West Seattle, Washington
11 Monday
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
For the third time in a week, District 1 City Councilmember Rob Saka sat down this afternoon to talk with a group of West Seattle constituents.
Last Wednesday, it was the District 1 Community Network; last night, it was the Admiral Neighborhood Association; today, it was a group of more than a dozen people, primarily small-business proprietors, gathered by the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce.
Saka heard a lot about public safety and street disorder. But he also got an earful about the effects of a relatively new city law co-sponsored by his D-1 predecessor Lisa Herbold – the App-Based Worker Minimum Payment Ordinance that took effect in January, which some restaurateurs say has resulted in delivery costs going up and business going down.
Today’s gathering was part of a small-business-focused “listening tour” that Saka says is spanning the five neighborhoods in D-1; he’s already been to Pioneer Square, SODO, and Georgetown, and will finish the tour in South Park. Today’s West Seattle participants gathered with Saka (who was accompanied by chief of staff Elaine Ikoma Ko and district-relations director Leyla Gheisar) at Realfine Coffee‘s 35th/Kenyon shop.
(WSB photos. Councilmember Saka with Elliott Bay’s Todd Carden, Easy Street’s Matt Vaughan, and in background Realfine’s Julie Mierzwiak)
After some introductory chatting and coffee orders, the group trooped a few doors down to The Westy to hear from Saka, followed by Q&A.
Eight months after we first reported that Westwood Village had a Daiso store on the way, the space is finally sporting signage. We have been passing by every few days or so and noticed the signage this afternoon. Daiso is moving into a combined space (formerly SportClips and Fresh Vitamins) a few doors north of Ross. While the signage simply says “spring” for its projected opening, one WSB reader who’s a frequent customer at another Daiso store in the region says the staff there told him they’re aiming for May. The only other claimed-but-not-open-yet space at WWV is the future Panda Express north of QFC.
Last chance to nominate a business, nonprofit, or community advocate for the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce‘s 2024 Westside Awards! 5 pm today is the deadline. From the announcement we published three weeks ago:
The Chamber is seeking nominations in the following categories:
1) Business of the Year
2) Not-for-Profit of the Year
3) Emerging Business of the Year
4) Westsider of the YearThe community is invited to submit nominations online here: loom.ly/qS8SmDE. The deadline to submit nominations is Tuesday, March 12, 2024, by 5 pm.
The Westside Awards honor leadership in entrepreneurship, innovation, and community impact, highlighting the achievements and contributions of businesses, organizations, and individuals within our West Seattle community.
The winners will be honored at a community breakfast event May 22. (Past winners are listed here.)
If you happen to see this damage at Jefferson Square – no, it was NOT a crash-and-grab burglary; this was a crash that happened this past hour, blamed on driver error – accelerator pressed instead of brakes, we were told at the scene. The damaged business is the former UPS Store (still operating, under a different name). No injuries reported.
Two more food and drink biznotes:
(WSB photo, November 2022)
ANIMATED CAFE MOVING: After two years of operating her pink Animated Café trailer in West Seattle, Melanie – aka “Ana” – is moving across the Duwamish River. This is her last week in the lot at 4518 Fauntleroy Way SW, where she’s been since November 2022, and where she says her lease is running out with no option to renew. After a few weeks off, she expects to reopen in a new location next month: “I believe I will have a location on a major intersection in Georgetown, but I’m waiting to finalize the details. Until then, March 14th will be my last day operating for a bit.” She shared her distinctive path to entrepreneurship in a WSB story just as she launched her business.
JET CITY BEIGNET CLOSING: The popular purveyors of the New Orleans-style treats, operating in West Seattle for four years, abruptly announced this week that they’re closing the business, promising an explanation at a future date. They said next weekend, March 16-17, will bring their final pop-ups; we don’t have their full schedule, but Highland Park Corner Store (7789 Highland Park Way SW) says JCB is scheduled to make its last appearance there 10 am-2 pm Saturday, March 16.
Today we’re welcoming All The Best Pet Care (4722 Fauntleroy Way SW) as a new WSB sponsor. When new sponsors join us to advertise their local businesses to you, they get the opportunity to tell you about who they are and what they do – here’s what All The Best would like you to know:
Since 1985, All The Best stores have been neighborhood gathering places where pets are celebrated, and customers are introduced to a progressive nutritional philosophy. As we open our 17th store in West Seattle, we remain locally and family-owned and led. Helping people keep their beloved dogs and cats at their healthiest drives everything we do and every decision we make.
We encourage customers to bring their dogs (and adventuresome cats) to the store so we can make them feel as special as they are, give them treats, and better understand their needs. Regular customers tell us their dogs practically drag them into the store whenever they’re near! We also provide free same-day delivery for local orders $75 and up.
