West Seattle, Washington
29 Monday
We’ve received several questions about this in recent hours – people wondering if the Westwood Village Target is one of the two Seattle stores the company is closing, especially considering the recent expansion of locked shelving for many items in the store. Answer: NO – this store is NOT on the closure list. Here is the official Target announcement about closures – the Seattle stores it’s shutting down are in Ballard and the U-District.
Three restaurant notes:
MISO OPENS: The new Highland Park “K-food” restaurant at 16th/Holden is open at last, as of today. We took pics yesterday as their preparation stretched out one more day. Ben is the proprietor:
He tells us Miso (which is Korean for “smile”) will be open 11 am-8 pm Mondays through Saturdays, closed Sundays. We photographed the menu: here and here.
MORE ABOUT BANH MI XO: We mentioned briefly Tuesday that this sign had gone up at 35th/Henderson:
We’ve since connected with proprietor Guy by email. He says hours will be “most likely breakfast and lunch (8 am-3/4 pm).” Menu plans: “Banh mi, bun (vermicelli), fresh spring rolls, bubble-tea drinks, fruit smoothies, and Vietnamese waffles.” Guy adds, “This will be our first sandwich shop, but hope we can expand. We have been in the restaurant for 10 years+ in the past.” As for when they’ll open, “Later October/November will be our best guess.”
PORTAGE BAY CAFE: Peter from Portage Bay Café emailed us with news of a fall change in hours:
Our location in West Seattle will be shifting to our fall hours starting next week. Like our smaller neighborhood stores in Ballard and near Ravenna, West Seattle will be switching to five days a week, open Thursday through Monday. Thursday, Friday, and Monday, we’ll be open 8-1:30, and on Saturdays and Sundays, we’ll be open 8-2.”
September 26 and 27 will be the first weekdays we’ll be closed, resuming five day a week service starting on the 28th.
It’s been almost nine months since Portage Bay opened at 4725 42nd SW.
One month ago, we reported on the announcement that the couple who own Youngstown Coffee, HeartBeet Organic SuperFoods Café, and Launchpad are closing all three businesses, which are side by side at 6030-6032 California SW in Morgan Junction. Tonight we have updates from Autumn Lovewell and Monica Colgan:
FAREWELL PARTY: This is happening tomorrow night:
Farewell Party for Youngstown and HeartBeet w/ Tomo Nakayama at Skylark Café (3803 Delridge Way SW)
Thursday, September 21 at 7 pm
All-ages show
Free (donation recommended at the door)
More info here
CLOSING SALE: This starts Friday:
HeartBeet Café and Youngstown Coffee are having a closing sale open to the public starting Friday, September 22nd, located in Launchpad, through October 8th. Tons of inventory needs to be sold through. Items will be deeply discounted and folks can make offers. Here is a link to find out more details. Kitchen equipment, coffee supplies, office furniture, decorative items, bulk foods, electronics, so much more.
REMAINING OPEN SCHEDULE: Here’s the updated plan:
Youngstown’s last day will be this Saturday, Sept 23rd
Thursday and Friday open 8 am to 12 pm
Saturday 8 am to 2 pmHeartBeet West Seattle is still on track to close Saturday. Sept 30th.
Their current open hours and days are Monday through Saturday 8 am to 3 pm
(HeartBeet Queen Anne’s last day was last Friday Sept 15th)
As noted when they announced their closure plan, their building is being sold.
Three biznotes tonight:
(WSB photo)
BANH MI AT 35TH/HENDERSON: Thanks to Arlene for the tip! The former Indulge Desserts and Stuffed Cakes storefront at 35th/Henderson, between Goldie Lux and West Seattle Fish House, now has a “coming soon” sign up. The space at 9003 35th SW will soon be home to Banh Mi XO, promising sandwiches and tea. We have a message out to the Renton-based proprietors.
(Photo courtesy Shug’s)
SHUG’S GETTING OH-SO-CLOSE: Three months ago, we reported that Shug’s Soda Fountain was finally close to opening their “mini” location in the California/Charlestown spot they’ve held for five years. Now Shug’s says they’re expecting to open next month! The owners of Shug’s are West Seattleites, and they’ve had plenty of community involvement over that long wait – even pop-ups right outside – but this will be the long-awaited final step.
