West Seattle, Washington
19 Wednesday
(WSB photo, Delridge Farmers’ Market, May 2023)
If you haven’t already seen this in the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar – the Delridge Farmers’ Market is returning this year, for five months of Saturday sessions, starting this weekend (May 18). We just received the full announcement:
The Delridge Farmers Market, a cornerstone of this Seattle neighborhood, is proud to announce its highly anticipated fourth season, from May 18th to October 26th, 2024. This vibrant community market is organized by African Community Housing & Development (ACHD) and prioritizes BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) entrepreneurship and access to fresh, healthy, and culturally relevant foods in Southwest Seattle.
Nestled at 9241 18th Ave SW, between SW Cambridge St and SW Roxbury St, the market welcomes locals and visitors every Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm. It offers a diverse array of locally sourced produce, flowers, prepared food from global chefs, artisan goods, and more. The market is spearheaded by ACHD, a Black-women-led nonprofit serving King County’s African Diaspora. Bilan Aden, Vice President of ACHD, emphasized the market’s role as a social and economic nexus, stating, “We are proud to cultivate a welcoming market that supports our small businesses. We look forward to seeing everyone come together and support our local vendors.”
The Delridge Farmers Market is a vital resource, bridging the gap in this neighborhood’s access to healthy produce and resources. In 2023, over 25,000 pounds of free produce and over $33,000 worth of basic needs (i.e. diapers, hygiene and personal care products, etc.) were distributed to families in need. Additionally, health and wellness pop-ups, vaccine clinics, blood pressure checks, and health education workshops are available.
In alignment with its mission of inclusivity, the market provides free produce bags and accepts various forms of food assistance, including SNAP/EBT, Fresh Bucks, and WIC/Senior FMNP. Additionally, the Kid Bucks Program ensures every child attending the market receives a $5 voucher to spend on nutritious food. The Delridge Farmers Market invites everyone to celebrate local businesses, foster community connections, and support a healthier, more equitable Southwest Seattle.
For more information about the Delridge Farmers Market or African Community Housing & Development, visit their website at achdo.org/delridgefarmersmarket.
On its opening day this Saturday, the market is also part of the One Seattle Day of Service, and Mayor Harrell is expected to visit in the early going.
Opening weekend is in the (shopping) bag at Cascadia Fresh Market (5444 Delridge Way SW), West Seattle’s new “fresh-food bodega.” Now, it’s full steam (or another cooking method of your choice) ahead to see if this four-month experiment works.
Co-proprietors Jill Moore and Jeremy Vrablik opened the doors after closing time tonight for a by-invitation open house to explain the market to community leaders. We dropped in to look around at what they’re selling – which will change, depending on the fresh “wholesale recovery” food they access through their main business, Cascadia Produce. And it’s not just produce!
On the shelves tonight, we saw spices, sauces, grains, beans, pastas, grits, muffin and pancake mixes, syrups, masa flour, peanut butter, canned salmon, beef jerky, canned corn, canned chipotle peppers; refrigerated and freezer cases held a variety of items from butter to yogurt to single-serving ice cream … and then of course the produce displays. Mangoes were a hit last weekend, Jill noted, and some are still in stock:
Citrus, tomatoes, tomatillos, lettuce, other salad greens, avocadoes, onions, garlic, potatoes, yams, berries (another popular item last weekend) … Did we mention the bottled Jarritos soda and Mexican Coke? Everything has a single-item price (Trader Joe’s style, no weighing). The idea is to get you to shop for smaller quantities, more often, so you’re always eating fresh.
As heard in her short speech in our video above, Jill had a message directed at some of those in attendance – “Watch how it works – then I’m going to ask you to help make it happen” in many places, since she believes it’s a model that she thinks could work in “food swamps” (lots of food, but not healthy food) and “food deserts” all over the city, and beyond. Those there to listen included State Sen. Joe Nguyễn and City Councilmember Rob Saka:
Also there, managers from the West Seattle Food Bank, which already partners with Cascadia Produce and is involved with the new market, including sponsoring a “free fridge” that’ll be the last stop for some unsold food:
Cascadia Fresh Market is for everyone, and they hope shopping there will be enough of a delight that everyone who visits will want to come back. Maybe to see what’s new – maybe to take a break in the bright, light-filled seating area. Maybe to answer a trivia quiz by the checkstand. Or if you have kid(s) with you, for the games they can play. And/or because it’s ADA-accessible – people using wheelchairs and strollers have already rolled in. Plus – no alcohol sales, a potentially appealing aspect to those in recovery. Meantime, the partnership with local schools that Jill described in our preview story is about to launch – and Jill says she’ll be talking about the store to anyone who will listen (and shop). Hours are 10 am-7 pm Tuesdays through Saturdays, noon-6 pm Sundays and Mondays.