Our most popular promotion is our birthday club. Customers who sign up for our free Healthy Rewards program are eligible for a discounted shopping spree on their pet’s birthday or gotcha day. They also receive a free tote bag that features custom-commissioned work by a local artist. The reusable tote contains a toy, a birthday hat, samples, and treats. Healthy Rewards members also receive points for purchasing items from participating brands, and when 400 points are accumulated, they receive a store credit.
All The Best is committed to giving back to our local pet rescues and our community at large. Each year, we donate hundreds of gift cards to local nonprofits and nearly half a million dollars worth of food and supplies to numerous pet rescues and food banks.
We consider working toward a more sustainable future another important part of helping to build a better community. We are active members of the Pet Sustainability Coalition. With their guidance, we are making great strides in reducing waste by converting every possible All The Best brand package to recyclable packaging. Our customers share our concerns and help make this initiative a success by consistently returning qualifying pet food packaging to us to be recycled.
We look forward to meeting our West Seattle neighbors – and their pets!
We thank All The Best Pet Care in West Seattle for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here; email patrick@wsbsales.com for info on joining the team!
(Photo courtesy Good Sister)
From the north end of Morgan Junction to the south end, Good Sister‘s move is finally complete and they’re celebrating their “grand reopening” this Sunday (March 10). The new location is 6959 California SW (from which Floors Plus Northwest moved to bigger digs at 6451 Fauntleroy). Good Sister says the 12:30-4:30 pm grand-reopening celebration – which coincides with Women’s History Month – will include “a pop-up market consisting of all women-owned businesses. Everything from vintage clothing & home goods (Baby Deer Vintage), treats sold by Food Network champion Jasmin Smith, tarot readings, permanent jewelry, tattoos and more!” In addition to merchandise, Good Sister offers spa services. They’re hoping for a good turnout on Sunday to help make up for a two-month closure, with their reopening delayed by “unexpected obstacles”: Good Sister’s hours for starters will be 12:30-4:30 pm Sundays, 12:30-5 pm Thursdays-Fridays, 11:30 am-5 pm Saturdays, spa services available for scheduling 7 days a week.
Three food-and-drink biznotes:
GOOD SOCIETY CELEBRATES 4TH ANNIVERSARY: The folks at The Good Society in Admiral (2701 California SW) admit their actual anniversary was in mid-February, but they didn’t want to get it all jumbled up with the Super Bowl, so they’re celebrating this weekend – 4 years in business. Special events includw:
We will have an anniversary edition of Music Bingo on Friday March 8th at 7 PM and Trivia on Saturday March 9th at 3 PM. We will also have Lovely & Dapper Desserts on site from 3 PM to 7 PM selling cakes, one of which is a chocolate cake made with our Night Nurse Black IPA and vanilla buttercream.
As for the beer, they’re promising a 4th Anniversary Imperial IPA as well as a return of Rye Hard 2: Rye Harder. (And if you’re off-peninsula, they’re celebrating at their new Queen Anne location too.)
OTTER ON THE ROCKS CELEBRATES 2ND ANNIVERSARY: Another Admiral beverage-focused establishment is celebrating this weekend too – it’s two years for Otter on the Rocks (4210 SW Admiral Way). They’re planning on partying Friday and Saturday: “We’ll have some drink specials, fun raffles, and some popcorn!”
DUKE’S SECOND REOPENING FREEBIE: After a week of free chowder to celebrate reopening after a month-plus closure following deep-freeze damage, Duke’s on Alki (2516 Alki SW; WSB sponsor) has a new freebie starting today – free burger with any entree, through March 19th. (Tell them you heard it here.)
Today we’re welcoming Andy Randles, a real-estate broker with Ewing & Clark, as a new WSB sponsor. When new sponsors join us to advertise their local businesses to you, they get the opportunity to tell you about who they are and what they do – here’s what Andy Randles would like you to know:
“I have a depth of knowledge for Seattle real estate and neighborhoods, and love helping new neighbors move in. There’s so much to love about this area and working with people seeing everything for the first time is such a treat to be a part of.
“People appreciate that I’m patient and understanding. “Patience” shows up a lot in my reviews and leads to referrals and repeat clients. I also have a rich understanding of the home-purchase process and real-estate market to ensure clients have a smooth experience, and I help maximize their value.
:My community involvement includes serving as a chapter lead for Seattle YIMBY, and being a member of Circle the Block (a neighborhood watch group for Pioneer Square). In my spare time, I’m also a member of an American History meetup group! Here’s how to connect with me.”