ADMIRAL VISION: One more quick followup: We told you last month about Dr. Peter Wu‘s new optometry practice at 2715 California SW, in the Admiral Station building, nect to West Seattle Realty (WSB sponsor). Dr. Wu tells us his clinic is now open – you can call or text 206-589-2882 for an appointment
Starting this weeik, Outer Space Seattle plans to fully relaunch its all-day open-play space on Alki. Here’s the announcement:
Outer Space Seattle’s unfortunately timed opening in December 2019 (just two and a half months before the pandemic) left them in quite the financial predicament. The owners, Caitlin Huertas & Jeannie Hammock, pivoted their business plan by offering learning pods, child care, and preschool. While this allowed them to keep their doors open, they are thrilled to be going back to their original plan — full-day open play and café.
Huertas says, “We were happy to help West Seattle families by offering remote learning pods and child care during the pandemic. But the time has come for us to go back to our original plan: All-Day Open-Play Indoor Playground & Cafe. This also allows us to offer more play opportunities to more families. We have updated our menu, improved our sensory room, and we added sound absorbing panels to help with the noise level. We look forward to seeing everyone at our Grand Reopening this Wednesday, September 20th, 2023!”
Things to know:
-Socks are required for all
-No outside food allowed, but unopened, prepackaged baby food is ok.
-Parents need to stay onsite and supervise their children.
-The menu offers a range of family-friendly foods.Hours:
Monday – Thursday 10 am to 8 pm
Friday 10 am to 9 pm
Saturday 6:30 pm-9 pmOuter Space Seattle is closed to the public on Saturdays until 6:30 pm and all day Sundays for private parties.
They’re at 2820 Alki Avenue SW, between Locust and Cactus.
If you run a business, your fellow entrepreneurs at West Seattle Coworking (9030 35th SW; WSB sponsor) have two chances ahead this month for you to get helpful info during free presentations/workshops.
SEPTEMBER 22: At noon Friday, September 22nd, West Seattle Coworking is hosting “a presentation from master librarian Jay Lyman on the vast collection of business tools available for free to Seattle Public Library patrons. Typically, many sophisticated business softwares require the purchase of expensive licenses if you access them privately. The library pays these licenses so you don’t have to. To learn which tools are available, and discuss some applications for your business’ needs, reserve one of the remaining seats here.
SEPTEMBRER 26: At noon Tuesday, September 26th, at WS Coworking, “a more interactive workshop on common-sense marketing. Choosing what marketing works for your business needs and where your time and resources are better spent can be a daunting task by itself. Join Barney Cohen (a fellow coworker and successful entrepreneur) in this interactive workshop. Bring your questions as well.” You can register here. https://westseattlecoworking.zohobackstage.com/CommonSenseApproachtoSmallBusinessMarketing
“Every mom is an athlete.” That’s the premise driving West Seattleites Jess Fleming and Karlie Causey as they release a line of “high-impact nursing & pumping sports bras” via Kickstarter, for their company Jen & Keri (which already sells other items). They explain:
Unlike traditional nursing sports bras with fasteners like clips, zippers, or velcro, Jen & Keri’s approach stands out in the world of postpartum attire with a unique focus on activewear designed specifically for the needs of moms, not just their babies.
Their design not only improves the ease of nursing & pumping pre or post activity, but also significantly improves upon the daily quality of life for active moms. … This new style of bra looks and functions like a traditional sports bra, but with the full functionality of a nursing bra. By taking an athlete-first approach in their design, this new nursing bra empowers new moms to tap into their sense of self and move with confidence during this transitional phase of life. … Jen & Keri’s bras are purpose-built to support athletic movements with novel bounce-reducing designs that provide compression without constriction, while still offering amazing breathability.
Their wide straps and waistband target maximum support for all of life’s movements, and their buttery-smooth fabric is perfect for sensitive skin. Above all else, Jen & Keri’s bras are built without any cumbersome clips, zippers, or velco, ensuring moms never have to sacrifice form over function, and enabling them to be worn long after infancy.
