(8/14 note: To check whether a business is still a current WSB sponsor, please go here)

Today we welcome a new WSB sponsor, FASTSIGNS West Seattle, now open. Here’s what they would like you to know about their business:

(FASTSIGNS’ James Pike, Christine Greene, Steve Sharp)
We are excited to be part of the FASTSIGNS® family, which is a multi-national franchise and recognized as a leader in the industry. After researching several business options, the owners, James Pike and Jessica Lee, determined that FASTSIGNS® would be a great addition to the business community, serving West Seattle, Burien, and the surrounding area.

At FASTSIGNS® West Seattle, we care about our customers and we make it as easy as possible for the customer to achieve all of their visual communication goals, needs, and desires. With over 50 years of collective experience in graphics, production, sales and business development and architecture, our team is ready and excited to serve the community and build relationships with our customers. Every business has a story to tell, and we look forward to having the opportunity to help tell your story.

As residents of West Seattle, the owners of FASTSIGNS® West Seattle are very involved within the West Seattle community as members of the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce, and Jessica, who grew up in West Seattle, is the Treasurer of the West Seattle Food Bank. She is also an alumnus of Seattle Lutheran High School as well as Seattle University and the University of Washington. James, originally from London, UK, is active in various soccer leagues and also a diehard Chelsea football supporter!

FASTSIGNS® West Seattle is located at 6323 35th SW and online at FASTSIGNS West Seattle. Please call 206-577-4077, or request a quote online.

We thank FASTSIGNS® West Seattle for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.

(8/14 note: To check whether a business is still a current WSB sponsor, please go here)

Today, we welcome a new WSB sponsor: Skin Butik. New sponsors are invited to introduce themselves to you, so here’s what they would like you to know:

(From left, Skin Butik’s Donna Mansfield and Sara Lowe)
Skin Butik offers you European skin care, without leaving West Seattle. Clients are happy to choose Skin Butik for reasons such as our absolutely gorgeous and private space with convenient parking in Morgan Junction. We cater to one client at a time here; they are delighted to find the entire spa all to themselves and enjoy private, and very personal, one-on-one, first-class service at Skin Butik. Also, we are enthusiastically connected to the West Seattle community and a great resource for referring people to other fantastic local businesses in the area!

We often hear from clients how happy they are that they discovered us, some of them as many as 15 years ago! Skin Butik clients are so happy they don’t have to travel downtown, pay for parking, pay too much money for only a mediocre experience and deal with a large staff; they love the European quality of the services we provide. The majority of our business happens through word of mouth, and we could not be more grateful for our referrals! The best part of our job is that we are as much inspired by our amazing clients as they are by us. We discuss everything here, from overall health, diet, and lifestyle, to the latest trends in fashion, to worldwide travel. Our clients keep coming back for the ultimate relaxing experience and optimum aesthetic services and care, including the best European facial Seattle has to offer. Seriously.

Our community involvement includes being part of the WestSide Professionals BNI organization in West Seattle, a BNI organization that meets every Wednesday morning to network, and grow each other’s businesses in our community. We look forward to growing our business and want to thank all of our amazing clients for their support all these years! Here’s how to contact Skin Butik, including online appointment requests, or call 206-938-7714.

We thank Skin Butik for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Earlier this year, WSB started a series of stories about independent local businesses and why they matter more to a community like ours than you might realize. Then, the “West Seattle: We Have That” campaign launched at midsummer. Now, we’re continuing to publish stories as part of the series – and inviting you into the conversation. Many of the reports are being underwritten by the West Seattle Junction Association, but not as ads – it’s their contribution to an issue of importance from Alki to Admiral to Westwood, Fauntleroy to Highland Park to North Delridge, and all over WS.

By Keith Creighton
Special to West Seattle Blog

Tomorrow night is the next Shop Late Thursday in The Junction, one of many ways West Seattle shopkeepers – outside The Junction, too – are hoping to attract your shopping dollars this holiday season. As we have noted before in the ongoing series of West Seattle: We Have That! stories, they are also very aware that competitors are literally at your fingertips. So here are 10 reasons to consider shopping in person instead of/in addition to online:

#1 – Super-cute shops, great personalities

Shopping alone in your pajamas has its benefits, but there’s nothing like the personal connection you get in a boutique. Independent local retailers are your neighbors and they really know their stuff. They’ll answer your questions, serve as your personal shopper, tell you about the latest trends and offer a second opinion whenever you need one.

