West Seattle, Washington
30 Tuesday
By Keri DeTore
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Because working on a master’s degree in post-Katrina New Orleans and being pregnant with a third child while raising twins wasn’t quite enough to keep Gretchen Williamson-Evans occupied, she decided to move to the Northwest and start a business … selling fully cooked, frozen organic grains.
They’re now arriving in local stores, packaged as Gretchen’s Grains.
The idea of having those staples available for easy use started in the Evans’ kitchen in New Orleans, while Gretchen was working on her Master’s and husband Bill Evans was operating his flight-training school.
Gretchen wanted the ease of eating the grain-and-vegetable salads featured in the healthier delis, but didn’t want to pay the deli prices, so she made grains in advance and froze them. Friends and family began requesting packages of the cooked quinoa, brown rice and wheat berries for themselves, and the couple recognized a niche market.
They did some research and realized “the whole-grain market was exploding,” says Gretchen. “We decided to throw our whole weight into it.”
The decision was the easy part.
West Seattle-founded Easy Street Records is a finalist for one of the second annual Small Business Awards to be announced by King County Executive Dow Constantine next month. The county just sent the list of finalists, and Easy Street is one of three up for Small Business of the Year. So far as we can tell, none of the other 40-plus nominees is from this area – you can see the full list on the county website. The award ceremony is October 10th in Bellevue.
Continuing the trend of founded-elsewhere-in-Seattle mini-chains finding their way to West Seattle, we’ve confirmed that Rudy’s Barbershop is planning a West Seattle location. Since getting asked about that “rumor” this morning, we confirmed with a company spokesperson that – as is noted on this page of the Rudy’s website – a West Seattle shop is on the way. But she said she couldn’t release any other details yet – maybe before month’s end. The “rumor” question mentioned one possible location, so we checked with its owner, who told us he couldn’t discuss forthcoming plans for his space, either. The 10-minute video above (found on their website but coded for embedding anywhere) tells the tale of Rudy’s, founded on Capitol Hill in the early 1990s by three guys – none named Rudy – now with 16 of its funky/quirky walk-in shops in four states, and the 17th to open later this month in Redmond (where a news story cites January 2013 as the WS opening date). More info as we get it!
Almost a year and a half after it closed during a conversion from 76 to Arco, the gas station/mini-mart on the east side of the Fauntleroy/Alaska intersection appears to be on the way to reopening, under new ownership. We checked its status after a tip from Paul of PB&J Textiles (WSB sponsor); he noticed the fence that had ringed it for a year was down and the site appeared “cleaned up.” It was fenced off last January and then listed for sale; county property records show the $1.3 million sale to PacWest Energy LLC closed a week and a half ago, and city online records show an application for a sign permit – under the Shell brand. What we’ve found online so far indicates that PacWest is a joint venture between Shell and Idaho-based Jacksons Food Stores. Does this mean anything for the also-Shell-branded station across the intersection? We’ll be checking on that, and on the timetable for this one.
The city’s new rules about employer-paid sick leave and safe time are about to take effect, so the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce is co-sponsoring a workshop to help businesses be sure they’re in compliance. It’s next Tuesday (August 28th), 5:30-7 pm at Neighborhood House‘s High Point Center (6400 Sylvan Way SW). The workshop is free but the Chamber requests that you pre-register – you can use this link to do that online right now, or call 206-932-5685. (If you’re not sure whether the new law applies to your business – the city offers lots of info here.)
(Photos by Nick Adams for WSB; above, Bamboo bar manager Erika Pirzadeh, speaking)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Tonight’s community meeting at Bamboo Bar and Grill was preceded by a completely different kind of meeting – one called by authorities and agencies because of what happened outside Bamboo early Sunday.
The Alki Beach establishment’s future depends on how it respond to both meetings.
The community meeting brought about 20 people, including several Bamboo managers and staffers, to the back of the restaurant/bar. Hours earlier, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office had filed two assault charges against the man arrested following the Sunday fight that turned into a shooting (here’s our report).
During tonight’s meeting, Bamboo management insisted that while the establishment’s “new” owners (who weren’t present) have actually owned it for almost a year and a half, they have been making changes since a new general manager – longtime West Seattleite and hospitality-industry veteran John Theofelis (below center) – took over a month and a half ago, and will do more.
“We’ve been making changes, but nobody knows if they are too scared to come in here,” Theofelis told WSB before the meeting.