The founders are both former college athletes; Causey is a chiropractor and Fleming is a strength coach. They say they’re also concerned about sustainability, so their bras are made with “recycled, OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 fabric.” If you scroll down their Kickstarter page, you’ll see details of how the new bras work, what colors and sizes they’re available in, and more. (That’s also where you can support their crowdfunding campaign – the only way to get this specific line of bras right now.)
The photo is from Mountain to Sound Outfitters (WSB sponsor) in The Triangle, where the West Seattle Boat Swap is happening until 4 pm. It’s all about, as M2SO describes it, “human-powered watercraft (Kayaks, SUPs, Canoes) and accessories!” With weather like this, there’s still lots of prime time to get out on the water, and it’s also never too soon to get ready for next year. The shop’s at 3602 SW Alaska (and once you’re all geared up, join tonight’s sunset paddle for Maui, presented by M2SO’s sibling business Alki Kayak Tours).
(WSB photo, West Seattle Junction QFC)
As the Kroger/Albertsons grocery mega-merger plan continues moving forward, reports today say Kroger is planning to sell hundreds of stores to alleviate some concerns related to the merger. The buyer would be C&S Wholesale Grocers, a wholesale supplier that also operates some grocery stores in other states. The deal would include the QFC brand name, under which two West Seattle stores operate (The Junction and Westwood Village). According to Kroger’s announcement, any QFC stores not sold in the deal “will be re-bannered into one of the retained Kroger or Albertsons Cos. banners following the close of the transaction.” (Albertsons’ best-known “banner” around here is Safeway.) Also according to the announcement, Washington would be the state with the most stores affected – “104 Albertsons Cos. and Kroger stores” would be sold. (We haven’t yet found the list of specific stores.) The $1.9 billion deal would take effect after the Kroger/Albertsons merger closes – currently expected early next year – the corporation says. Its potential effects have been of concern here for reasons including the current proximity of Kroger and Albertsons stores – the Junction QFC store and Jefferson Square Safeway store are less than a block apart; the Westwood QFC store is just a few blocks from Roxbury Safeway. QFC, owned by Kroger since the late ’90s, has 50+ stores in Washington.
You can buy, sell, or trade paddlesports gear this Saturday at Mountain to Sound Outfitters (3602 SW Alaska; WSB sponsor) during the West Seattle Boat Swap. Extra reason to go to the shop: As announced last week, the M2SO store in The Triangle (and online) is getting out of the paddlesports business, so they are offering hot clearance deals as they get ready to focus on winter sports. If you have gear to sell on Saturday, register online first – deadline is 6 pm Friday – and then drop the item(s) off 9-11 am Saturday; if you want to buy, Boat Swap hours on Saturday are 11 am-4 pm. (P.S. You can also set your calendar now for M2SO’s West Seattle Ski Swap, October 14-15.)
As mentioned here last week, this month’s spotlight at HomeStreet Bank-West Seattle (4022 SW Alaska; WSB sponsor) is shining on the West Seattle Food Bank – and it’s accompanied by a donation drive! You can bring food and/or clothing (for the WSFB Clothesline) to the branch (look for the display shown above) during regular hours, 9 am-5 pm Mondays-Thursdays, 9 am-6 pm Fridays. While you’re there, register for this month’s prize drawing – on September 15th, they’ll draw the winner for one ticket to the Taste of West Seattle.
Three years after the national chain Rite Aid acquired Seattle-founded regional chain Bartell Drugs, it’s closing some Bartell stores. And employees of the White Center Bartell store (9600 15th SW) are telling customers theirs will soon be among them. We’ve heard from multiple readers who say they’ve been told in recent days that the store will close at the end of the month, and a visit to the store reveals many items on sale at deep discounts. We have inquired with both Rite Aid and Bartell corporate spokespeople via email and phone, but have yet to receive a reply or acknowledgment either confirming or denying. As we reported on partner site White Center Now, the White Center store’s building changed ownership a year and a half ago, purchased for $5.1 million by an LLC associated with a California electrical contractor (we have an inquiry out to the owner as well). King County permit records show nothing on file for the sizable site. When the 4th Avenue Bartell store in downtown Seattle closed in July, The Seattle Times reported that was the fifth Bartell closure in less than a year; since then, one more has been announced. All this is unfolding against a backdrop of financial challenges for parent company Rite Aid.
