Eight months after we first reported that The Habit Burger Grill would take over the former KFC location at 35th and Avalon, a banner has appeared. The remodeling work at the site has been under way for three months. No official word yet on plans for opening but with the banner up and paper off the windows, it is clearly getting closer. Habit Burger is a California-based chain with more than 240 locations.

Thanks to the texter who just sent that photo. Back on December 9th, we reported that city files revealed Agave was taking over the Junction space vacated by Fresh Bistro last spring. They never replied to our followup inquiry, but now signage has appeared in the windows. Agave has locations in Queen Anne and Issaquah.

The staff at West Seattle’s only Pizza Hut (6501 35th Ave. SW) confirms a tip we received over the weekend – it’s closing in two weeks. January 21st is the last day, we’re told. Why? That, we don’t know, and staff declined comment; we have an inquiry out to Pizza Hut corporate media relations. (No redevelopment proposals in the file; county records do show the property had a change in the owner of record last year, not a sale but an estate situation.) This is the latest change of several in the chain-pizza scene in West Seattle – a second Domino’s opened in South Admiral a year ago, not long after the lone West Seattle Papa John’s closed (that site is scheduled to be redeveloped into townhouses). After the 35th SW Pizza Hut closes, the nearest one will be in White Center.

That’s one of the eviction notices dated/timestamped 2 pm today, now up at both Vine & Spoon (4706 California SW) and Alchemy (4717 42nd SW) in The Junction. Court records show Equity Residential, which owns the two-building Junction 47 complex housing both, sought court action to evict the same-ownership venues because of tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid rent.

Vine & Spoon already had been closed for more than a week, first posting a notice that it would reopen at the end of next week, then replacing that with a notice that it would reopen December 26th. We spoke briefly at the end of last week with an ownership representative who said they had a new investor who would assist them in reopening, and they promised to call us back to talk more about their plans. That call never came. Then, this afternoon’s action.

Court records show the eviction dates back to an “unlawful detainer” filing by Equity in late October, saying they had first served an order to pay back rent or vacate in July, at which time the documents say two months of the $15,000/month rent was owed; that had grown to $105,000 by the end of October, the filings said. Two weeks ago, the court reissued a “writ of restitution,” noting that the sheriff – which enforces eviction orders – could break and enter if necessary. The separate case involving Alchemy has a similar timeline of documents and actions, with a filing in late October alleging that three months of its $5300/month rent was due by July, and that $89,000 was owed by the end of October.

Vine & Spoon had opened just six months ago, a year and a half after the same ownership opened Alchemy.

Thanks to Marisa for the tip. After a days-long closure, Baja Taco has reopened in Jefferson Square, under new ownership (but apparently the same staff). We don’t know exactly how long it was closed after the planned shutdown at the end of November – Marisa’s tip came in yesterday; we went right over to check but it was closed, so we went back today, and found it open.

Thanks for the tip that activity’s been sighted in the empty-almost-7-months ex-Fresh Bistro space on the ground floor of Mural (4727 42nd SW). That’s led to a discovery in city permit files: A site plan for a new restaurant called Agave. Same company that has Mexican restaurants on Queen Anne and on the Eastside? The city file says yes. We’ll be following up to find out more.

Thanks for the tips. We’ve confirmed that Baja Taco in Jefferson Square is closing – as of 4 pm Friday (November 30th). After confirming that, we went over to check on Baja Taco in Westwood Village, where staff told us that their restaurant is NOT closing. (Both Baja Tacos were originally part of the Taco del Mar chain.) This is the second Jefferson Square eatery closure in less than a year, after Subway last January.

If you’re tired of turkey by Saturday, you’ll have a new West Seattle restaurant option: That will be opening day for Gyro Heroes in the former Baskin-Robbins at 4111 SW Admiral Way. We first reported back in April that this eatery was on the way. At the time, they hoped to be open in mid-summer, but invariably, remodeling and permitting take longer, and we finally heard from proprietor Tareq that they are ready to open Saturday (November 24th). He was there a bit earlier this afternoon as they finished up work, so we stopped in for a quick peek. He says Gyro Heroes will be open 10 am-9 pm, seven days a week. No website yet; we’re awaiting a copy of the menu and will add it when we get it.

More than five months after we broke the news that KFC was moving out of 3501 SW Avalon Way and The Habit Burger Grill was moving in, work at the site is finally beginning in earnest. If you pass by the busy 35th and Avalon corner frequently (which we do), you know the building was repainted in the chain’s trademark taupe fairly soon after the KFC closure, but it’s been idle in the months since, even drawing some vandalism. However, city permit files show the project has remained in the works, with a raft of filings in mid-September. We are attempting again to reach the company to see if there’s a projected opening date. The California-based Habit Burger chain opened its first within-city-limits Seattle store in Ballard back in August.