#2 – Seeing is believing

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(MONDAY UPDATE: Jenny at The Bridge now says the new location opens THURSDAY at 5 pm)

The dilapidated exterior of 6301 California SW is now a memory, but the old Chuck and Sally’s Tavern sign lives on in the back of the building’s new incarnation as The Bridge. With it are two of the co-proprietors, Trevor Garand and Rita Dixson, in their Seahawks gear because they opened the new place to invitees for this afternoon’s game.

You should be able to watch the NEXT Seahawks game there, because they’re expecting to officially open on Friday (December 13th) Thursday 12/12.

The site is returning to life as a business for the first time since August 2007, when it abruptly closed, initially, as reported here in September of that year, with just a sign mentioning cooler problems. A “For Lease” sign went up in early 2011, but it continued to idle as a vandalized eyesore. Then this past May, as first reported here, Rita, Trevor, and partners Jenny Almukhtar and Ahmed Almukhtar signed a lease and confirmed The Bridge would renovate and move into the building. Its original building near 35th and Avalon, closed last week, is scheduled for demolition when a six-story, 160-unit, 162-parking-space mixed-use building goes up.

Thanks to Mike for the tip: The state’s second weekly list of recreational-marijuana business applicants (linked from this page) includes the first application for a retail location in West Seattle, for A Green Life, at 5435 California SW, same site as the storefront that’s been home to several medical-marijuana outlets in the past few years.

There are also two additional West Seattle filings for marijuana-growing licenses – Northwest Medicinal at 5420 26th SW and R&B Group at 3601 W. Marginal Way SW, same address as the Evergreen Herbal application reported here last week; R&B is also seeking a processor license. The state is midway through a one-month period of accepting applications from those wishing to become involved in the recreational-marijuana industry enabled by voters’ passage last year of Initiative 502. Next list is due out next Tuesday.

As holiday-shopping season began around West Seattle on Friday, this was the most unique scene we came across — Santa Claus rocking out, guitar and all. The jolly ol’ soul was outside a one-of-a-kind West Seattle business, Thunder Road Guitars (WSB sponsor), where this weekend marks the first anniversary of proprietor Frank Gross‘s bricks-and-mortar storefront:

Today is the second day of Thunder Road’s three-day anniversary sale – details in our calendar listing. The shop at 3916 California SW is open today 10 am-6:30 pm.

SIDE NOTE: Find other businesses’ special deals for today in the WSB Holiday Guide and our forthcoming West Seattle Saturday highlights.

10:27 AM: Perfect day to put up a sign! That’s what a crew from City Lights Sign Company is doing this morning at the new location of The Bridge at California/Graham, where six months of renovation work have made the old Chuck and Sally’s exterior a distant memory. Next Monday (December 2nd) – featuring the Seahawks on Monday Night Football – is the final day/night of operation at The Bridge’s current location at 4439 35th SW, making way for a 150+-apartment mixed-use development, and they’re inviting patrons and friends present and past to commemorate the closure with a group photo, set for 3 pm Sunday (December 1st). No exact date set for opening the new location but The Bridge’s Jenny Almukhtar describes it as “shortly after” the old one closes.

12:37 PM UPDATE: Went back for an “after” shot:

P.S. Back at the current location, per Jenny: “Starting today, we are offering an Open-Faced Turkey Sandwich with cranberry cream cheese, piled high with mashed potatoes, stuffing & gravy. Served with a side of green-bean casserole or a traditional Turkey Dinner with all the aforementioned sides, gobble, gobble. While supplies last!”