(WSB file photo)
Lots of questions in the past week or so about the status of Tony’s Market, the independent seasonal produce-and-more store under the red, white, and green tent at 35th/Barton. By this weekend, it seemed clear that the market had stopped selling produce for the year, as the merchandise had all been cleared out, but we wanted to reach proprietor Joey Genzale to be sure. Today by phone, he confirmed to WSB that the market is closed for the season, but he says he’ll be back as usual for pre-Halloween pumpkin sales, followed by Christmas trees in November and December. No start date for pumpkin sales yet; we’ll check back.
P.S. There’s now a Mexican-food truck on the lot, according to Ross at nearby West Seattle Coworking (9030 35th SW; WSB sponsor). We’ll be checking on that soon.
PCC Community Markets‘ West Seattle store (WSB sponsor) has two accessibility-related updates to share today:
The elevator at West Seattle PCC is back in service. It was a pain point in accessing the store for the last few weeks…
We are also updating to have permanent reserved accessible parking when the parking lot is restriped this coming month.
The store is open 6 am to 11 pm daily at 2749 California SW (corner of SW Stevens).
Thanks for the tips. Almost four years after opening Nos Nos Coffee at Upton Flats in High Point (35th/Graham), Khalid Agour has sold the shop to his longtime coffee provider, QED Coffee. Contacted by email, QED’s Matt Greenfield explained why it’s been a low-key transition and what’s ahead:
Having worked as Nos Nos’s coffee partner for years, when Khalid approached us about taking over Nos Nos we were both excited and honored. Nos Nos has a special place in the community and my partner lives only a few blocks away, so it is also part of our personal neighborhood. We took over Nos Nos on somewhat short notice because we did not want to see it sold off to some random “no longer local” group.
In the short term we will be transitioning to QED signage in the next few weeks and will slowly be expanding Nos Nos’ beverage and food options. However, it is our intent to keep most of Nos Nos unchanged. We were lucky enough to retain the same kitchen staff and our in-house food options will continue to be the same.
So Nos Nos may be transitioning to QED, but we intend to retain the things that made Nos Nos the special place that it is.
QED actually had a West Seattle shop for a while last decade, in the space now occupied by (for a few more weeks) Youngstown Coffee.
P.S. Nos Nos founder Agour continues to work on an expansion of his original West Seattle establishment, Itto’s Tapas on the north end of The Junction (California/Genesee). He says that “will be more of a wine bar with different food than Itto’s.”
(June photo)
“Coming soon” is about to change to “open now”! Two months after we reported that Seattle Yarn was moving to The Admiral District, the one-of-a-kind shop has announced that today is opening day in the new location. Among other things, the new location will facilitate more dedicated class space. Seattle Yarn is now at 2701 California SW; hours are on their website.
Three weeks ago, we reported on the boutique Cherry Consignment> celebrating 14 years in business. In conjunction with that milestone, HomeStreet Bank (WSB sponsor) spotlighted Cherry throughout the month, and (above R-L) proprietor Nyla Bittermann joined HomeStreet’s Joyce Leslie for a Thursday drawing to win a gift card. Every month, the HomeStreet West Seattle branch (4022 SW Alaska) spotlights a local business or nonprofit; this month, it’s the West Seattle Food Bank, so if you visit the branch, you can learn about WSFB too.
Another change in south Morgan Junction: We noticed a big COMING SOON sign while passing 6971 California SW, and stopped to check out the sign next to it that explained what’s “coming soon.” The Fine Baking Co. is on the way to the middle space in the building (where massage clinics have been located in recent years). Via the email address on the window sign, we contacted baker Chely Smithgall, who told us:
I’m a home baker with a cottage food permit; since I had such a great turnout and feedback from people I decided to open up my storefront! So excited about it!!!