(Photos courtesy Cascadia Fresh Market)
We’ve been telling you about Cascadia Fresh Market, aiming to attract everyone to the storefront at 5444 Delridge Way SW for affordable fresh food, seven days a week. The store soft-opens Friday and officially opens this weekend. Co-proprietor Jill Moore sent these photos today as she reported, “First fresh food is rolling in to the market! Berries and mangoes and grapes and kiwis (all $1-3) will greet customers as they drop in for our opening thus weekend.”
Jill and husband/co-proprietor Jeremy Vrablik, a Highland Park couple who own wholesaler Cascadia Produce, say the market is “produce-focused, but will have other cooking staple items and some simple, sweet treats.” (Read more about the plan here.) They’re planning this as a four-month test – if it goes well, they’ll talk with building owner DESC about a long-term lease. So if you like the idea, go shopping as soon as you can. Hours will be 10 am-7 pm Tuesdays through Saturdays, noon-6 pm Sundays and Mondays.
With the snow-sports season ending, Mountain to Sound Outfitters in The Triangle is going “appointment-only.” Here’s the announcement we received on behalf of M2SO proprietor Greg Whittaker:
Greetings Fellow Snow and Paddle Sport Lovers,
We have some updates as we plan for summer that we wanted to share with you all. Effective May 12th, Mountain to Sound Outfitters will temporarily close to regular store hours for the summer season and pivot to appointment only. This decision reflects our commitment to improvement, as we seek to restructure our operations for the betterment of our community and to set up for a fantastic 2024-2025 winter season. We will remain open at Alki Kayak Tours, and will keep staff busy at the beach running on-water operations and facilitating by appointment sales and services at Mountain to Sound Outfitters.
During this hiatus, we will be working behind the scenes, refining our offerings and updating some systems to help the operations run smoothly. When we return for the launch of the 2024-25 winter season we look forward to reconnecting and dialing you in with the best winter gear.
Your support during this transitional period means the world to us. We invite you to visit us over the weeks, whether to stock up on summer essentials or gear up for the snowy season ahead. Your patronage now will help sustain us through this period of reimagining. If you are in need of paddle gear, please order and buy online, or make an appointment and we will be your personal shopper during our appointment hours.
We want to express our gratitude for your support and understanding during this reset. Rest assured, we remain committed to serving you. We still have a great selection of stand up paddleboards, kayaks, and accessories as well as vehicle racks. Most of what we sell will be available for demo at our sister business Alki Kayak Tours, which will be open 7 days a week beginning in June, and is currently operating weekends and by appointment. Please check our website for updates.
Sincerely,
Greg & the M2S Crew
(WSB file photo)
Thanks to Ashley for the tip! Ten months after we first reported that Westwood Village had a Daiso store on the way, the opening date has been announced: Saturday, June 1. If you haven’t seen the signage (which went up two months ago), Daiso is opening in a newly consolidated space that was formerly SportClips and Fresh Vitamins. According to the announcement, the first 100 customers making $30 purchases after the store opens will get tote bags and plushies. Store hours weill be 9 am-9 pm Mondays-Saturdays, 10 am-8 pm Sundays.
As reported here last month, Delridge Grocery Coop has ended retail operations – and its former space is becoming home to a new store aimed at making affordable fresh food available to everyone. That new store, Cascadia Fresh Market, opens this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, May 11-12, in the space at 5444 Delridge Way SW. As noted in our previous story, the people behind it are the West Seattle entrepreneurs and community advocates behind Cascadia Produce, Jill Moore and Jeremy Vrablik. They’ve lived in North Delridge for a decade and have had the free-food stand Carrot Man’s Carrot Stand outside their house since mid-2020.
