The West Seattle Glass Float Hunt started in 2022 and this will be its third year. This year, it’s open to any business that buys at least one of the locally crafted floats to offer as part of the scavenger hunt. Here’s the announcement organizers asked us to share:

Who’s ready for a West Seattle scavenger hunt? Back by popular demand and now in its third year, the 2024 West Seattle Glass Float Hunt kicks off on August 1, 2024 and will be held during the first two weeks of that month.

This year’s event will be bigger than ever, as all West Seattle businesses are invited to participate and hide multiple floats. The West Seattle Junction Association and West Seattle Chamber of Commerce invite everyone to search for glass floats hidden throughout West Seattle, both inside beloved local businesses and outdoors. The West Seattle Glass Float Hunt brings joy to the community and helps promote the businesses who are the backbone of our neighborhood. Last year, the float finders reported spending thousands of dollars in West Seattle by staying to shop and dine. Local businesses reported a jump in new visitors and clients, and one even sold out of a promotional item during the Float Hunt.

Each 2024 glass float is individually hand blown by Avalon Glassworks in stunning, swirling greens to represent the water surrounding beautiful West Seattle. Each 4-inch sphere is stamped with a heart and “WS” on the sealing bottom. Float hunters should look high and low for beautiful glass balls peeking out through the mesh of a knotted net bag. Each float will be labeled so the finder can register it via the West Seattle Junction Instagram account and tag the business sponsor where the float was found. This helps congratulate the finders and celebrate our businesses!

West Seattle businesses can join the fun by ordering their floats today! The last day to purchase is July 4, 2024.

The prices for businesses are $100 for one float, $180 for two, $240 for three.

A new business is getting ready for its grand opening in North Delridge – a new community makerspace called Solder and Bubblegum, “a place where people of all ages can attend workshops and clubs to learn more about electronics, video game development, cosplay and all sorts of other nerdy stuff.” Solder an Bubblegum’s Jason Sturgeon explains that their new space in West Seattle Corporate Center (4025 Delridge Way SW, Suite 140) will have scheduled classes as well as open time – before and after the classes to start with, and “dedicated project hours” by year’s end. They’re planning a Grand Opening event on June 22 to “allow people to interact with some activities that represent the work we’re planning to do, check out the Makerspace in its current form, and ask questions about the space and plans for the community.” Jason explains, “Makerspaces are known as great places to find equipment that might be difficult to otherwise access and some level of technical support to help use them. We’re working to provide both of these things, as well as a strong community that centers around thoughtful classes, clubs, and workshops.” They’ll be offering memberships, with fees “structured to provide multiple levels of access to the space, including a lower-cost option accessible to most folks, and higher tiers for folks looking to help grow and expand the capability of the space for community benefit (as well as to help provide support for lower income folks).” Classes will be open to non-members too. All in all, Jason says, “The vision of Solder and Bubblegum is to be something truly different and unique.” Set your calendar for noon-4 pm Saturday, June 22 to visit and find out more.

Four quick biznotes:

DAISO’S OPENING WEEKEND: You might see some commotion at Westwood Village tomorrow morning – the good kind. It’s opening weekend for the long-anticipated Daiso store, starting at 9 am Saturday and 10 am Sunday, with incentives for the first 100 people to spend $30, as noted on the door signage, so lines are likely. We first reported last July that Daiso was on the way.

KNEIGHBORHOOD KNIVES: Back in April, traditional whetstone-using knife sharpener Genevieve brought her Kneighborhood Knives sharpening business to Hotwire Coffee (4410 California SW), and she told us it was her most successful pop-up ever. So she’s coming back Monday (June 3), 8 am-3 pm. Just show up with your knife/knives, and she’ll sharpen them, $10 each.

HOMESTREET BANK X M & M BALLOONS: Every month, HomeStreet Bank-West Seattle (41st/Alaska; WSB sponsor) spotlights a local business or nonprofit. This month, it’s been M & M Balloon Company, whose co-proprietor Susan Lindsay visited the branch Thursday:

She’s pictured above with HomeStreet’s Andrew Tento. As happens each month, branch visitors can enter a free drawing for a prize from the spotlighted business, so Susan chose the winning ticket for a balloon arrangement.

NEW WELLNESS SPA: One of West Seattle’s newest small businesses emailed us to announce they’re open. Emma Hetnar has opened the private wellness spa Revitalize in Highland Park. She explains, “After overcoming my own battle with chronic illness, I was inspired to create a space where others could come to relax and heal, using the same equipment that I used in my personal healing journey. These treatments have played a pivotal role in my own healing and I am passionate about sharing their transformative benefits with others.” They’re explained on the Revitalize website, which is also where you’ll find information on contacting the spa for appointments.

