West Seattle, Washington
30 Tuesday
Two West Seattle biznotes to share:
PET ELEMENTS MOVING: The pet food/accessories shop south of Morgan Junction has outgrown its cozy corner location and has announced it’s moving. Only half a block north, though. While the shop’s announcement on Facebook didn’t identify which of the vacant storefronts to the north would be its new home, we confirmed with Pet Elements that they’re taking over the south part of the former Windermere space, immediately adjacent to Subway, in the 6500 block of California SW just south of Fauntleroy, across from West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor). They’re hoping to move in early May. (As for the north section of the ex-Windermere space, we haven’t made direct contact yet, but Morgan Community Association president Deb Barker told us recently she’d learned an eye clinic is moving in.)
Biznote #2:
‘THREE LUCKY DAYS’: Today through Sunday, more than half a dozen businesses on the north side of The Junction – including J.F. Henry and Co., whose proprietor Tom Henry and son Drew Henry we photographed under their outdoor tent – are celebrating St. Patrick’s Day weekend with games, prizes, and coupons. The businesses are all located on California SW, from Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor) southward to just north of Oregon – look for the green and yellow balloons; the full list is on the West Seattle Junction Association website, along with the coupon sheet.
(Alki Tavern file photo by Christopher Boffoli)
Just got word from Alki Tavern (and confirmed it with a phone call to be sure) – they’ve decided at the last minute to have a memorabilia auction TONIGHT, before closing for good this weekend:
Sorry for the late notice but today Wednesday March 13th at 7 p.m. we are having an auction for all of our of memorabilia, neon signs, mirrors, etc.
Registration starts at 6 p.m. auction is at 7 p.m. at the Alki Tavern, 1321 Harbor Avenue Southwest. Live auction please bring cash. Last day we are open is March 17th.
Starting tomorrow, you can help the West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) celebrate its 25th anniversary by buying a ticket for a unique raffle: The winner gets a four-minute shopping spree to gather up to $500 in house-brand Western Family merchandise. Tickets will be sold tomorrow through March 27th for just $1 each, and the proceeds benefit West Seattle Food Bank. The store has a lot to remember and celebrate; staff member Michele Grasso is quoted in the announcement: “I have never worked anywhere else that has been so involved with its community. So many of us are locals, or have worked here for so long that it’s like we’ve grown up with West Seattle. We’ve been through a lot with you – we even survived a fire!”
That fire happened in March 1997 and destroyed the building previously housing West Seattle Thriftway, founded in 1988 by Paul and Connie Kapioski. While it was closed for rebuilding, they even ran a weekly bus to then-Admiral Thriftway for senior citizens who needed help to get to the store.
Before it burned, the store faced Fauntleroy Way SW; now, while it’s on the same site, it faces California SW, with an in-store Chase Bank branch as well as an in-store dining area next to its deli, bakery, and Chinese food counter. Notes the announcement:
West Seattle Thriftway supports their local Food Bank on a daily basis with food donations, and in this economic environment with so many in need they hope to see this event as an additional way to help the surrounding community and have some fun at the same time. In the last fiscal year, families visited the West Seattle Food Bank 37,943 times.
The store supports many other community charities in ways including summertime benefit barbecue lunches outside the store, like this one for WestSide Baby last summer:
Along with buying raffle tickets starting tomorrow, you have two more ways to help West Seattle Thriftway celebrate its silver anniversary: Next Monday, March 18th, they’ll commemorate the grand reopening post-fire, including a celebratory cake from Creme de la Creme Bakery – customers get a slice! And on Saturday, March 30th, at 9 am, it’s the annual Easter Egg Hunt, which usually draws quite a crowd:
(WSB photo from 2012 Easter Egg Hunt)
If you’re new in town and don’t know – West Seattle Thriftway is in Morgan Junction, on the southeast corner of California and Fauntleroy (with a parking entrance from 42nd on the east side, too).
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Allstar Fitness‘s prospective new owner Sam Adams says the court documents don’t tell the whole story.
After members of the club, which is in Chapter 11 bankruptcy, contacted WSB yesterday about court documents they’d received, we reported on those documents and other recent filings, which ask a judge to “reject and terminate the contracts” of “long term prepaid members” who bought their memberships before last August’s bankruptcy filing (reported here in October), without otherwise defining “long term prepaid,” but saying that would be about 2,100 contracts.