They established Cascadia Produce in 2017, and pivoted to food security in 2020 “with a food box contract from the USDA serving all of Washington State in a time of critical need.” Jill continues: “Since then, Cascadia has gone on to make custom food boxes featuring produce for many customers, most of them non-profits, food banks, or government institutions. Cascadia specializes in culturally relevant food boxes and medically tailored food boxes for people with specific health conditions – health organizations are increasingly investing in food as medicine. Our boxes always feature fresh produce, but include other items that allow meals and snacks to be made from the contents.”
Here’s how they make this go: “During the course of our food box work, as well as the fresh food sourcing we do for over 50 Washington food banks, Cascadia developed unique access to wholesale recovered food, as well as farm fresh food without a sales channel. Cascadia is able to receive these two categories of food and create a secondary market for food security partners in which the originating farms are paid, fresh food is affordable, and no food goes to waste for lack of a market. Fresh Food should be available to everyone at a reasonable cost, within a reasonable distance of where they live.”
That’s the philosophy that led them to propose the Cascadia Fresh Market pop-up as a successor to DGC – as a four-month pop-up for starters. “If successful in the community, Cascadia Fresh Market will negotiate with the landlord (DESC) to stay long-term,” Jill explains. Here’s how the store will work: “Cascadia Fresh Market is produce-focused, but will have other cooking staple items and some simple, sweet treats. Produce will be priced like a dollar store, for $1, $2 or $3 per item. All produce prices will be well below retail. Produce we can’t sell rapidly will go to an onsite ‘Foodbank Outpost’ sponsored by the West Seattle Food Bank. Anyone may take food from the free fridge during business hours. The market aims to be zero waste, making sure all edible food has a chance to be consumed by a human while still in good condition.” As for the space, even if you shopped there in the DGC years, Jill says, “We have been working hard in the space to reconfigure and add additional cold storage to showcase the fruits and vegetables. It looks very different!”
They’re soft-opening for a “neighbor preview night” this Friday. Then it’s opening weekend Saturday-Sunday; Jill says, “The market will be fully stocked and will carry some flower bouquets for Mother’s Day.” The store will be open daily – 10 am-7 pm Tuesdays through Saturdays, noon-6 pm Sundays and Mondays. That may change, Jill adds, “as we understand the preferred shopping hours of our community.”
There’s a benefit aspect too: “Cascadia Fresh Market is partnering with a different elementary school each day of the week in a symbiotic effort to make families aware of a market where they can save money by buying more fresh produce and also benefit school programs. Every day, once the Fresh Market hits a low daily overhead number, Cascadia will profit-share 20% of sales back to the PTA of the school assigned to the day of the week. Shop, save money, eat more fresh foods, and benefit local schools all in one fell swoop.” So far they’re partnered with Fairmount Park (Sundays). Highland Park (Mondays), Louisa Boren STEM (Wednesdays), Sanislo (Fridays).
For families, “This market will be very kid friendly, with a couple of games for them to play while parents browse, as well as snacks on site so parents can have a quiet moment to squeeze melons etc while they shop. The market will also be friendly for the DESC building residents, providing hot coffee and eventually grab and go foods we hope will please residents and give them a nice place to visit.”
For everyone: “Shopping at the fresh market will be a bit of an adventure. While we will have all the produce staples like apples, potatoes, carrots, onions, peppers, etc, we will also have exotic foods – less commonly-seen produce items like broccoflower, escarole, purple cauliflower, dragonfruit and more (rotating stock, always fresh). We hope people will enjoy the produce they love but also try new and exciting foods, because why NOT when it’s only $2?”
One of the last remaining independent small businesses at Westwood Village is closing its brick-and-mortar doors. Lauren’s Jewelry, formerly known as Wyatt’s Jewelers, is going online-only. Proprietor Lauren Wiggins already has started promoting a going-out-of-business sale (as noted here) and is now officially announcing her shutdown plan:
It is with a heavy heart that after 5 years of Lauren’s Jewelry, we are closing our store. Lauren and Tyler would like to thank each of our friends, and customers for allowing us to do what we love to do, and being a part of our lives.
