a bit more about Nola’s Events.

We are a woman-owned-and-operated business here in WS and we love our community! I have been a resident of WS for many years and actually started my first catering business here in the ’90s across the street from the Cow on 35th.

We pride ourselves in using local, seasonal, and organic foods in our hand-crafted menus for private parties, weddings, corporate events, fundraisers, and special occasions. Drawing from the bounty of the NW and cuisines from around the world, we work with our clients to create wonderful events for family, friends and associates.

Some of our clients and those we support include the WS Food Bank, WS Center for Active Living, WS Garden Tour, and many private clients. We can’t wait to tantalize you with our beautiful foods and warm, professional service. Please visit our website at nolasevents.com. You can also enjoy some of our favorite dishes featured at West Seattle Thriftway in the deli-prepared take-home foods…

Bon Appetit and we look forward to helping you plan your best moments!

Nola and Chef Weeze and our fabulous team
Nola’s Events
nola@nolasevents.com

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

Another one-of-a-kind West Seattle shop has announced it’s closing. Here’s what we received “on behalf of the Bremen family and the team at Second Gear Sports,” the sports-consignment store at 6529 California SW:

For the past 11 years, you’ve trusted Second Gear Sports to help your great gear find a new home. Our families grew up together. Your kids (and ours!) recycled and replaced what they’d outgrown.

You made our store a community hub, often lingering after the sale to chat with a neighbor you hadn’t seen in a while. You shared your upcoming recreational plans with us. We are proud to have supported countless local schools and organizations. We cherished every partnership and camaraderie with fellow local business owners.

It’s no surprise that the pandemic made recovery hard for many businesses. For outdoor-centric businesses, last winter’s slim snowfall compounded issues. We attempted positive changes in store footprint, product, and price balancing, but this could not offset steeply rising costs in labor and rent. Our inability to negotiate our lease to meet our business needs is the final blow. Hence, we have made the difficult decision to close on August 31.

Second Gear was born after two economic downturns and, as a result, our household endured back-to-back mass layoffs. The West Seattle community helped us hit the ground running, proving the local need for what we had to offer.

When a regular person starts a small business, they have a vision and a dream. When things go well, that vision and dream expand. Rarely does an owner consider the day they might have to close up shop.

We’ve seen a lot of this in West Seattle lately. It’s hard to watch. For every closure, rest assured that owner explored every possibility to press on. They are your people, your neighbors, their kids may know yours. They employed local residents. Keep your mind and heart open for anyone closing a business. It’s a loss.

In the meanwhile, come see us through August. We will hold sales to liquidate inventory. It’s the perfect time to get needed gear for the remainder of summer or early for winter.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics says only 35% of small businesses make it this far. All in all, we had an excellent run. We appreciate your support over the years and helping us reach this milestone.

Mark and Ellen Bremen opened Second Gear Sports in September 2013; just half a year later, the shop was honored as Emerging Business of the Year by the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce.

We took that photo inside Cherry Consignment (4142 California SW) on the north edge of The Junction last year, when proprietor Nyla Bittermann was celebrating her shop’s 14th anniversary. Now it’s time for a milestone – 15 years! The party starts Thursday – here’s the announcement Nyla sent:

Come celebrate with us Thursday 8/8 through Monday 8/12. We’ll kick off our celebration on Thursday, 8/8, at 5 pm with an after-hours shopping event and the fun will last all weekend. The entire store will be 15% off all weekend, all purchases over $50 will receive a special gift, and we’ll have local makers popping up each day. We’ve also got yummy snacks and sips. Plus! We’re doing a no-appointment-needed “drop and shop” on Monday, 8/12, from 1 to 3 pm. Your chance to drop off 10 or less pristine items that we’ll process as we are able. Thank YOU for supporting Cherry Consignment for the last 15 years – What a gift and honor to be a part of this amazing community. Come shop with us over the weekend, so we can say ‘Thank You’ in person!

Thursday is also West Seattle Art Walk night, so after you visit Cherry, you can move on to this month’s Art Walk venues!

site_plan_gene_jaurez_west_seattle-073024

11:58 AM: One month after Sound Credit Union closed at 4730 California SW in The Junction, there’s an early-stage permit filing for a new tenant: Gene Juarez Salons and Spas. The Seattle-founded chain – owned by an L.A.-headquartered investment firm since 2018 – has filed a site plan for the 2,700-square-foot space from which SCU cleared out at the end of June. Gene Juarez currently has 12 locations around the region. We have an inquiry out to the company to ask about the prospective West Seattle salon.