As the state gets closer to granting its first marijuana-selling licenses, it’s just published its first list of who’s seeking them. Reviewing the list for local applicants, here’s what we found: So far, no West Seattle applicants for a marijuana-retailer license; no West Seattle applicants for a marijuana-processor license, though there’s one in nearby Shorewood (Going Green, 2525 SW 102nd Lane); one West Seattle applicant for a marijuana-producer license, Evergreen Herbal, in the Riverside area at 3601 W. Marginal Way SW, seeking a Tier 3 license – described as “10,000 to 30,000 square feet of plant canopy.” The state says it will update this list weekly during the one-month application period, which ends on December 19th (more info here).

Just in from the city, news of potential interest to our fellow small businesses:

Next fall when businesses in the region’s four largest cities want to get a local business license or need pay their local business and occupation taxes, they’ll be able to do it through FileLocal™. That’s the new name given to a multicity business license and tax portal that will provide cost savings for businesses, reduce administrative costs for cities and improve access to local license and tax information. Along with the new name there is a website, www.FileLocal.org, to provide businesses information about the upcoming portal.

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(Photo courtesy Green Rubino)
West Seattle-based entrepreneurs Elise Lindborg and Kelli Henderson will be in “the other Washington” later this week to accept a national award. Here’s the news release we received about how the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce will be honoring them:

Elise Lindborg and Kelli Henderson, leaders of ZippyDogs, a Seattle-based supplier of Made in USA and eco-friendly promotional products, will travel to Washington, D.C. on November 22 to be honored at the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) National Dinner. This black-tie gala is dedicated to celebrating leading LGBT business owners and entrepreneurs, corporations and supplier diversity advocates, as well as government and community leaders. From a competitive field of applicants, ZippyDogs was selected as LGBT Supplier of the Year.

The LGBT Supplier of the Year award recognizes an exemplary certified LGBT Business Enterprise® (LGBTBE®) for their outstanding achievement and contribution to the development of LGBT supplier diversity. ZippyDogs assists companies to market their business through the creative use of eco-friendly and Made in USA promotional products. Earlier this year, ZippyDogs customers responded with overwhelming satisfaction to a service survey and described the company as innovative, responsive, reliable, friendly, and “off the leash.” ZippyDogs is led by “Top Dog” Elise Lindborg and “Chili Dog” Kelli Henderson, who both attribute their company’s growth in part due to the NGLCC’s Supplier Diversity Initiative.

“The NGLCC has been pivotal to the success of ZippyDogs, and that makes this award extra special to us,” says Elise Lindborg. “Not only do we provide products that we are proud to sell to our clients, we take every opportunity to educate our customers about eco-friendly, Made in USA products, and supplier diversity. If we can help influence companies into this forward-thinking model of business, then we can wag our tails at the end of the day.” ZippyDogs has been in business since 2000; however, the last three years have seen sustained growth for ZippyDogs. Since purchasing their World Headquarters and becoming a LGBT certified business in 2010, they have hired two employees, won two government contracts, they are on par to make 2013 their best year in business yet.

The “World HQ” is in the north Morgan Junction area, as reported here when they celebrated its opening.

Today we’re welcoming a new WSB sponsor, AAA Washington. AAA’s West Seattle team wants to make sure you know about everything AAA offers:

AAA Washington has been serving members since 1904. We opened our West Seattle office in 2004 and recently moved to our current location in Jefferson Square. You know us for our legendary emergency roadside assistance and traffic safety advocacy, but AAA offers much more.

Did you know that AAA Washington Insurance Agency is the largest personal-lines insurance agency in the state? Yes, we’re dedicated to helping you find the best coverage for your home, auto, life, boat, RV, and umbrella insurance needs. Three of our best insurance agents – Deb-e, Dane, and Linda – work right in your community. They invite you to come in and talk about your insurance coverage needs, and will provide you with a free insurance review.

AAA Travel is also the largest leisure travel agency in the state. Unlike many travel agencies these days, we don’t charge service fees for cruise or tour packages. Mary and Alison would like to help you make your vacation dreams come true! The West Seattle office Travel Store also offers luggage, travel accessories, destination guides, travel gear with identity theft protection features and many other travel items. Our West Seattle office has two member travel counselors, Kathleen and Debra, who can assist members with trip planning, maps, TripTik routings, and TourBook guides. Our members rave about how helpful our staff is when it is time to pack up the car and hit the road. Need a passport photo? It’ll just take a few minutes. International Driver’s License? We’re the only place in the state that offers them. Foreign currency for your international trip? While you don’t need to be a member to take advantage of all these services and products, members do receive special discounts and benefits.