We thank real-estate broker Andy Randles for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here; email patrick@wsbsales.com for info on joining the team!
Last year, almost two dozen local businesses and organizations were part of the West Seattle High School Job and Internship Fair. This year’s event is a month away and organizers asked us to share this invitation for participation:
West Seattle High School Job and Internship Fair – 4/3/24
If you’re looking to hire teens and/or soon-to-be high school graduates, West Seattle High School is hosting the WSHS Job and Internship Fair on April 3rd from 11:30am-2:30pm. Come showcase your opportunities and connect with students!
Fill out this MS Form to attend: forms.office.com/r/vh7TccqWEZ or email Brian Fitzgerald at bjfitzgerald@seattleschools.org with questions or concerns.
Positions offered can include:
Paid
Volunteer
Internships
Permanent
Seasonal
Pre-apprenticeships
Apprenticeships
Two biznotes:
MOON ROOM REOPENS: After a two-week closure, Moon Room Shop and Wellness (WSB sponsor) has reopened and is awaiting your visit at 5902 California SW. The shop’s regular hours are Wednesday-Fridays 11 am-6 pm, Saturdays and Sundays 11 am-5 pm, Mondays-Tuesdays noon-5 pm. (Haven’t been to Moon Room yet? Here’s what they’re all about.)
CIRCA TURNS 26: Happy 26th anniversary to Circa (2605 California SW). They’re celebrating today/tonight by offering “birthday party” specials. Circa co-proprietor Gretchen tells WSB, “We are doing $15 Circa burger & fries, $5 Manny’s Pale Ale, and free funfetti birthday cake for all dine-in patrons all day and night as a thank you for supporting us all these years. We love west Seattle!” Circa is open until 10 pm tonight.
This morning brings news of the biggest potential roadblock yet to the mega-merger that could put five of West Seattle’s grocery stores under the same ownership: The Federal Trade Commission is suing to stop the merger of Kroger (parent of QFC, Fred Meyer, and other brands) and Albertsons (parent of Safeway among others). West Seattle has two QFC stores and three Safeway stores, and among those, two – Junction QFC and Jefferson Square – are barely a block apart. To the south, Westwood Village QFC and Roxbury Safeway (a former Fred Meyer) are separated by just a few blocks. Sixteen months have passed since the $24 billion merger announcement. In its announcement today, the FTC alleges that “the deal is anticompetitive (and would) eliminate fierce competition between Kroger and Albertsons, leading to higher prices for groceries and other essential household items for millions of Americans.” The merger plan has drawn other opposition since it came to light, including U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal‘s call – announced in West Seattle – for the FTC to investigate. Kroger had sought to calm some concerns via a plan announced last September to sell some of its assets, including the QFC brand name (but not necessarily all QFC stores) to a third party.
WHAT’S NEXT: According to the FTC announcement, its action “marks the beginning of a proceeding in which the allegations will be tried in a formal hearing before an administrative law judge.”
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
More than four years after Rebellyous Foods relocated its “revolution” in plant-based “chicken” to West Seattle, it’s ready to deploy the next weapon in that revolution.
From the start, Rebellyous – headquartered in the SK Foods building at 37th/Snoqualmie – has emphasized that it’s a technology company more than a food-production company.
Its founder, Christie Lagally (above), is a former aerospace engineer. Her company has been working on the second iteration of its patented manufacturing technology, aimed at streamlining and speeding up the process of making dough for plant-based meat, while bringing the production cost down. And now, they’re preparing for the first installation of the new system – known as Mock 2 – so they put out a Request For Proposals (read it here) to find a home for it.
After hearing about the RFP, we revisited Rebellyous HQ – almost exactly a year, it turns out, after our previous visit for an update on this unique local company. They’ve come a long way – when we first visited in fall 2019, they were producing 1,000 pounds a month of plant-based “chicken” nuggets, tenders, and patties; now they produce that much per hour. School districts are their largest customers – more than 200 districts around the country are buying and serving Rebellyous Foods products, and their sales continue to grow exponentially, according to Lagally. They’re also selling to other big clients, recently scoring a contract with the Vizient health-care system. Their production is done at Orca Bay‘s plant (still in West Seattle) – they’ve long since outgrown the space in The Triangle, though they have plenty of other uses for it, including research and development, and storage.
Components of the Mock 2 system are there, waiting for their future home. (Off-camera – since it’s proprietary technology.)