Even before that, we had messages out seeking a conversation with Adams, the former Seahawks (and other teams) pro football player turned health-club entrepreneur, to find out more about his plans for West Seattle’s biggest fitness club, which he says he will rename the West Seattle Athletic Club.
This morning, he called. He claims that while the court documents say about 2,100 membership contracts are proposed for termination, he intends to honor “99 percent of them.”
Three West Seattle business notes to share:
VENTANA CONSTRUCTION CELEBRATES ITS TENTH: Above are Anne and Clarence Higuera, owners/founders of Ventana Construction (longtime WSB sponsor), photographed during an open-house celebration Friday night marking their business’s 10th anniversary. They shared thoughts about the milestone on the Ventana website, describing their work as something that “affords us the opportunity to meet new people every day and talk with them about the dreams for their home, and after some careful planning, make those dreams come true.” Congratulations!
HARRY’S CHICKEN JOINT UPDATE: We reported last week on the new restaurant’s delivery-to-Beveridge-Place-Pub launch; today Harry’s announced via Facebook that the restaurant (former Meander’s/Jade West space) will open this Wednesday.
ALSO OPENING NEXT WEEK: West Seattle’s fitness-business boom continues. The next to open will be Inspire West Seattle, in the California SW-fronting building north of Admiral Safeway, whose owner tells us they’re formally opening on March 15th. We first reported on Inspire’s West Seattle plan back in August.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The newest development in the AllStar Fitness Chapter 11 bankruptcy and proposed sale: 
We heard today from multiple club members who reported receiving a copy of these court documents for a motion asking the federal bankruptcy judge to allow the cancellation of contracts purchased before the bankruptcy proceedings started last August.
Other court documents we have since obtained online say that would mean a cancellation of more than 2,100 contracts for the North Delridge club.
Those documents explain that Chapter 11 bankruptcy trustee Richard Hooper believes:
… the Club’s balance sheet has been hampered by the Debtor’s longstanding practice of selling long-term membership as significant discounts. A practice which the Trustee ceased in the interim period of his appointment. It was often the case that the Debtor would offer members reduced monthly rates in return for prepaying 6 or 12 months at a time. The Debtor would further discount these pre-paid memberships by offering an additional 6 or more months free of dues as an additional incentive for prepaying the already reduced rate. As sales of these prepaid membership slowed, the Debtor’s ability to meet its ongoing obligations suffered greatly. It appears from the Debtor’s financials that it relied heavily on these prepayment to meet operational and other needs…
The court documents say the trustee does want to:
(Friday photos by Nick Adams for WSB)
With all of yesterday’s breaking news, we are finally now getting the chance to share with you more of WSB contributing photojournalist Nick Adams‘ photos from a big Friday event on Harbor Island – Gov. Jay Inslee ceremonially making a weld during the keel-laying ceremony for the new state ferry Samish at Vigor Shipyards.
Workers took pictures too:
Samish, named for a Northwestern Washington tribe, is a 144-car ferry, one of four planned in the new Olympic class – it’s under construction at Vigor along with the first in the class, Tokitae:
While at Vigor, the governor took a look at both:
(Photos by Nick Adams for WSB)
Governor Jay Inslee came to West Seattle this afternoon to help mark a milestone in the construction of the Washington State Ferries 144-car vessel Samish at Vigor Shipyards: Making the first arc welds on its keel, which WSF describes as “the maritime equivalent of placing a cornerstone.”
Photojournalist Nick Adams covered the ceremonial event for WSB; these are the first photos he sent, and we’ll add more later.
The Atomic Boys namesakes themselves, Max and Quinn, had stepped out just before we stopped by, but we did get their atomic parents Parris and Kent Sadow to pose in honor of their Admiral District shop’s fifth anniversary. You are welcome to stop by the retro toys, novelty, candy, etc. shop till about 6 today (4311 SW Admiral Way) and enjoy a five-cent retro soda in honor of the occasion. We asked what’s new – always a challenging question if your shop deals in what’s old as well as new – and did learn they are now official Kit-Cat Clock dealers:
No small feat, we’re told. The distinctive moving-eyes-and-tail clocks are celebrating their 80th anniversary, Kent pointed out. While 5 years is a fraction of that, we can attest to the fact it’s a big deal for a small business (having marked our own 5th two months ago), so congratulations, Atomic Boys!