During the meeting, more than one attendee said security presence would make a difference, as Bamboo acknowledged they did not have a security guard on hand Saturday night because they felt that, without live entertainment that night, it wasn’t needed.
They also acknowledged that both groups involved in the clash – which, court documents revealed today, left one victim with a bullet lodged close to his heart – had been inside Bamboo earlier. Employees say the groups had been “cut off” but had not shown signs of trouble or conflict in time for them to make any sort of proactive call to police.
First: What the authorities are doing. While the Seattle Police Southwest Precinct had two representatives at tonight’s meeting – Operations Lt. Pierre Davis and Community Police Team Officer Ken Mazzuca – the major news came from the City Attorney Office’s precinct liaison, assistant city attorney (and West Seattleite) Melissa Chin.
Late in the meeting, she rose to discuss the Code Compliance Team meeting held at Bamboo earlier in the day, explaining that participants included police and fire representatives as well as the city’s Director of Nightlife and the state Liquor Control Board.
“Wow!”… “Awesome!”… “I never knew this place existed!” Paublo Smith from Pink Gorilla Games, one of the newest WSB sponsors, says those are “the first three things we hear from people.” They expanded to add a West Seattle location earlier this year, and here’s what they’d like you to know:
When you are looking for classic/retro games in Seattle, Pink Gorilla Games “simply is the first place to look,” explains Paublo. “We are a small local company that has a great loyal community willing to share their knowledge and passion for gaming. The people of Pink Gorilla are not ‘Fan Boys’ of any one gaming console, genre, or series. At Pink Gorilla, you know the item has been cleaned, tested, and guaranteed.” Pink Gorilla Games sells, buys, and trades all video games and also sells board games and tabletop games, trading-card games such as Magic the Gathering, Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh! etc., and has plenty of imported and domestic video game memorabilia.
“People seek us out as there is nothing quite like us. People still love their vintage game consoles. And they want a clean, organized, trusted place to buy, sell, and trade classic stuff, from Atari and Intellivision, to oddball things like Atari Lynx and Virtual Boy, to the newest of the new, like Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita, to the upcoming Nintendo Wii U.” Paublo adds that Pink Gorilla Games customers “return simply because we care about what we sell. Which is why we clean and bag/protect and organize all the old games the way that we do.”
Pink Gorilla Games may be new to WS (their other two stores are in the International District and U-District), but they’ve jumped right into the community, participating in West Seattle Summer Fest and co-sponsoring the recent festival in Morgan Junction. That’s where their West Seattle store is located, at 6053 California SW. You’ll find them online at pinkgorillagames.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/PinkGorillaGames, and by phone at 206-462-0801. (And check out their WSB discount coupon to save $!)
We thank Pink Gorilla Games 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.
It’s a cross between a flea market and a sidewalk sale, as Admiral District Business Association president Parris Sadow (with son Quinn outside the family’s shop Atomic Boys) will be the first to tell you. Merchants were invited to bring out stuff that’s been in the back closet a while. Parris’s items include party supplies. Over at Alki Bike and Board, we found proprietor Stu Hennessey wheeling out “recycled bicycles”:
Deals so good, we almost sprung for one, but then somebody texted us about a car crash and we had to move on. Not before, however, we said hi to Flower Lab proprietor Wendy Damoth:
Her items include everything from that metal heron to Christmas bric-a-brac (really, there’s no better word). And you can even get snacks at today’s sale – Chris was outside Zatz A Better Bagel (WSB sponsor):
He’s selling treats including bags of bagel chips, plus cookies and mandelbrodt. Other stores we noticed participating include West Seattle Fabric Company and even tables on the Heartland Café/Shipwreck Tavern block. This is all on till about 2 pm today.
By Keri DeTore
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Rick Cook, aka the “Psychic Barber” (per the iconic neon in the window of his shop, featured here in 2009), is moving operations – another West Seattle business displaced by development.
Rick says he recently received 30 days notice to vacate the 19-year home of his Rick’s Barber Shop at 5251 California, to make way for a future project.
His landlord Hasan Ocak, who also owns the adjacent restaurant Ephesus, told WSB he isn’t yet ready to discuss his plans for the new development (a preliminary city filing mentions a 3-story mixed-use building, which is the height limit for the zoning on that site).
But Rick already knows where he’s going – someplace that’s both new and old:
The Admiral District Business Association invites you to come on over and wander their shops this Saturday (August 11th), 10 am-2 pm, for flea-market-style shopping. First time the recently organized Admiral merchants’ group is trying a sidewalk sale like this, so as you browse and buy, let them know what you think!
