(Image: Koko’s)

By Juan Jocom

The folks at Koko’s know what they are doing. They built the original restaurant into a widely respected dining destination despite its far-flung location in the planned Olympic Peninsula community of Seabrook.

Gibran Moreno and Alexi Torres also know their way around Capitol Hill, hoping to grow their new Koko’s Restaurant and Tequila Bar into the LGBTQ-owned food, drink, and good times community of the neighborhood.

But the long waits and slow processes of doing business in a booming again Seattle have been a challenge even for the experience Koko’s team.

“We’ve been working on this project for over a year and two months… But we are getting close. We are just waiting for our final inspection from the health department and then we should be ready to go,” Moreno said.

But even the final push comes with challenges.

According to Moreno, the person in charge of processing their inspection from the King County Department of Health has gone on a vacation and Moreno was having trouble getting in touch with the person delegated with their permit application or anyone from the county for updates on the crucial inspection.

Meanwhile, 25 Koko’s employees are waiting to get to work.

CHS reported here last June on the plans for the Koko’s expansion to fill the space formerly home to a Heritage Distilling tasting room that never really rose above the pandemic’s setbacks. Koko’s will be the youngest business in the building. Its neighbors, Lark and Slab Sandwiches, have both been on 10th Ave for over a decade and are longtime parts of the neighborhood’s restaurant scene.

At the time, CHS noted Koko’s would be a flurry of activity on the backside of Pike/Pine including the Stoup takeover of Optimism Brewing’s 20-barrel brewery and beer hall at Broadway and union. But Koko’s was in for a longer wait than planned.

Now, fingers crossed, things are finally lined up for an opening in the coming weeks — hopefully before the end of the month.

While they have been waiting for their permits to be processed, Koko’s ownership has been paying their rent out of pocket. Moreno said that they are hoping to organize an event after opening to help raise funds to cover the costs.

“Everything happens for a reason. And if it’s taking this long maybe an energy or an explanation [will be given] one day. For now we’re trying to concentrate on the positive,” Moreno said.

Moreno says the delays may have been a blessing in disguise, as they were worried about the ongoing construction on Madison and how this could affect the visibility and accessibility of their business.

The old heritage space in the Central Agency building has been overhauled

“My partner and I had a joke about how they would have finished the construction first by the time we get all these permits done,” Moreno said.

The RapidRide G line is, indeed, ready to open at the end of summer.

As a queer couple, Moreno and Torres are also looking forward to celebrating the restaurant and bar’s first Pride on the Hill. Moreno is hoping to partner with the nearby Union for the fun. The businesses already missed out on Halloween, Christmas and Valentines Day link-up that had to be canceled along the way.

Koko’s menu will feature a fusion of Mexican and Salvadorian foods, combining Moreno’s and Torres’ cultures. Tulum, Mexico is also an inspiration for the two. Massive lamp shades made by artists in Mexico and palm trees will be used in the space. Moreno thinks of the restaurant as a place get two or three drinks, bring a date, or hold a family reunion.

“Come here, have dinner, have fun, then go somewhere else and be crazy,” Moreno told CHS las year.

Now, it is almost time for Koko’s to jump into motion and join the neighborhood.

“No business has guaranteed success… [but] we have some big followers from the previous location,” Moreno said. “Our goal is always to try to create some kind of atmosphere that people feel comfortable and love to be around.”

Koko’s will open later this summer at 1201 10th Ave. Learn more at kokos-restaurant.com.

HELP KEEP CHS PAYWALL-FREE
Subscribe to CHS to help us hire writers and photographers to cover the neighborhood. CHS is a pay what you can community news site with no required sign-in or paywall. To stay that way, we need you.

Become a subscriber to help us cover the neighborhood for as little as $5 a month.