Two more window signs of note:

TOP POT DOUGHNUTS: When we reported a month-plus ago that Top Pot Doughnuts was returning to West Seattle, we noted that sources had told us the location would be the ex-Wildflour/Flying Apron spot at 4709 California SW. Thanks to Anne for the tip that proof has appeared in the windows today:

Our photographer talked to Top Pot employees working in the space today and they said they’re hoping to be open “in a couple months.” A company spokesperson told us by email “summer.”

PEARLS: We noticed this sign, and empty windows otherwise, while passing Pearls (4800 Delridge Way SW), and stopped for a closer look:

No further info so far. We’ve added it to our watch list for future reopening.

Almost two years after the parent company of Origins Cannabis bought the commercial building at 4822 California SW, they’re almost ready to move in. When Than Brothers Pho closed there in July 2022, we reported on the new ownership, but they hadn’t announced plans for relocating from 4800 40th SW (long set for redevelopment). Now after months of renovations, the sign is up at the new location and a mural has been painted on the north side of the building. Origins tells us, “We are on target to move to our new West Seattle location in July. We wanted to move to a space that would allow for a more open and interactive shopping experience for our adult-use consumers.”

The mural is by artist Glynn Rosenberg: “We were excited to collaborate with Glynn to help beautifully maintain the old-school charm of the Junction.” This will be Origins’ third location since opening in West Seattle in 2016; it was originally at 15th/Roxbury before moving to 40th SW.

(WSB file photo)

Cupcake Royale‘s West Seattle café, long listed for sale, will “eventually” close, as will the mini-chain’s other remaining cafés (the Ballard shop closed earlier this spring). That’s according to an email announcement from owner Jody Hall a short time ago.

In 2003 we opened our doors and pioneered the cupcake craze. It’s been an incredible journey, celebrating life’s big moments and everyday joys. Thank you for being part of our sweet story!

We have some big news and I wanted you to hear it from me first. We’re exploring various options to reinvent ourselves to flourish for the next 20 years. This includes our decision to eventually close our retail cafes and rebuild the business to offer better cupcake pricing, richer compensation for our team, and ability to maintain a sustainable business. It’s a tough but necessary call. ….

Even before this announcement, we had been seeking comment from Hall about the for-sale listing, but she declined to discuss it until she had met with her staff. In addition to urging customers to keep visiting the cafés while they’re open, Hall’s email today says CR is “actively seeking partners for cupcake pick-up locations across Seattle and the Eastside” and she’s also seeking suggestions for “who should fill our shoes” in West Seattle (as well as Madrona and Burien). The West Seattle location, in the city-landmark Campbell Building on the northeast corner of California/Alaska, opened almost exactly 18 years ago – on May 19, 2006.

(WSB photos)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

In two weeks, Tom Sweeney will end a 48-year career, closing one of West Seattle’s last two framing shops.

It’s not because of lack of business, or increased rent, or any of the frequently cited business-closure reasons. The proprietor of U-Frame-It says simply, “I’m tired.”

We talked to Tom in his shop at Jefferson Square, where he’s been for 10 years, after 20 years on California SW, in a storefront lost to redevelopment. We found out about his retirement plan from readers who heard it from him face-to-face; he hasn’t made an announcement via email, or social media, as he says he doesn’t use a computer or cell phone – “I’m an old Luddite,” he laughs, displaying a sheaf of handwritten business records when we ask how many customers he’s served over the decades.

How did he happen into framing as a career? Tom says he was a cross-country driver, just back from eight months on the road, when he walked into a shop to see about framing some photos he had taken. They happened to be hiring, no experience required. Tom said he’d “had enough” of life on the road – so he decided to give it a try, and started November 1, 1975. “They were having so much fun.”

And so was he, until a few years ago. Until the pandemic, Tom says, “this wasn’t work” – and then business intensified, with so many more people spending so much more time at home. He was overwhelmed; his turnaround time increased, from one week to two months. (The shop name U-Frame-It might imply self-serve, but Tom says that business line ended a while back. He doesn’t have employees, either, though he says he did until The Great Recession in the ’00s.)

Even with the steady business, Tom says, “Nobody wants to buy stores.” Nobody much wants to buy his equipment, even; he’s sold one item to a downtown business, but the rest, he expects, will end up “in my garage.” He realizes that “being a shopkeeper is an old-fashioned thing.” And he’s an old-fashioned framer, “doing it the same way I have since I started.”

Not that long ago, he says, West Seattle had seven framing shops. After U-Frame-It closes, only Northwest Art and Frame will remain. He’s already sending people there; though May 31st is his planned last day, he’s already turning away new business (someone opened the door while we were in the shop talking with him, and he offered regrets and redirection).

Since he isn’t making a formal announcement, we asked if he has parting words: “West Seattle’s been incredibly kind to me … I’ve met people (and am) doing their children’s framing now. The clients have been nothing but gracious and kind to me. I’m going to miss them … I’m very grateful.”

So what’s Tom planning to do in retirement? “Sleep, and work in my yard. I’ve been ignoring my yard for 30 years.”