(West Seattle Fabric Company’s Monica Skov and daughter, outside WSFC’s future sewing-studio site)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
After less than two years in business, West Seattle Fabric Company proprietor Monica Skov has learned what might be the most important lesson an entrepreneur can learn.
Listen to your customers. And respond.
Hers have been asking for things that just wouldn’t fit into her cozy retail space at 2210 California SW in the Admiral District – an area for open sewing (your machine or theirs), for parties, for quilting.
Now, she’s found a place where that can all happen, a second site that will become the West Seattle Fabric Company “Creative Sewing Studio” (working title, so that might change). The space is at 5910 California SW, in the former Emerald Spiral space in the California/Juneau business node (directly across from Pan Africa Grill).
We talked with Monica there this morning, just as remodeling work was about to begin:
Another business is joining Umpqua Bank (WSB sponsor) and Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt in the retail building north of Admiral Safeway: The fitness studio Inspire Seattle, based on Queen Anne, is expanding to West Seattle. Thanks to Crys for tipping us to a brief announcement on the Inspire Facebook page; we contacted owner Sue Hahm to find out more. She replied:
We’re expanding to West Seattle because we felt it was the right demographic for our target client base. Queen Anne has been very successful for us so we wanted to open our second studio in a similar neighborhood. We provide an effective and intense workout in 40 minutes, so it’s important that we’re in a neighborhood where clients can take advantage of the quick workout and not have to commute too far to work out… because clients tend to stay more motivated to work out if it’s convenient.
According to its website, Inspire Seattle is the city’s only studio offering the Lagree Fitness system. Hahm says they expect the West Seattle location (2620 California SW) to open late this year or early next.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Bartell Drugs, which has two stores in West Seattle, soon will have its corporate headquarters here too.
The company has leased space in North Delridge at the West Seattle Corporate Center, confirms marketing vice president Theron Andrews.
That’s the building known best for its huge flag, a legacy from its 1991 origins as the headquarters of Services Group of America, which moved to Arizona six years ago, blaming a “punitive estate tax” here. (A related entity still owns the building.)
Bartell Drugs, family owned and operated since 1890, is moving here from Georgetown, where it’s been headquartered for more than a quarter-century.
West Seattle and White Center have grocery stores where you can buy fresh food – but, as is often reported, it’s challenging to find fresh food if you don’t live near one of those big stores. To help people “Buy Fresh” wherever they are in this area, the White Center Community Development Association has just launched a new website with information about 13 markets in Delridge, High Point, and White Center. Check out the site here – and read the official announcement, ahead:Read More
Just announced to their mailing list: Twilight Artist Collective in The Junction is for sale, four and a half years after moving into the SW Alaska space just west of Easy Street Records. Their announcement:
The time has come for Mary Enslow, Cheryl Robinson, and Erin Staffeld to pass the TwAC torch! Life has opened some new doors for us all and we’re personally headed in some wonderful new directions – babies, different art ventures, and the great unknown!
We are EXCITED (and a little sad too), to announce that Twilight Artist Collective is ready for some fresh blood.
Twilight Artist Collective is on the market for $30,000, and this will include the following:
(Pride Parade 2012 photo by Seattle Gay News, republished with permission)
August 11th will mark exactly one year since OutWest Bar opened its doors in the former pharmacy storefront at 5401 California SW. Its owners and staff plan a two-day anniversary celebration on August 10th and 11th, and are publicly thanking the community now:
This achievement is not necessarily due to the great business acumen of her two owners, but more importantly to the marvelous work of the tireless team of Joe, Josh, Holly, Nich, Rich, and Shannon, and most entirely to our unfailing patrons who believe in the OutWest Bar as the “LGBTQA community center with adult beverages” in West Seattle. When we marched in the Pride parade this year (our second year, as we also marched last year two months before opening) we were thrilled with the cheering reception of supporters from all over the city and region and knew we’d done a good thing.
We feel very welcome in West Seattle (especially as many of us have personally lived here more than a decade or so) and feel warmly accepted into the larger community. We believe our presence has encouraged a healthy conversation about difference and tolerance in our age and area. We truly are the gay frontier, and as good neighbors we embrace our dual responsibility of honest communication and to advance businesses and provide jobs in West Seattle by continuing to promote local stores and restaurants to our LGBTQA patrons and beyond.