Please come in and take advantage of this opportunity to save up to 70% on our entire inventory of diamonds, color stones, and silver jewelry. Come in and enter to win a pair of 1.00ctw diamond earrings.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you. -Lauren
It’s been a challenging five years – as noted in this January report, Lauren reported having a collection of seven SPD officer cards from investigations of burglaries and attempted burglaries (and now, add the truck theft to that). Meantime, Lauren tells us she hasn’t set a hard-and-fast closing date yet – the going-out-of-business sale will include a “VIP preview” event next Tuesday through Friday for starters, and she’ll see how things go from there. She bought Wyatt’s Jewelers from previous owners Kirk and Joni Keppler when they decided to move on after 15 years.
After 14 years, The Beer Junction (4511 California SW) is getting a new look. Proprietor Corey Leitch sent the announcement:
The Beer Junction is thrilled to announce the launch of its new brand identity, marking an exciting chapter in the establishment’s journey since opening its doors in 2010.
The centerpiece of the rebrand is a contemporary logo depicting the familiar sight of a hand gripping a beer bottle, with the cap bursting off the top, symbolizing the release of the beverage and the joyful anticipation of that first sip.
This dynamic image encapsulates The Beer Junction’s role as a facilitator of memorable beer experiences. It represents the art and ritual of properly pouring and appreciating a finely crafted beer, capturing the essence of the establishment’s passion for fostering beer culture and community. …
The new logo was designed by artist Casey Callahan. Another Beer Junction note – they’re planning to open the outdoor “patio” for the season next weekend.
Congratulations to the winners of this year’s Westside Awards – here’s the announcement sent by the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce:
The West Seattle Chamber of Commerce presents the annual Westside Awards, honoring three local businesses and one individual who demonstrates results-oriented leadership, a cornerstone of a thriving economic region.
2024 Westside Award Winners are:
• Westside Business of the Year: Alki Beach Academy
• Westside Emerging Business of the Year: Southpaw Barbershop
• Westside Not for Profit of the Year: A Cleaner Alki
• Westsider of the Year: Mike Kreiger, Teacher and Coach, Madison Middle SchoolAward winners and all nominees will be recognized at the Annual Westside Awards Breakfast on Wednesday, May 22, 7:30 am-9 am, at The Hall at Fauntleroy.
At the Awards Breakfast, Fred Rivera, Executive Vice President, Corporate Secretary, and General Counsel of the Seattle Mariners, will lead a keynote fireside chat moderated by Brian Callanan, Loop the ‘Lupe, discussing how dedication and collaboration are pivotal in shaping operations within the Mariners organization, from celebrating successes to integrating new members into a culture focused on teamwork and recognizing individual contributions.
Early Bird Pricing for tickets is $55 per person through May 3rd, and $65 per person May 4th onward. Get your tickets at https://loom.ly/PJNQ0qU or wschamber.com.
Below are this year’s Westside Award nominees (from community suggestions solicited earlier this year), also from the Chamber’s announcement:
Tote bag, souvenir glass, and the chance to try a wide variety of local wines! That’s what you get with your ticket to the West Seattle Junction Association‘s next Wine Walk, 5-9 pm Friday, May 17. It’s usually sold out in advance but this time they’ve expanded the number of participating businesses and wineries – 30 wineries, 26 businesses! – and therefore the number of tickets available, so we’re mentioning it today to let you know that some tickets are still waiting to be snapped up! You can go here to see the list of wineries (which includes WSB sponsors Viscon Cellars and Spruce Hill Winery) and to buy your ticket (good for 14 tastes). Then on Wine Walk night, check in when you’re ready to start, and go to the venues of your choice!
Today we welcome our newest sponsor – here’s their message for you:
Equip Your Child for Life’s Adventures: Social-Emotional Learning at Camp Branching Out, Led by Madyline Ekins, M.Ed., BCBA!
Does your child struggle with managing emotions, making friends, or bouncing back from challenges? Camp Branching Out, our Social-Emotional Learning Camp led by Madyline Ekins, M.Ed., BCBA, provides a fun and engaging environment to develop essential life skills!
Madyline Ekins is a passionate expert in social-emotional learning. She holds a Master’s degree in Education with an emphasis in Behavior Analysis, giving her a deep understanding of how children learn and grow. For four years, Madyline honed her skills working within Seattle Public Schools, and for the past three years, she has been empowering children through social-emotional camps and after-school classes.
While primarily geared toward children aged 4-10, we understand that development varies! We may have some flexibility in this age range based on the applicant pool to ensure a positive and nurturing environment for all campers. Our primary goal is to foster an environment where this year’s campers will grow and excel in their social and emotional intelligence.