12:58 PM: Company CEO Katie Trent responded, “We do not have anything to share at this time.”

Four miscellaneous West Seattle business notes:

SPIRIT-ED AGAIN: Apparently the Westwood Village space where Bed Bath & Beyond closed two and a half years ago still doesn’t have a permanent tenant waiting in the wings. The temporary store Spirit Halloween is coming back for a third year, per signage we spotted, confirmed on the company website.

COFFEE CLOSURE: Reminder that the drive-thru Starbucks at Avalon/Fauntleroy is now closed for about a month of remodeling, as mentioned when the company announced the upcoming permanent closure of its Alki store. (That store’s last day is August 11; Avalon/Fauntleroy is expected to reopen sometime in September.)

SPEAKING OF REMODELING: That’s what’s happening at the Junction 7-11, according to the staff member we asked tonight after a few reader questions about the big containers in the store’s parking lot. The store remains open. No details of the remodeling, and there’s nothing in online permit files, so we’ll have to inquire further.

ELSEWHERE IN THE JUNCTION: The restaurant Raccolto, on the north edge of The Junction, has been closed since Thursday, dealing with “plumbing issues.” The note on the door expresses hope for “tomorrow,” though we don’t know how long that’s been up. (Thanks to Ian for the tip.)

Turns out this is closing day for another Junction business too. A texter tipped us that Supercuts in Jefferson Square is closing after 40 years in business. Coincidentally we were at Jefferson Square when that tip came in, so we walked over to confirm. It’s true, staff told us, saying “corporate” made the decision to close the location. Subsequent records searches shows it’s a franchise, with a parent company holding multiple regional locations; we’ll be following up. Obviously any Jefferson Square changes from hereon out also have to be viewed through the prism of the center’s likely demolition for the Sound Transit Junction light-rail station, though the current timeline doesn’t start construction for at least three years. Meantime, according to the location list on the Supercuts website, this closure will leave the chain with only one outlet within Seattle city limits, in Northgate.

(Reader photo sent by Mark)

Today is closing day for Swan Dive, which opened a year and half ago at 4537 California SW in The Junction. Via email, proprietor Ali Brownrigg tells WSB:

It’s really super sad for me. I loved having a shop in the Junction but sales are just too slow and as a single mom with no other income, I don’t have the runway to wait for sales to improve. I hope that people think back on Swan Dive’s brief stint in the Junction with fondness. I know I will. I’ve met so many great people through the store and that makes me feel blessed.

Before Swan Dive moved in, the space held Virago Gallery, which left to go online-only.

Three months after we first told you about two new businesses moving into the ex-beauty-school space on the south edge of The Junction, they’re open! After soft-opening during West Seattle Summer Fest, Rosanne Zhu and Chris Tanghe are now announcing their businesses’ official debut:

The day has arrived! Upwell Wine & Coffee and Walter’s Wine Shop are now open for business 7 days a week on California Ave SW near the Alaska Junction.

Coffee shop hours are 7 am-3 pm where you can always grab a coffee brewed with Herkimer beans or experiment with a rotating roaster that changes every 8 weeks. Our initial partner is Seattle’s own Elm Roasters from Pioneer square. All pastries made in house and starting at 9 am there will soon be a daytime menu featuring made to order breakfast and lunch items too.

Coffee service ends at 3 and Thursdays through Saturdays, Upwell transforms into a wine bar with 12 wines by the glass and an evolving menu of seasonal dishes, tinned fish, and other goodies.

Walter’s Wine Shop opens at 11 and has wines from around the world featuring sustainable practices and a spectrum of styles. Wine classes start in a few weeks on Wednesdays and the wine club will follow suit. Free delivery to West Seattle will commence when the online shop is up in August.

We look forward to meeting the West Seattle community!

Upwell/Walter’s is at 4811 California SW.

Thanks to everyone who has sent tips after getting notification from Bank of America that it plans to close its Admiral branch (one of its three West Seattle branches). This announcement comes with more than half a year of lead time – the notices, and the B of A website, say the closure date is February 11, 2025. This will be the second bank closure in Admiral in less than a year; the Wells Fargo branch at California/Admiral closed last March (and the building remains up for sale). And it’s the latest of several local branch closures in the past few years- most recently, the Sound Credit Union branch in The Junction closed last month; the Washington Federal branch in Morgan Junction closed three years ago; and Chase closed its in-store branch at West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) half a year before that. We’re following up with B&A regarding the Admiral closure notice. (For history fans – when we got here in the early ’90s, the building was a diner.)