In its new home, the Mock 2 system will be used to produce Rebellyous Foods products and potentially other companies’ products too. Lagally says Mock 2 will be able to produce at least 2,500 pounds per hour – more than twice the current pace – and eventually up to 5,000 pounds an hour. The speed and efficiency means the cost of production will be reduced, and she says that’s a large part of what it’ll take for plant-based “meat” to truly compete with animal meat. The RFP declares that Mock 2 will result in a “60% lower cost of manufacturing than all current dough-making methods currently available to manufacturers.”
The central feature of the new system is continuous mixing – the dry ingredients are continuously hydrated and mixed into dough along the line, rather than being dumped into, say, a giant bowl, along with liquid, and mixed there. Of course, that’s a vast simplification, and they’re working on other efficiencies and improvements – we peeked inside one of the rooms where staffers were doing tests to come up with better ways to emulsify as well as testing viscosity.
When you’re inventing new ways to manufacture, you have to invent new components, too. Lagally says some of the Mock 2 parts are all new, some are modified. And the size of the Mock 2 installation requires some other customized equipment too – like a huge custom dishwasher that can handle the equipment’s parts. Associated equipment is part of the plan for efficiency too; they’re testing an energy-saving chiller, for example.
All this will serve the longstanding goal, Lagally says: “I’m very happy that our original mission still stands – getting plant-based meat into more (places).” Mock 2’s impending installation will be a major milestone, but Lagally and Rebellyous Foods won’t be resting on their laurels (or feathers) – they’re working already on Mock 3.
(WSB photo)
West Seattle Coworking‘s main location at 9030 35th SW will host dozens of students this weekend for a 24-hour code-a-thon. The event is presented by the nonprofit organization CodeDay, which explains that it’s “committed to providing inclusive opportunities for underserved students to learn about technology.” 
More than 70 students are participating and will be building games, websites, apps, and more between noon Saturday and noon Sunday, in what CodeDay explains will be “an immersive learning experience, with mentors and workshops guiding students through the process of turning their ideas into tangible projects.” CodeDay’s goal is to eliminate the financial burden for students to get tech knowhow, and toward that end, the announcement notes that they’re even providing “free laptops for the event that attendees can keep in order to promote a continued interest in coding beyond the event.” A CodeDay spokesperson says the opening ceremony (noon-12:30 pm Saturday) and closing awards ceremony (11 am-noon Sunday) are open to the public if you’re interested in visiting.
Thanks to Laurie for the tip! If you want a taste of the State Fair without going to Puyallup, you can catch up with the Fisher Scones truck at Metropolitan Market (42nd/Admiral) in West Seattle until 4 pm today.
(WSB photos)
After a few soft-open trial runs, including tonight, the new restaurant/bar Little Donkey plans to officially open tomorrow (Wednesday, February 21) at 3401 California SW. As we first reported when Spiro’s ended its 31-year run in the corner space 14 months ago, it’s a venture with partners including Ben Jenkins (Shadowland, Dumplings of Fury) and Mike Meckling (Woodinville Cut Shop, Neumos), both West Seattleites. It’s all ages, except, of course, at the bar.
You can see the menu here – overseen by chef Enrique Vargas, who’s worked in the industry for more than 20 years and is originally from Mexico City:
The drink menu is perusable online, too. For starters, Little Donkey will open at 3 pm – but soon they’ll be offering weekend brunch starting at 9 am, launching not this weekend, but the weekend after (March 2-3).
WEDNESDAY UPDATE: The Little Donkey team tells us they’re not opening until 5 pm tonight and Thursday.
Just in from the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce – it’s nomination time for the businesses, organizations, and people you’d like to see recognized with this year’s Westside Awards. Here’s the announcement we received:
1) Business of the Year
2) Not-for-Profit of the Year
3) Emerging Business of the Year
4) Westsider of the YearThe community is invited to submit nominations online here: loom.ly/qS8SmDE. The deadline to submit nominations is Tuesday, March 12, 2024, by 5 pm.
The Westside Awards honor leadership in entrepreneurship, innovation, and community impact, highlighting the achievements and contributions of businesses, organizations, and individuals within our West Seattle community.
“The Westside Awards represent the heartbeat of our community’s resilience,” said Rachel Porter, executive director of the West Seattle Chamber. “The Awards showcase the extraordinary contributions of businesses and individuals who make West Seattle such a vibrant, thriving community.”
Mark your calendar for the annual Westside Awards Breakfast to be held in person on Wednesday, May 22, 2024. The West Seattle Chamber will honor the award winners as well as the awardee finalists at the Awards Breakfast — event details to follow at wschamber.com.
“Our Chamber has a long history of recognizing leadership,” notes Porter. You can take a look back at the previous Westside Award winners in each category online, by visiting wschamber.com/westside-awards.