Our West Seattle staff also wants you to know that giving back to the community and public service is a big part of our DNA at AAA. Through our “Soap for Hope” toiletry donation collection program and similar community outreach programs, we support local charities such as Seattle’s Sojourner Place. Unused toiletry donations (soap, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, etc.) can be dropped off year-round at the AAA West Seattle office.

The friendly and professional staff at AAA is proud to be a part of the West Seattle community and very pleased to sponsor the West Seattle Blog. We look forward to seeing you soon!

We thank AAA Washington for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.

HOTWIRE HISTORY, THE FOLLOWUP: Banish the gloom with the history-making “light bar” at Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor) – now up and running. As first reported here last month, and shown in several citywide-media reports since then, Hotwire has installed full-spectrum lights, to set up the city’s first “light bar.” See them – and bask in the glow – next time you’re at the coffeehouse next to The Junction’s post office, 4410 California SW.

BANK CHANGEOVER DATE SET: Also in The Junction, the date is set for the official transition of AmericanWest Bank (4022 SW Alaska) to HomeStreet Bank. We reported back in July that the change was on the way; a company spokesperson tells us the bank’s first day as HomeStreet will be December 9th, and the signage will be changed a day or two beforehand.

EQUILIBRIUM FITNESS MOVE: This business is leaving The Junction; November 14 is the date that the fitness studio expects to open its new location at 3270 California. Signs are already up; the storefront was previously Cloud City Skateboard Shop, which closed quietly a few months ago.

CARTER’S COMING TO WESTWOOD? According to city-permit records, the Carter’s chain of children’s-clothing shops is planning a location at Westwood Village. No date or other information; we have an inquiry out to the company.

TONY’S PRODUCE CLOSED FOR THE SEASON: Also in Westwood, in case you hadn’t already noticed from passing by – Tony’s produce stand at 35th/Barton is closed for its fall break before reopening with Christmas trees later this month.

SPEAKING OF CHRISTMAS TREES: Son-in-Law Tree Farm, most recently in the former Charlestown Café parking lot, plans a new West Seattle location this year – on Alki Beach, on the lot that holds Wheel Fun Rentals during the summer season, 2532 Alki SW, opening the day after Thanksgiving, November 29th. (Any other new tree lots/locations? Let us know for the WSB Holiday Guide, which is in the works right now.)

AND THE WINNERS ARE … Congratulations to local winners and runners-up in KING 5’s Best of Western Washington. The 200-plus-categories winners’ list is now online; reviewing it for locals, we see Metropolitan Market (WSB sponsor) as Best Gourmet Grocery, Salty’s (WSB sponsor) for Best Seafood, Best Brunch, and Best Outdoor Dining, Easy Street Records for Best Records/CDs, Bakery Nouveau as Best Bakery, and WSB, fourth year in a row – we never ask for votes, so we are especially grateful to get them. Congrats to all! P.S. West Seattle had one non-business winner too … Alki Beach was voted Best Pickup Place.

A new name started turning up today on a whole lot of real-estate shingles around West Seattle (and elsewhere). It’s the name you see on the signage with which we photographed Mike Gain today – a year and a half after his company Prudential Northwest Realty announced it had been bought by an entity affiliated with tycoon Warren Buffett. Now, it has a new name, described as “inspired” by that affiliation: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Northwest Real Estate. The change was celebrated at a company gathering at the Museum of Flight, where we found local agents including (below, from left) Travis Duty, Sean Jolly, Sonya Wind, Jeralee Knittel, and Steven Henke:

Gain is president/CEO of the newly rechristened company, which includes more than 350 agents working from six offices, in West Seattle as well as Burien, Bellevue, Federal Way, Kent, and Lynnwood, and is a WSB sponsor.