In seeking to create a “small, local, comfortable, neighborhood LGBTQA focused but straight friendly bar”, and although there is no shortage of great ideas and plenty more to do, we believe we’ve attained this fundamental promise. It is no small accomplishment to have survived this year during the Great Recession, and Chad and Bob wholeheartedly and humbly thank our terrific team and our very loyal friends and customers: we are here entirely for and because of you. Please come by to celebrate with us on August 10th and 11th, we open at 4 pm and will have drink specials, our favorite video DJ, Andy, and a sparkling wine toast at midnight on the 11th. And please keep coming by to meet your friends at OutWest Bar and have a drink or two.
Thank you so much,Bob, Chad, Joe, Holly, Nich, Rich, and Petey
OutWest Bar
Yesterday was the day set as the deadline for remaining businesses to clear out of the buildings that will be demolished, likely within weeks, for the Equity Residential project at 42nd/Alaska/California in The Junction. 
Thanks to Brian Presser from TouchTech Systems for the photo at right, showing the note put up by one of the last to leave. Here’s who’s gone where, in the last wave of departures (these three were in the building across from Jefferson Square on 42nd):
–Young At Art plans to open next week in a new location at Fauntleroy and Raymond (longtime past home of PB&J Textiles (WSB sponsor).
–Ron’s Cobbler Shoppe is “closed forever,” as the note at right reads, no new location.
–Well Medical Arts will reopen next week at 9025 35th SW.
Other moves/closures already reported here recently include (east to west) AAA will reopen in the former AT&T Wireless space in Jefferson Square; Rocksport Bar and Grill has closed permanently (and had an auction last week); Super Supplements moved to Morgan Junction, Sound Advice moved to the lower level of the Senior Center of West Seattle building; Classic Barber Shop moved to 5040 California SW; Suite Arrangements moved to the Fauntleroy Way storefront next to West Seattle Produce; Rubato Records planned to take an interim space in the Antique Mall of West Seattle; and Mind Body Spirit moved to 3258 California SW. Several businesses moved months ago, including The Beer Junction; it’s been more than a year since the first closure, the city Neighborhood Service Center that used to be next to Rocksport. Equity told WSB last month that demolition could start as soon as August 10th.
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August 11th will mark a year since the opening of the new Admiral Safeway at 2622 California SW. But the anniversary will be marked under new ownership for the property.
County records confirm a sale first reported by the Daily Journal of Commerce: Safeway sold it last week for $30,710,000, to an LLC called SVF Admiral Safeway Seattle, an entity of Southern California-based American Realty Advisors. That firm, we noticed during research, is also the new owner of the Link (4550 38th SW, sold in March for $62 million) and Mural (4727 42nd SW, sold in March for $42 million) mixed-use buildings in West Seattle, both developed by Harbor Properties and sold after its merger (we reported the sale plans but not final word on the buyer).
As best we can tell from the online paperwork regarding the Admiral Safeway deal, it includes the store and the retail building on the northwest side of its parking lot; the deed mentions the tenancy rights of Safeway, Menchie’s, and Umpqua Bank (WSB sponsor), the three businesses currently in place (with additional space still vacant in that smaller building). We have inquiries out to both Safeway and American Realty Advisors for more information, and will add anything more that we learn.
Longtime West Seattle photographer Joanne Murray mentioned this on the WSB Facebook page, and we asked if it would be OK to share here too:
Murray’s Studio, since 1965 … How many of you were photographed by Jay Murray & Joanne Murray for senior portraits, weddings, and church directory or school pictures? The negatives are for sale, including the previews or slides if there are any in the files; contact us soon if you want them before they are history. 206-932-6064
Many parents’, grandparents’, and siblings’ portraits are archived with the wedding files.
Murray’s Studio started on SW Oregon St., then moved to California Ave. SW from 1981 until 2010. Pass the word to friends & relatives before it’s too late.
She says they just can’t keep all these files any more: “It would be a real shame to destroy all of these historical photos, but we just have to. I hope we can pass them on to the families.”