WSB has just confirmed that Allstar Fitness, put up for sale as part of its Chapter 11 bankruptcy (as first reported here February 5th), has a buyer – a company owned by former Seahawks player Sam Adams, who already owns other former Allstar locations.
Allstar’s staff received word of the sale this morning, and a handout about the announcement is available at the club’s front desk, Allstar’s Chapter 11 trustee Richard Hooper tells WSB. Hooper confirms that the prospective ownership company is West Seattle Athletic Club LLC, which state records verify is owned by Adams, who was a Seahawk for six seasons and was then part of the Super Bowl-winning Baltimore team in 2000. The former player owns five fitness clubs under the umbrella of Oregon Athletic Clubs, four including former Allstar locations in southwest Portland and in Tacoma. According to the Portland Oregonian, Adams bought the other three Oregon clubs last fall. (He also was reported in 2011 to have owned a downtown Seattle club that moved into a former Allstar space, though we haven’t been able to verify its current ownership.) Adams is a Kirkland resident, according to this recent story on the Seahawks website. Trustee Hooper tells WSB that nothing will change with West Seattle Allstar – “it’s status quo … a great place to work out” – until and unless the bankruptcy court approves the sale, although he doesn’t expect that to take more than a few weeks.
Thanks to the WSB’ers who tipped us to the impending closure of Pioneer Coffee on Alki. To get details, we talked with the shop’s manager, Lisa Del Rosario. She tells WSB that after five years, Pioneer Coffee is doing well – but recently found out that its lease will not be renewed. They have to be out by the end of March. No word yet what will take over the space (no permit filings so far), but the folks at Pioneer are asking you for help: They are asking for ideas of where they might move – sooner rather than later, so they can transfer permits rather than apply for them all over again. They’ve built up a steady clientele for both coffee and afternoon/evening beer and wine, and say they love their loyal customers and hate the thought of leaving Alki and leaving them behind. Right now, they are planning a going-away party for late March, as a way of thanking those beloved customers; if they find a new location sooner, she says, it will be a grand-opening party. If you have a location suggestion – particularly in the Alki area – please e-mail Lisa at lisadelro@msn.com or call the café – 206-937-0920.
With the Roxhill Park skatespot set to open soon – it’s the perfect time for a new skate shop across the street in Westwood Village. SW Skate Shop is in its second week of business on the breezeway (east of Bed Bath Beyond). We stopped in today and met Ian Mandt, the manager, and Luke Constant:
They told us the shop’s focusing on local brands whenever possible, and it’s carrying boards, components, apparel, even local art – check out Jason Singler‘s work, displayed on the walls (and available for purchase, too):
Mandt says their hours are somewhat flexible for starters, noon-6 weekdays, 11-5 weekends.
Need Valentine flowers? Fleurt (WSB sponsor) in The Junction is still taking Valentine’s Day orders, and will be open extended hours tomorrow – 8:30 am to 8:30 pm. From left in our photo, you see Fleurt’s Tiffany, proprietor Sam, and Devon, who are still on cloud 9 after Fleurt was crowned the city’s “Best Flower and Garden Shop” by Seattle Magazine. As noted recently on the West Seattle Junction Association website, Fleurt offers gift options way beyond flowers, too. Find Fleurt at 4536 California SW.
West Seattle seems to have somewhat fallen off the food-truck map – of course, it’s winter anyway. But Shimi Kahn, who started his Middle Eastern food business in West Seattle and is about to launch a truck, is looking for a spot in the area and wondered if we had any suggestions. So we’re sending his question out to you. Read on:
Joey Genzale has been making signs and choosing produce, getting ready to reopen Tony’s Market on Monday for the third year since the passing of its namesake, his dad Tony Genzale, whose portrait hangs over the entrance:
This year, Joey told us on Sunday, he will run Tony’s with more of his dad’s trademark spirit, “do things the way my dad would” – you might even hear those Dean Martin songs again. And there are other reminders and tributes here and there, like this framed bag (“one of only two like it”) dating to his dad’s Pike Place days:
After “a couple years of trial and error,” Joey says, he plans to focus closely on what people want most, so you’ll find fewer non-produce items this time. The ones he will carry include Penny’s Salsa and cage-free eggs from Puyallup. This year, Joey also expects to take more time to manage, to scout the best produce for the best prices, since his longtime friend Aaron will be helping run the market:
And the prices will be lower, he says, gesturing to the bright, shiny apples awaiting customers on the south side of the store: “99 cents a pound!” he says proudly. More than ever, Joey says, he wants to live up to Tony’s standards – “When he said it was the best, it was the best.” See for yourself as Tony’s Market gets going for the year under the red/white/green canvas at 35th/Barton, 9 am-7 pm every day.