I do cakes, cupcakes, cake pops, personalized printed cookies and treats; they can be ordered or just come to buy at the store.
Not sure when we will get permits and all that, but hoping to be able to open before holidays – hopefully October!
You can see some of her creations here.
(Photo sent by Mike)
Thanks to Mike for the tip! Floors Plus Northwest has moved – but is still in Morgan Junction, now in the former Super Supplements space at 6451 Fauntleroy Way SW, where we stopped in and talked with co-proprietor Liliana Morales.
(WSB photos from here)
She says the new location is bigger and has offstreet parking for customers. The sign’s not up yet but they’ll install it as soon as it arrives.
Meantime, she says they’re having a sale right now “on all Gaia LVP lines, Abode and Kentwood Savannah Collections in hardwood, Aurora hardwood, and all Dream Weaver carpets.” She and husband Luis Morales opened Floors Plus Northwest almost three years ago; the building where they were originally located, 6959 California SW, was on the market recently, but county records don’t show a change in ownership.
Thanks for the tip! Dere Auto is clearing out at 35th/Barton, after more than three decades. We went over to inquire after a texter sent a photo of this note on the door:
As the note says, they told us, they’re consolidating into their Rainier Avenue location. They also told us that the West Seattle site – which has been listed as “for lease” for a while – will be taken over by Meineke, which recently closed its 17th/Roxbury location (slated for redevelopment). We haven’t yet reached that company to confirm.
A change in focus is ahead for Mountain to Sound Outfitters (3602 SW Alaska; WSB sponsor). As proprietor Greg Whittaker summarizes it, the Triangle shop – and its online operation – will be “focusing on the mountain side of it and the Sound side will be primarily located in Alki Kayak Tours,” his longtime business at Seacrest. Here’s the announcement:
Mountain to Sound Outfitters (M2S) in West Seattle announces it will no longer continue its Paddlesports department. After several years of attempting to grow the category, we have determined that it is no longer a feasible category for us in the Seattle market. Mountain to Sound Outfitters’ on-water location, Alki Kayak Tours, will continue to operate as a rental, instruction, and touring operation for paddle sports, and will offer demo kayaks and stand-up paddleboards (SUPs) for certain brands. M2S will continue to be the go-to winter-sports provider for the Seattle market and is currently ramping up for the upcoming winter ’23-’24 season.
This Labor Day weekend, Mountain to Sound Outfitters is holding a clearance event to liquidate its inventory and has amazing clearance deals in the best paddle brands in the world. M2S is also holding a Scratch & Dent, and Boat Swap on 9/9 and will be selling off a lot of the used equipment from Alki Kayak Tours at that time as well. Information can be found at this link: m2soutfitters.com/boat-swap–scratch–dent-sale.htm
“It is a business decision that I have held off making with the hopes we could make the paddlesports department work,” says Greg Whittaker, owner of M2S. “We are paddlers and love providing the best equipment in the world for our customers, but the volumes don’t offset the overhead costs of the store to continue to be a stand-alone paddlesports shop.” Whittaker adds, “Since we also operate an on-water location, we will be shifting our energy toward growing the variety and offerings at Alki Kayak Tours, and will still be able to offer certain kayak and SUP brands to demo and purchase through our livery operation.”
Come by and support the shop online or in person as we clear out our remaining paddlesports inventory, and stay tuned for developments in our retail operations as we determine what best fits our store and community’s needs.
M2S is open Wednesdays through Sundays; you can see its hours by going here.
Just in time for another heat wave, there’s a new type of ice cream in town. Meaghan Haas of Highland Park Corner Store says it’s a new sideline in her storefront:
Tip Top an Ice Cream Shop brings New Zealand-style ice cream to Seattle. New Zealand-style ice cream, also known as real fruit ice cream, blends frozen fruit into an ice cream base, creating a custom-flavored ice cream each time. While it has been popular in New Zealand for quite some time, this fruity treat is just now catching on in the States. With only a handful of Little Jems (the custom-made ice cream blenders) in the States, Tip Top is the first one here in Seattle.