Your Child, Our Focus!
This year’s curriculum at Camp Branching Out will be crafted specifically for our campers! Once we receive applications, Madyline will carefully review the information provided by parents to identify common areas of need and focus. This ensures the camp activities directly address the most relevant social-emotional skills for this year’s unique group of campers.
Imagine your child:
Feeling calm and confident: Madyline will utilize the Zones of Regulation framework to help campers identify their emotions and develop healthy coping mechanisms.
Building strong friendships: Through engaging activities and the Superflex curriculum, campers will learn communication, collaboration, and empathy, fostering lasting friendships.
Thriving in the face of obstacles: Madyline’s camp fosters resilience with activities designed to build problem-solving skills and a growth mindset.
Don’t let summer be wasted! Give your child the gift of social-emotional intelligence with Madyline Ekins‘ expertise. Enroll them today in our limited-space Social-Emotional Learning Camp at Camp Branching Out!
Spaces are filling up fast! Contact us to learn more.
We thank Madyline Ekins, M.Ed., BCBA, and Camp Branching Out 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!
(WSB photo from 2022)
Thanks for the tips. Customers of Sound Credit Union have received the company’s announcement that it plans to close its West Seattle Junction branch at the end of June. Here’s the announcement in its entirety:
As a member-owned financial cooperative, we continually analyze our branch locations to best serve you, our valued members. We have made the difficult decision to permanently close our West Seattle Branch, located at 4730 California Ave (SW), on Friday, June 28, 2024.
That’ll be this year’s second financial-institution closure in West Seattle, following the March closure of Wells Fargo‘s Admiral branch. It’ll be at least the second branch closure for Sound Credit Union, after its First Hill shutdown (corrected date) in March 2023. Sound Credit Union opened in the 4730 California mixed-use building as the first-ever tenant in that space, more than eight years ago. Last year, the branch was robbed three times.
Three business notes:
HOMESTREET X SWSHS: We photographed Bob Livingston of HomeStreet Bank (WSB sponsor) and Elizabeth Rudrud from the Southwest Seattle Historical Society as HomeStreet wrapped up its month of spotlighting SWSHS at the West Seattle branch. Visitors have had the chance to enter a drawing for two free tickets to the upcoming SWSHS gala, and the drawing was held Wednesday. Elizabeth told us they’ve added a third guest speaker to the gala on May 3 (tickets and info here): Michael Halady, the Duwamish artist who carved the story pole now at Admiral Way Viewpoint Park. Live-auction items at the gala include making your own ice cream with Husky Deli and a custom mural with Desmond Hansen. If you can’t get to the gala, the online auction – open to all – starts next Monday (April 29), with items including a three-day stay at a lodge near Yellowstone. Preview – and register for – the online auction by going here.
LITTLE DONKEY BRUNCH: When the new restaurant at 3401 California SW opened in February, the proprietors said they’d be adding brunch – and that finally launches this week, every Friday and Saturday, 10 am to 3 pm. Here’s the menu.
MOLLY MOON’S TIMELINE: Almost three weeks now since we reported Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream is moving into 4540 California SW in The Junction. It’s not going to happen as quickly as you might expect – Katie from Molly Moon’s answered our followup inquiry: “Of course everyone wants to know ‘when will you be open?’ and all I can say is that we want to be open as soon as possible! So much of the timing is out of our control (permitting, construction schedules, etc) but if it goes our way, we’d love to be scooping cones and cups by this fall!” City records show the company has indeed applied for permits, so the process has begun.
As noted in the newest West Seattle Junction Association newsletter, Top Pot Doughnuts is returning to West Seattle, three years after they lost their lease and left Alki. When we contacted Top Pot to ask, a spokesperson replied, “The future is very exciting for Top Pot — and we are thrilled to return to West Seattle. While we do not have anything specific to announce … let’s just say that the dough is in the proofer!” They wouldn’t confirm a location, but sources tell WSB it’s believed to be the former Wildflour/Flying Apron space, which recently posted LEASED signage:
Top Pot’s Alki space, open for almost six years, was the eastern half of where West Seattle Arcade is located now.
ADDED: Top Pot confirmed in a May 3 news release that it’ll be in The Junction.