The Yada Yada Blues Band is playing to a full house tonight for West 5‘s 10th anniversary party (previewed here Friday night, on the actual anniversary). Among the revelers – co-proprietor Dave Montoure, who along with Dean Overton opened the restaurant/lounge on February 8, 2003:
As with any anniversary/birthday party, there’ve been some gifts:
The party continues at 4539 California SW. Congrats, West 5 – here’s to the next 10!
On this date 10 years ago – February 8, 2003 – West 5 opened its doors at 4539 California SW in The Junction. You’re invited to a big party this Sunday night – but before that, co-proprietors Dean Overton and Dave Montoure (center and right in the photo above) commemorated the milestone this afternoon by re-enacting a historic moment: Making a guest appearance as bartender, Dean served a beer and a shot of whiskey to the man who in 2003 was their first customer, Bill Reid (left):
Dave noted that Bill was known as “The Tallest Man in Radio” during stints with KNDD (“The End“) and KJET. Dave and Dean, as pointed out when they announced their 8th-anniversary party two years ago, are “born-and-bred West Seattle natives,” and West 5 has gained fame for its food as well as its cocktails, gaining an especially huge helping of fame for its Astral Mac ‘n’ Cheese. They invite you to be on hand this Sunday night for a “raucous party,” starting at 8 pm.
P.S. Found a party-entertainment hint on West S’s Twitter page:
Happy anniversary to us! Lets have a party this Sunday. twitter.com/Westfive/statu…
— West 5 (@Westfive) February 5, 2013
(They performed outside West 5 on Summer Fest eve last year – there’s video in our report from that night.)
Three weeks ago, we reported on the court-appointed Chapter 11 bankruptcy trustee for West Seattle Fitness, the official name of the company operating West Seattle’s popular Allstar Fitness, and the likelihood he would be preparing the club for a potential sale. This week, trustee Richard A. Hooper is telling members that the club is indeed up for sale; he announced it via a letter available at the club’s counter. A member scanned the letter and sent it to us. At the heart of the letter (here’s the full scan):
… West Seattle Fitness has only one mission and that is to providea safe, clean, and enjoyable facility for use by its members and guests. Since the club opened, the staff has worked hard to make sure that this standard was met.
I have met with the management team of the club and we have discussed the mission as stated above and they have all assured me that they will continue to work to this end.
The facility is suffering from economic stress due to a number of factors that are complicated and will be difficult to sort out in the short term. As a result of this economic stress the only solution is to place the club for sale to another operator at the earliest possible date.
I am currently meeting with prospective buyers who would operate the club and who would bring funds necessary to repair and upgrade as needed for equipment and facilities. I think the process of locating a buyer, obtaining the necessary court approvals, and closing will take 60 days or perhaps slightly more, depending on hearings and legal issues. …
The letter says future updates will be available as “handouts” at the front counter. After we received the scanned copy of this one, WSB’s Katie Meyer spoke again with club manager Ramon Velasquez, who confirmed the letter’s distribution and the sale plans, saying there are at least three “very interested parties.” We first reported about Allstar’s bankruptcy filing back in October.
It’s been years in the making. Today the City Council approved a plan to allow West Seattle’s Nucor plant to get energy-saving credit for energy generation involving waste heat – “cogeneration” – and the project could be up and running next year. Seattle City Light writes about it on its Power Lines site; as pointed out therein, Nucor is City Light’s biggest customer. There are even more details in this slide deck from a presentation to a City Council committee earlier this year.
Today we’re welcoming one of our newest WSB sponsors – Alki Party Treasures. Here’s what proprietor Jackie Clough, shown below with daughter Elissa, would like you to know about her new business:
Alki Party Treasures isn’t Party City or Birthday Express. There’s nothing wrong with large party-supply chains, but we strive to have the ultimate customer-service experience. We have heart and take great care with each product order. Our mission is to help people celebrate the special moments in their lives. You don’t have to travel all over Seattle to find party supplies or overspend with your event. Relax and let us take care of things for you. We’ve partnered with fantastic vendors to be able to offer the best prices. We also decided to purchase our inventory. We don’t rely on other companies for drop ship, and because we’re local, we ship next day to West Seattle families. Don’t stress if you’re behind the power curve with getting things ready for your celebration.
