Thanks to a reader for the picture
An important deal for the stability of the 15th Ave E business core has apparently fallen through.
Large “for sale” signage has been put up on top of the plywood panels covering the shuttered Coastal Kitchen following last month’s announcement that the restaurant and its building had been sold.
CHS reported in early February on the announcement from the Sound Restaurant Family company that includes the Mioposto pizza chain as well as a roster of South Sound venues including The Poodle Dog in Fife that it had a deal to sell the Capitol Hill Coastal property to new ownership bringing a new concept to the building that has housed the restaurant for more than 30 years.
It has been nearly 50 days since that announcement.
Coastal closed and was boarded up after one last night of business on February 21st. The day before, the property was put on the market again with a $2.5 million price tag. “A 4,929 SF, full-service restaurant and bar, the property is centrally located within the highly desirable 15th Ave E Restaurant Row, with great street visibility and an operable storefront,” it reads.
Sound Restaurant Family and owners Dan and Jonathan Tweten have not responded to CHS’s inquiries about the fate of the Coastal property. There are no records with the county regarding any change in the deed.
With the deal apparently off the table, the boarded-up business is adding another dent to commercial activity in 15th Ave E’s core as the street awaits big changes. Across 15th, Capitol Hill developer Hunters Capital is preparing plans to transform the old QFC block of 15th Ave E into new apartments, businesses, and plaza space. When the work up the street where the Hunters Capital mixed-use project replacing the old Hilltop Service Station is complete later this year, the clock will start ticking for the QFC block project to start.
The property was listed on February 20th
The changes will mean some familiar faces in new spaces. CHS reported here on the plans for Rudy’s to move its barbershop across the street to the new Hilltop development.
Meanwhile, the deal hiccup at Coastal appears to be an anomaly in a wave of new food and drink projects lined up to take over some much loved Capitol Hill spaces. CHS reported here on Guillotine replacing Witness on Broadway, 206 Burger moving into the former Broadway 8 Oz. burger bar space, new ownership at E Pike’s HoneyHole, and the next project for the corner held down by Machiavelli for 36 years — Cheese Room.
What comes next for the old Coastal Kitchen? We’ll have to wait for a buyer with $2.5 million to step forward to find out.
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Oh no that’s a bummer. I was hoping the space wouldn’t be empty for long.
Since the horrible actions of Kroger moving out of the neighborhood, we just need a bit more liveliness there.
More density, more businesses, more cafes/restaurants are great! Keep them coming.
Iâm not a Kroger fan by any means but âhorrible actionsâ? That QFC was allegedly hemorrhaging money before it was robbed out of its ass during the pandemic.
Do you honestly think Kroger or any other corporation would close a profitable location to like, stick it to the neighborhood?
They did it only to avoid paying the extra few bucks an hour to their employees.
I hate crime as much as the average bear, and I think we should be throwing the book to any property or violent crime – but Kroger simply found a simple excuse to close up a location that likely wasn’t bringing too much money. I have zero sympathies.
So it seems weâre both acknowledging that location already wasnât working out the way Kroger wouldâve liked, profit-wise. Therefore, it stands to reason that they would rather shutter the location than pay hazard pay.
My understanding (as reported on this blog, I believe) was that the employees were offered transfers to other QFCâs. Thatâs not ideal to say the least but itâs also not losing your job. Itâs also kinda how it goes if you work for a massive corporation; sometimes you have to accept a transfer or find another job.
In that wonderful neighborhood. I hope it was just an issue with financing and not that investors are not interested.
Lots of empty premises down on broadway, not sure Iâd want to put my $2.5m into 15th until qfc project is done
Rite Aid space is pretty big challenge for most tenants. What else on Broadway are you referring to besides the Boca venues?
Any info on the need for plywood boards? Was there a break-in?
What hasn’t been broken into in the neighborhood?
I was assuming that the windows were broken since not all the windows were boarded up.
area is trouble because it’s outside the density of capitol hill so you get much less foot traffic.
There’s no lack of foot traffic along 15th.
Yet another missing tooth in Capitol Hill’s smile
Does anyone know where the mechanics at Hilltop went? I miss them and will follow them anywhere.