Tip Top’s tagline is “New Zealand-style ice cream with a Northwest twist.” Sourcing local ingredients that reflect the flavors of both New Zealand (hokey pokey – aka seafoam – from Indu!ge Desserts) and the Northwest (sweet cream and coconut cream base from Full Tilt), Tip Top seeks to keep the simple intent of NZ-style ice cream with local NW tastes. Additional regional ingredients include locally sourced fruits (when available), Theo chocolate, Three Tree Tea matcha powder, and Papa Tony’s Hot Sauce spice powder.
Tip Top is located inside Highland Park Corner Store, a community-centric corner store in Highland Park, West Seattle. Owner Meaghan Haas immigrated from the Seattle area to New Zealand after high school and obtained her degree from University of Auckland. She sees Tip Top as a way to bring her appreciation of her time in New Zealand – and Kiwi culture – to the Seattle area. Tip Top serves ice cream 7 days a week, from 11 am-8 pm Mondays-Saturdays, and 11 am-5 pm Sundays.
Highland Park Corner Store, and Tip Top, are at 7789 Highland Park Way SW.
Thanks to Dave for the tip. A beloved West Seattle Junction business is entering a new chapter, with a change of ownership – though you could say it’s staying in the family. The Beer Junction‘s longtime proprietor Allison Herzog announced the change via email this morning (we’re excerpting it with permission):
(Photo courtesy The Beer Junction)
Yesterday was my last day as the Owner of The Beer Junction. I’m very happy to say that Corey, our General Manager, and his wife, Shanel, purchased the business and are the new Owners effective today. The store will open a little late today (we’re targeting 4:00 pm, but maybe earlier!) to finalize a new Point of Sale system and The Beer Junction will continue under new leadership.
If you’ve followed our story, you’ll know I have a lot of love and memories at The Beer Junction. It has been part of my life for thirteen years, through good and bad times. The bad times: losing Morgan to cancer and learning to run the store without him. That was the hardest. But also: Fear of going bankrupt in the early years. Fear of going bankrupt again during Covid shutdowns. Fixing broken fridges. Losing internet service (why does it always happen on a busy Friday?)
But those are outweighed by the good times: the West Seattle community, who was here with me through it all. The friendships and relationships I’ve made that I will carry with me. You know who you are. Brew day for our anniversary beer each year. Inside jokes with employees and customers (too many to list!). And the amount I’ve learned—about beer, about business, and about myself.
To be clear, this is not goodbye. I still live in West Seattle. I still plan on visiting The Beer Junction for a pint or two. I’ll just be on the other side of the bar.
After I made the decision to sell the store, it was important to me that it continue much as it is today, under someone with beer knowledge and experience running a bottle shop/beer bar. It didn’t take long for me to find that person—it was obvious that it was Corey. If he’s ever given you a beer recommendation or if you’ve attended one of the recent tasting events he’s hosted, you’ll know how knowledgeable he is. Like me, he is a Level 2 Certified Cicerone, but I must admit his beer knowledge far surpasses mine. And before he worked at The Beer Junction, he was the General Manager at the well-respected Teku Tavern. Corey has already made positive changes since he has taken over as General Manager here, and I am grateful that The Beer Junction is in good hands.
Allison’s late husband Morgan Herzog opened The Beer Junction in July 2010 in a small commercial building that was demolished for the construction of Junction 47, leading to the shop’s move to 4511 California SW less than two years later.
Meantime, new proprietor Corey says in the announcement, “I am thrilled to continue the legacy and the great work that has been done at The Beer Junction. … I can’t wait to continue to provide our community with great beer, excellent service and a place to feel at home.” He explains that he had long dreamed of opening a beer bar, before coming to work at The Beer Junction, and so this now makes that dream come true. You can read the entire announcement, and see photos from the shop’s history, by going here.
Also – you’re invited to a sendoff celebration for Allison on Wednesday, September 6th starting at 5 pm. And in the short term, as mentioned above, the shop is opening late today for some point-of-sale-system work – they’re hoping for 4 pm-ish.
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