(WSB photo, 2023)
The bright and beautiful season of hanging flower baskets in the West Seattle Junction is about to begin – the baskets arrive next Monday, according to West Seattle Junction Association executive director Chris Mackay. For a second year, you’ll see bigger, reusable baskets that use less water. And community members are helping cover the costs again this year by “adopting” baskets; Chris tells WSB that about 20 of this year’s 95 baskets are still awaiting “adopters.” For $189, you’ll be adopting a basket for the entire season, including a plaque displaying your name and message; that counts as a donation to the Junction Association, the nonprofit that’s not only the merchants’ association but also the engine that powers Junction events including West Seattle Summer Fest (happening July 12-14 this year). To adopt a basket (or two!), just go here.
That’s Genevieve, who rejuvenates knives by “traditional hand-sharpening on whetstones.” As listed in the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar, she’s having a pop-up tomorrow (Tuesday, April 23) at Hotwire Coffee (4410 California SW), 9 am-4 pm. $10 per knife. Here’s the FAQ on her Kneighborhood Knives website, in case you have a question before just showing up.
Thanks to Eddie for the photo. That’s the crowd outside Easy Street Records in The Junction in the early going of Record Store Day this morning. We just checked the California/Alaska traffic camera and there’s still a crowd, more than six hours after the shop’s 7 am opening for the occasion. If you’re wondering what they’re all lined up for – special releases, as shown on this list!
P.S. As we mentioned in this morning’s daily-preview lineup, Thunder Road Guitars (6400 California SW; WSB sponsor) is riffing off RSD – bring your Easy Street receipt in to get 10 percent off in-store purchases at TRG!
(December photo courtesy Outer Space Seattle)
That’s part of the space at 2820 Alki Avenue SW that held Outer Space Seattle until just under four months ago. Now we know who’s moving in – here’s the announcement we received today from the proprietors of West Seattle Arcade:
West Seattle Arcade is expanding into a second space one block up the beach. We will be opening our sister location, Gary’s Place, (named for Matt Cichy’s dad, who owned and operated arcades around Seattle in the ’80s, ’90s, and early 2000s). Gary’s Place will afford us the opportunity to offer even more to our customers. We will be serving beer and snacks, along with an offering of some more classic arcade machines, more rhythm games, and a slightly more-grown-up atmosphere. As an extension of the West Seattle Arcade, Gary’s Place will be all ages, and accept the same Play Cards that we currently use.
We are working hard to get Gary’s Place up and running as soon as possible, but a lot of the timing will depend on how smoothly the permitting process goes.
This news comes nine months after Elyssa and Matt Cichy opened West Seattle Arcade at 2758 Alki Avenue SW.
As announced two weeks ago, the volunteer-run Delridge Grocery Co-op is ending its storefront retail operations – but first, three more days during which you can shop at the 5444 Delridge Way SW store and get discounts – here’s the DGC reminder:
This is the last weekend the Delridge Grocery Co-op will be offering store hours as we wind down our operations. We’ll be open during our regular weekend hours — Friday 3-7, Saturday 9-3, and Sunday 11-3 — and will be offering great deals on our remaining inventory. April 21 will be our last day of store hours.
Everything in the store is discounted by 15% for EVERYONE, along with additional savings on select items — including 50% off all home, kitchen, and personal care items plus gifts and greeting cards.
Our volunteers will be working hard this weekend to start getting the store in shape for the upcoming Cascadia Produce pop-up (scheduled to start May 8), so we will have more to share with you in the next week.
Some information about the “pop-up” – which will actually be a 7-day-a-week shop – is in our April 5 report.
You might have noticed renovations underway in the former beauty-school space at 4811 California SW. Two new food-and-drink businesses are moving in – you might even say they’re three businesses. We talked with co-owner Rosanne Zhu, who’s opening Upwell Wine and Coffee, sharing the space with Walter’s Wine Shop, operated by co-owner Chris Tanghe, who holds the rare and prestigious title Master Sommelier. Both are longtime West Seattle residents. Walter is their mascot, shown in the photo below with Rosanne, Chris, and the future Walter’s delivery (in West Seattle) van:
(Photo courtesy Upwell Coffee & Wine/Walter’s Wine Shop)
Rosanne and Chris have more than two decades each in the hospitality industry, she notes. (She too is a certified sommelier, and attended culinary school at South Seattle College [WSB sponsor].)