Alki Party Treasures is a family-run business. My brother Mike Kresek and I came up with the idea of party supplies. We are lifetime West Seattleites. We were discussing special times and celebrating even the small moments that mean so much and realized it was something we felt strongly about. As a mom, I know firsthand how hard it is to find party supplies in West Seattle and got tired of driving all around the city and over to the Eastside. We wanted to have great products here in West Seattle. My two kids are 7 and 10 years old and help us with what characters are popular and help us test products. The whole family is involved with the handmade products. Customers love that we have created party kits and make it easy for people to purchase everything they need at a low cost. We have boutique-style products and spend time looking over the hundreds of party styles and trends to bring the freshest themes with affordable prices. We believe in “going green” and have a nice selection of Eco-Friendly products, including plates, utensils, recycle bins, garlands, and art supplies made out of edible ingredients. We also hand-make banners, cupcake toppers, and food tents. We can match themes and colors for your event.
Alki Party Treasures is also involved with the community – including Jackie’s role as the new co-leader of the Admiral 4th of July Kids Parade, and also as a backer of Team Tracy. You can find Alki Party Treasures online at alkipartytreasures.com, or call 855-263-3892.
We thank Alki Party Treasures 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.
(WSB photo by Patrick Sand)
One month after Christmas – the holiday giving isn’t over yet. This morning at Metropolitan Market (WSB sponsor) in Admiral, West Seattle Food Bank executive director Fran Yeatts and (left) board member David Weld accepted an $11,000 check from store director Glen Hasstedt (right). Yeatts says it’s from what MM customers donated over the holidays.
P.S. The food bank is inviting you to come get a firsthand look at how it works, during a community open house/tour opportunity two weeks from tonight, 5-7 pm February 7th (3419 SW Morgan).
Today, we welcome a new WSB sponsor; here’s what they would like you to know about their business: Sylvan Learning of South Puget Sound has just opened a new and convenient satellite in West Seattle. The new satellite is near the junction of California SW and Admiral Way, at Admiral Congregational UCC Church, 4320 SW Hill. Sylvan Learning is offering personalized math and reading programs for grades 2-9. Now West Seattle students have a convenient location to access Sylvan tutoring programs!
These programs feature the latest Sylvan advances using Apple iPad technology. The Sylvan iPad personalized tutoring program is fun and motivating for students and allows parents a web portal to see daily progress and receive updates on their child’s progress. Programs start with a comprehensive skills assessment in either math or reading. The Sylvan team then designs a personalized set of specific skills for the student to master over a period of time. Because the Sylvan system pin-points the exact skills to be taught and students are on task and focused during the tutoring session, a typical Sylvan student will gain one full year of skill development in just 36 hours of tutoring!
Parents love being able to see what exact skills their child has mastered after each session. Never before has an investment in tutoring been so transparent! Kids love using the iPads in conjunction with individualized instruction from a certified and Sylvan-trained instructor. The technology along with a personalized approach yields fairly quick results that parents can see and feel. Success certainly feels good at Sylvan, school, and in life! The Normandy Park Sylvan and new convenient West Seattle Satellite are locally owned by Sylvan franchisees Dave and Gail Smith. To find out more about the new West Seattle Sylvan Satellite, please call (888) wow-sylvan.
We thank the West Seattle Sylvan Satellite 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’ve been asked multiple times in the past few days about the status of popular North Delridge health club Allstar Fitness, three months after our report about its Chapter 11 bankruptcy-reorganization filing. Here’s an update: Court documents from last Friday say a federal bankruptcy judge has appointed a Chapter 11 trustee for the club’s parent business West Seattle Fitness. WSB’s Katie Meyer contacted the club today for comment and spoke with general manager Ramon Velasquez, who confirmed that a trustee would be coming in to operate the club, assess its finances, and prepare it for a potential sale. (The role of a trustee is explained on this federal-government webpage.) Velasquez says the emphasis is on keeping the club open and protecting its members during this process, but any other specifics are pending the arrival of the trustee. We plan to check back next week. The club’s ownership voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 almost five months ago, and summarized the reason in one document from the case file as wanting to reorganize and stay in business while resolving a “dispute” with their landlord. Photo credit: King County Assessor website
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