Today we welcome one of our newest WSB sponsors, Jerry Howard from John L. Scott West Seattle at 5242 California. Here’s what he’d like you to know about what he does:
If you’ve been thinking about a career change, Jerry is currently offering classes on becoming a real-estate agent. He’s an award-winning trainer and coach. Jerry has been mentoring, coaching, and training real-estate agents for more than 15 years. He has conducted hundreds of classes on various Real Estate subjects and personally coached and trained many new and experienced agents that have built and maintained a successful real-estate business; in fact, he has trained three agents that went on to become John L. Scott Rookie of the Year, and two more that were runners-up. If you have ever thought about a career in real estate, John L. Scott West Seattle would be the place to start. If you’re interested in finding out whether selling real estate is something you’d like to do, you can fill out Jerry’s online survey, here.
And if you are buying or selling a home, Jerry adds that the sales team at John L. Scott has been in business here in West Seattle since 1968. He joined the John L. Scott family in 1992. Jerry adds, “With the best marketing programs available in the industry, John L. Scott is widely recognized as one of the nation’s largest and most productive real-estate companies and is a consistent leader and innovator in real-estate technology. We are committed to providing the highest level of service to buyers and sellers in the Puget Sound area. We pride ourselves on our professional, ethical, and effective approach to real estate.”
Contact Jerry by going here – and get on the road to your successful real-estate career here.
We thank Jerry Howard of John L. Scott 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.
Today we welcome a new WSB sponsor, Umpqua Bank, located next to Safeway in the Admiral District.
(Umpqua team members: Manager Kirk Mead, Anne Marie Lambalot, Gaby Leveron, Mel Bradley)
Manager Kirk Mead says the first thing you’ll notice when you come into the branch is the world-class service. He says Umpqua’s goal is to be attentive and to create relationships with clients so that you’ll have a bank that works toward the customer’s financial objectives. He says Umpqua wants to help you with your finances and give relevant advice.
Umpqua Bank in Admiral also offers unique amenities that are available to everyone. There’s always hot coffee, an Internet café with a printer, and fresh cookies on Fridays. The lobby is also open for small meetings. Call ahead if you’d like to book the space for your group or organization, 206-694-5461.
Umpqua Bank is also involved in the local community as members of the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce, sponsors of the Summer Concerts at Admiral series (which begins July 26th!), and hosts special events such as recent pet-adoption opportunities. You’ll find Umpqua at 2620 California SW.
We thank Umpqua Bank 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.
We’re continuing to keep you updated on new homes for the businesses that have to leave the future Equity Residential development site at California/Alaska/42nd – and today, we have another move confirmed, plus a “domino effect” of that move:
The furniture-consignment store Suite Arrangements is moving to 4722 Fauntleroy Way SW, just south of Alaska, 
the former rental-outlet site where West Seattle Produce moved late last year (2011 WSB photo at right) – and in turn, WS Produce is moving into another part of the same building, just to the north. (The Beloved Mexico food truck is staying in the parking lot.)
West Seattle Produce is making its move this weekend, and plans to be open in its new space on Monday. Suite Arrangements says it’s having a sale right now to get ready for closing its Junction location on July 29th and reopening in the new Fauntleroy Way storefront on August 1st. (added) SA owner Geoff Abadian says in his formal announcement, “With all the development planned here in the next several years, the only way West Seattle can retain a good part of its distinctive charm going forward will be for existing small businesses to be more creative and more diligent about providing their distinct offerings, and for local residents to continue patronizing them, as many are committed to doing.”
Our most recent story with updates on all the other affected businesses is here, including reminders that Rocksport Bar and Grill and Rubato Records both shutting down after this Sunday (July 15th). Rocksport does not plan to reopen (and is having an auction July 24th); Rubato is still looking for a new location. Meantime, Super Supplements, which closed in The Junction last weekend, will reopen in its new Morgan Junction location tomorrow.
Way back when so many West Seattle homes were built (WSB HQ dates to 1941), one bathroom was fairly standard. Somehow, the hectic life of today just isn’t too compatible, as longtime WSB sponsor Ncompass Construction‘s first-ever promo video illustrates. As Ncompass gets ready to participate in this weekend’s West Seattle Summer Fest, they’re also using that video – and two more on the way – to tell the world what they can do. Ncompass co-proprietor Stefan Hansmire says, “One of the things we are especially proud of is that several of the talent and many of the production staff are West Seattle residents including Westsider Meli Alexander, who will be moving back to LA this fall to pursue her professional acting career. Other WS talent includes Brian Gaynor, Reed Stannard, Kate Stannard and Erin Neal.” Right now, the vignette is showcased on this page of the Ncompass website, which also notes that their backyard-cottage workshop at Summer Fest is set for 1 pm Friday (July 13), in the GreenLife zone at the south end of the festival area.
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