She says Upwell will be a “coffee shop by day, wine bar afternoons and evenings.” She’s the chef and explains the food plan: “The all-day menu at Upwell coffee shop will include pastries, sandwiches, salads, composed cheese plates, fruit cups and the like. For the Upwell wine bar three nights a week, we will serve a mainly seafood-based menu with charcuterie and snacks. I grew up in a ‘hunting family’ so there will be pheasant confit, lamb’s tongue, and other oddball meat choices as well.” As for the coffee, the official house roaster will be Herkimer, and Upwell will have other coffees in rotation.
Walter’s will be a full-service wine shop and “a community space to learn about wine, with educational classes taught each month … we want to make wine fun, free from pretense, and accessible to all,” Rosanne says. In addition to operating Walter’s Wine Shop, Chris plans to continue his “day job,” which also involves wine, with the educational nonprofit GuildSomm.
Upwell and Walter’s will have slightly different hours, though Rosanne promises that if you want to buy a bottle of wine before or after the 11 am-7 pm hours that Walter’s will be open, Upwell will be able to ring it up. Upwell will serve “food and coffee seven days a week from 7-3, and wine and snacks three nights a week from 4-10.” It will be an all-ages space.
So, the big question: When will they open? Their contractor has been running ahead of schedule, according to Rosanne, so now it’s mostly a matter of liquor-license timing; they’re aiming for June 1.
Several questions today about the fence going up around the California/Graham building where Sub Shop #9 closed two and a half years ago. As we noted back then, the property is owned by the family who owns O’Neill Plumbing (WSB sponsor) next door. We asked them this afternoon about the fence; they say it’s going up so they can use the site and building for storage.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Imagine a band, orchestra, choir, mega-group of more than 500 musicians, stretching from the century-old brick building at the north end of Delridge onto the neighboring West Seattle Bridge, playing a song together. Maybe “Don’t Stop Believing.” Or “Let the Music Play.”
That would suit the determined mood of Erin Rubin, whose Mode Music Studios has that many students, something you might be surprised to hear, given how unassuming Mode’s building looks to passersby as they head to or from the bridge or the industrial zone below it.
Mode Music Studios (a WSB sponsor) is not the entirety of her tuneful 10-year-old enterprise, either. Erin also leads nonprofit Mode Music and Performing Arts – headquartered in the same building in the 3800 block of Delridge Way SW – which brings music and theater into schools, and into the lives of students whose families might not be able to afford it otherwise.
Not all small-business owners run nonprofits too. But most know the challenge of keeping a business not just surviving, but thriving. In the past four years or so, that’s been especially grueling. “When you’re trying to tread water, since the COVID shutdown and the bridge shutdown, it’s been one thing after another … you aren’t able to make the moves you want to, now it’s just kind of survival mode.”
“Moves” has a double meaning for Erin, Mode Music Studios, and Mode Music and Performing Arts. She is almost certainly going to have to move, with the likely location of Sound Transit‘s Delridge light-rail station spanning the location of her business and others, including music venue/restaurant/bar The Skylark next door, Ounces Taproom and Beer Garden just down the block, and other North Delridge businesses to their west, including Alki Beach Academy and others in the Frye Commerce Center.
Erin and her neighbors stress that they are not trying to stop the light-rail project. “I welcome public transportation but I’m concerned we’re gonna lose a lot of what we love.” Despite the near-certainty that her business will have to move, the building is not included in the recent “early acquisition” decision, meaning she’s in a unique kind of limbo. The circumstances are so difficult, Erin sent an open letter to the Mode community last week, as we noted here; we spoke with her the next day, just before Mode’s monthly all-ages open mic at The Skylark next door.
Your neighbor Jon thought other parents of small children should know about this since, he says, “Finding someplace to recycle old child car seats is a struggle!”: Westwood Village Target is participating in the chain’s car-seat trade-in promotion for the next two weeks. You have to be a member of their loyalty program to get the reward, described as “Guests who trade in their old car seats will receive a 20% off bonus toward a new car seat, car seat base, travel system, stroller or select baby home gear.” This is happening through April 27; the dropoff box is near Guest Services in the front of the store.
P.S. If you just want to donate no-longer-needed car seat(s), White Center-based WestSide Baby accepts them – if they meet the parameters listed here.
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