Six months ago, we reported on the closure of Ephesus Restaurant (5245 California SW), which had previously been taken over by new ownership that changed the menu from Turkish to Greek. Now, its original owner wants to bring back the original Ephesus. We learned this after a tip from Mark that someone was painting inside the building. We went over and found Hasan Ocak, who told us his plan is to reopen the restaurant he founded in 1995. The space needs a lot of work, though, he said – noting he’s already made six dump runs with debris – so he’s not sure about a timeline.
West Coast Willow is now open at 5902 California SW. That’s the space vacated when Good Sister moved south to 6959 California, as reported here in December. West Coast Willow is right next to WSB sponsor Moon Room Shop and Wellness, and says that together they’re creating a “holistic corner” of the neighborhood, dubbing it the “Juneau Junction.” West Coast Willow explains, “We have a dreamy wall of bulk herbs (over 60 different herbs and spices), tea blends (which we will be blending on site for sipping and changing up weekly or more) and accessories, tinctures (made on site), candles, oils, smudge sticks and beautiful products from local makers such as flower essences, soaps, and roller balls. We also carry organic beauty products made on site by Nicole Leitner, our owner and local esthetician who has been working in the neighborhood for the last ten years.” They do facials and Reiki, and plan to offer classes and workshops. “Our goal is to inspire people to follow their intuition and feel confident in making their own herbal remedies and ritual practices.” Hours are 11 am-5 pm Sundays, closed Mondays, 10 am-6 pm Tuesdays and Saturdays, 11 am-6 pm Wednesdays and Fridays, spa days (by appointment) Thursdays.
(WSB photo, November 2023)
Before we get to the rest of what’s up today, one biznote for ice-cream lovers – Colleen at Shug’s Mini (California/Charlestown) sends word that they’re open a bonus day today “for a special Wednesday Valentine’s Day treat.” Hours will be noon to 9 pm. Those are the regular Shug’s Mini hours Thursdays-Sundays, and, Colleen adds, “We will have specials throughout the weekend to help celebrate love, family and friendship.”
That’s a look inside Sebastiano’s, the wine shop/wine bar about to open at 3278 California SW. We reported last month on Sebastiano Tecchio‘s plan for the cozy space where he previously managed Molly’s Bottle Shop. Now he sends word that he’s planning to open this Wednesday, February 14, at 2 pm. He says Sebastiano’s will be “focused on natural and organic wines from around the world, with a good selection also of domestic and local wines.” Hours will be 2-8 pm Wednesdays through Saturdays, noon-6 pm Sundays, closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
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The photo is from All the Best Pet Care, announcing that their new West Seattle store is open (at Maris, 4722 Fauntleroy Way SW). We first reported last August that All the Best had permit filings for the space, and the company confirmed it in October, saying this is their 17th store around the region. In West Seattle, it’s the eighth pet-focused retail shop, joining Pet Elements, Addy’s, Next-to-Nature, Mud Bay, Pet Pros, Petco, and Pet Supplies Plus. All the Best had a shop on Alki 2007-2009 (where Outer Space Seattle recently closed). Today’s announcement says, “West Seattle residents are invited to stop by and ask for a free Valentine’s treat for their dog or cat now through February 14. A grand-opening event is planned for March.” Hours and other info are here.
P.S. Also on the way to Maris, according to permit filings, is Club Pilates.
The owners of Mission Cantina in The Admiral District (2325 California SW) say their restaurant/bar will close permanently in a little over a week. Here’s the announcement we received tonight:
After 19 amazing years, Mission Cantina must say “adios” to the West Seattle neighborhood we have long adored as family. This decision was not one arrived at easily. Due to rising operational costs, changes in the economy, and an evolving hospitality landscape, we are announcing Saturday, February 17th will be our final night.
Our beloved community has supported us, and we are proud to have supported our community in return. We have been lucky to host first dates that became engagement parties and then marriage celebrations, followed by childrens’ birthdays, then became supporters for school auctions, and we even had our logo on the backs of Little League jerseys … all for the same wonderful families.
Mission has been a gathering spot in the Admiral neighborhood for almost two decades, the venue for two weddings, many live music shows and multiple celebrations of life, and we loved every minute. We thank the West Seattle community, and all of Seattle, for being part of our journey, through good times and challenging times. We are especially grateful for our amazing team members – past and present, our dedicated Missionaries who came for dinners and tasting events, our nearby neighbor businesses, the West Seattle Chamber, and the Admiral Neighborhood Association for being there for us when we needed you most.
Please come in and support our amazing staff during this farewell week.
We will miss every one of you, West Seattle.
Peter Morse, Shawn Padilla & Tina Padilla
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