What a gift it is to be able to do what you are good at and be surrounded by like-minded folks while doing it…Thank you to all of you who have come out and supported us over the last 10 (14 if you count Book Bindery) years. And a huge thank you to our incredible team, who have worked so hard and stood by us through the challenging parts as well as the wins. We are grateful.
We are closing up shop here in Ballard because this is a large amount of square footage and things are very expensive; rent, product, utilities, fuel surcharges, etc.
We pay the team what they are worth…and that’s expensive..
But mostly: the world is in a certain amount of flux which has a heavy impact on day-to-day operations. Worrying about that on top of running our business was not something we wanted to continue to explore. My husband is the hardest working person I have ever met. Full stop. What we execute here in this kitchen is very labor intensive and involves zero shortcuts. And he deserves a break. So it’s not one particular thing, but the sum of all of the parts that helped us decide to end this chapter.
Not sure what we will do next. But things have a way of sorting themselves out in life.
In the meantime…yes, other owner operated restaurants in Seattle are opening and yes, this is a tough market. Get out and support when you can - with perspective, compassion and realistic expectations. Small hospitality businesses need you. And you need them…
Cheers!