(January 2018 photo)

The long-shuttered Morgan Junction restaurant Kokoras now has a notice hanging on the door. (Thanks for the tip!) It’s a letter from an attorney for the building’s owner, to the tenants who took over the restaurant two years ago, alleging they are in violation of the lease. Not a matter of nonpayment, according to the notice, which says the violation is that the building’s been closed and empty and allowed to deteriorate into what the notice describes as “deplorable conditions.” The notice mentions “pest droppings” found recently as well as a gallon of old cooking grease that’s allegedly been left to sit in there for a year. As reported here a year ago, the restaurant abruptly closed, first posting a notice attributing the shutdown to “employee conflict,” then undergoing what a worker we found at the site told us was “remodeling.” The newly posted notice alleges that work was unauthorized. Last January, we noted that a banner appeared outside the restaurant (top photo) with word of a “grand opening” for TeriFresh, the name by which the tenant operated an eatery in Maple Valley, according to what Kokoras’s then-manager told us in 2016. But no opening ensued, and the banner eventually vanished; this week’s notice says the building’s owner also was told of a reopening plan last January that didn’t happen. The notice – dated October 25th – says it’s giving the tenant 10 days to “cure” (fix the problems) or vacate; we’ve checked court files and aren’t seeing anything there yet.

Just received from Nadia Khazaal – her family has announced that their acclaimed Alki restaurant Phoenecia will close in two months but is hoping to reopen at a new location, preferably in The Junction. Here’s the announcement in its entirety:

Dear West Seattle Community,

After 25 amazing years on Alki, the Phoenecia family is deeply sad to announce that we must soon close our doors. Our landlords have decided to sell the building to developers, due to some very expensive but necessary building upgrades.

Rather than dwell on sadness, we have chosen to revel in gratitude for the last 25 years of support from our many friends in West Seattle and beyond.

Because it is not over yet…

Many of you remember our late father Hussein Khazaal, who opened Phoenecia in the West Seattle Junction in the early 1970s, not long after moving here from Lebanon. Our father’s love of food, community, and family was the foundation that helped him persevere through countless obstacles—including those that come with running a successful restaurant, as well as two location moves—the last of which brought us these many wonderful years on Alki.

Drawing from his example, we too have decided to persevere. It may take us a while to find the perfect location, but with a little luck, we hope to come full circle and return to the neighborhood where Phoenecia first began: the West Seattle Junction.

Something special just for you…

In honor and memory of our father’s passion, generosity, and perseverance, we would like to offer the following gifts from our family to yours, during the next 9 weeks:
Sundays – half price bottles of our house red wine all day long
Mondays – purchase one bottle of wine, get your second bottle for half price Tuesdays – purchase Mama’s Lamb Shank entrée, get one complimentary pizza Wednesday – purchase any bottle of wine, get one complimentary pizza
Every Day – 30% discount for take-out bottles of wine

Our last day of service will be Monday the 24th — Christmas Eve — with a celebration of gratitude, great food, wine, and the community we love. Be sure to make your reservations soon, as you know how limited our space is.

We look forward to seeing you all over the next 9 weeks. Although we are sad to say goodbye to Alki, we look forward to what the future has in store for Phoenecia.

For updates, follow us on:
Instagram: @phoeneciawestseattle Facebook: @phoeneciarestaurantwestseattle

With love and gratitude, The Khazaal Family

We’ve checked the files and there’s nothing on record yet regarding a development proposal for, or sale of, the building, where Phoenecia’s longtime neighbor Alki Cleaners closed in July, one of a lengthening list of Alki closures.

Six months after we reported Gyro Heroes was coming to the ex-Baskin Robbins at 4111 SW Admiral Way, it’s not open yet, though signage has been up a while. After weeks of going by almost daily in hopes of finding someone to ask “what’s up?” we finally happened onto someone there today. They’re currently awaiting inspections, we’re told, and hope to finally open within a month.

Ever since the first tip that Saigon Pho (2632 Alki SW) had apparently closed, we’ve been checking on it; more than a week has gone by, and it hasn’t reopened. No explanatory/farewell sign, and we haven’t been able to reach the restaurant’s proprietor, but a peek through the window shows furnishings and other items stacked and boxed. While that building’s site has long had a mixed-use redevelopment proposal, newer documents in city files show a plan to expand the neighboring preschool/day care into the building.

Saigon Pho, which opened in early 2010, would be the sixth Alki business to close in a little over a year, along with:

Sushi Samurai
Alki Cleaners
Marée Bistro
Alki Urban Market
Tully’s Coffee

The latter three spaces are all posted with FOR LEASE signs. At the ex-sushi spot (2758 Alki SW), an application is in the city system to add second-floor apartments to the building, as was proposed in 2009.