Tag Archives: e olive way

Another smash and grab burglary crash leaves Capitol Hill’s The Reef pot shop storefront crumbled

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(Image: CHS)

Capitol Hill pot shop The Reef was targeted again overnight in an early Friday morning smash and grab burglary as a team of thieves tried to use a car to crash open the shop’s front door, leaving behind a wrecked and heavily damaged storefront.

The attempted heist is the latest in an ongoing wave of similar ripoffs targeting Seattle’s cannabis industry and businesses with ATMs across the city and one of multiple break-ins in recent years targeting the E Olive Way at Denny store. Friday’s collision to the Capitol Hill store was the most damaging yet. Continue reading →

A sad goodbye *and* a happy hello, former KJ’s bar to open under new owner in 2025

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A large platter of nachos on the bar at KJ's

(Image: KJ’s)

As CHS tabulates the annual count of happy hellos and sad goodbyes in Capitol Hill food and drink, there are always situations like KJ’s.

The E Olive Way watering hole that was pretty much a perfect, dark space to nurse a 1st quarter bloody mary and destroy a mountain of nachos around halftime closed to end 2024. KJ’s is gone. But the bar will live on.

“We’ve sold the bar to a loyal patron and great friend,” KJ’s ownership said about the closure.

CHS touched base with the newest entrepreneur to join E Olive Way’s nightlife scene but the industry veteran said he’s not quite ready to talk about his plans. Expect a re-opening by spring — and most of the KJ’s vibe to continue. Continue reading →

Laurel, now open for coffee, beauty, and light on E Olive Way

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A picture of workers preparing the new Laurel cafe and bar for opening

The crew readying the 500 square feet for its daytime start (Image: Laurel)

Seattle is a big city and sometimes it takes a really long time to open something new here — even one of the tiniest joints on Capitol Hill.

After a year of planning, paperwork, and elbow grease, Laurel has opened for daytime hours along E Olive Way. You can stop in for daily 9a-2p coffee service starting Friday. Its nighttime hours will follow.

Little Laurel might be the most personal of Kate Opatz’s food and drink ventures. CHS reported here last summer on the light, beauty, daytime coffee, neighborhood investors, love for a lost friend, and mom behind the project transforming the former home of Crumble & Flake Pâtisserie. Continue reading →

With planned seven-story development inching forward, old Olive Way Improvement Company building faces demolition ‘under emergency conditions’

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(Image: CHS)

With reporting by Domenic Strazzabosco

Failing masonry appears ready to rip apart Seattle’s web of public reviews, permits, and financing windows to move a major Capitol Hill development project forward at the corner of Denny and E Olive Way.

City permit paperwork shows demolition approval moving forward “under emergency conditions” on the more than 100 year old, historic — but not landmarks protected — property once home to Capitol Hill classics Holy Smoke, Coffee Messiah, and In the Bowl. The facade of the 1917-era unreinforced masonry building is falling off, according to the filings, expediting the long awaited demolition of the old structures.

Filings show a traffic control plan, right of way impact plan, and haul route map being submitted for approval.

A plan for developing a seven-story, 106-unit mixed-use apartment building at the corner awaits but any work on construction is still a long, long ways off.

The project has yet to begin the public review process and will then need to await the alignment of economic trends and financing windows that has left many Capitol Hill projects on the back-burner.

The property’s developer has declined to comment on the situation and also directed the contractor being brought on to handle the demolition not to speak with CHS about the project. Continue reading →

SPD investigates double stabbing in Capitol Hill Halloween nightlife fight

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Two people were reported stabbed in an altercation early Friday morning amid remaining Capitol Hill Halloween nightlife crowds.

Seattle Police were called to E John at Bellevue just north of E Olive Way around 2:25 AM to a report of a man stabbed in the neck and upper body in a fight outside a nearby bar.

As officers arrived and called Seattle Fire to the scene to assist the injured man, police were called to a second victim reported stabbed in the neck and in need of assistance outside E Olive Way bar Revolver.

Seattle Fire reports it transported a 36-year-old man in stable condition to Harborview and a 30-year-old man was taken to the hospital by a private ambulance from outside the E Olive Way bar.

Seattle Police reported the second victim was highly intoxicated and uncooperative with police and medics.

Police were looking for a suspect described only as a heavyset black male wearing all black.

There were no reported arrests.

 

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Next for shuttered Capitol Hill Gaybucks? New E Olive Way home for All the Best pet supply store

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(Image: All the Best Pet Care)

The former Capitol Hill “Gaybucks” shuttered by the coffee giant in 2022 as part of a ripple of shutdowns over what it said were public safety concerns amid an ongoing labor battle will have new life as a shopping stop for the neighborhood’s fur baby families.

All the Best Pet Care has announced it is moving into the 4,000-square-foot commercial building that has stood on E Olive Way and served as a home to a string of restaurants and big chains like Boston Market and Starbucks since 1937.

Lake City Way-born All the Best is marking its third store in the Central Seattle area with the opening joining its longtime Madison Park shop and a new store in the Midtown Square development in the Central District.

“We know that something as simple as a change of diet can bring about huge improvements in the lives of our fur kids, and we want to share that knowledge with our community,” All The Best co-CEO Jim Castleberry said in the announcement. Continue reading →

Pedestrian hit by driver at E Olive Way intersection where SDOT has been promising ‘Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons’ crosswalk for months

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“Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons” pedestrian crossing system

A pedestrian crossing E Olive Way at Harvard Ave was injured and taken to the hospital after being hit by a driver Friday night.

The crossing is notoriously dangerous and the Seattle Department of Transportation has said it is planning a crosswalk and safety improvements at the intersection.

Friday, Seattle Police and Seattle Fire were called to the area just before 11:30 PM to reports that a pedestrian was down at the crossing.

Seattle Fire tells CHS the patient was reported as a 33-year-old man who was transported to the hospital in stable condition.

There were conflicting reports about whether the driver and the vehicle involved in the crash remained at the scene but police had a description and license plate number of the black Alfa Romeo seen striking the man. Continue reading →

Sábado gigante — Capitol Hill’s Bonito Café y Mercadito announces September 14th grand opening

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(Image: Bonito Café y Mercadito)

One of the more anticipated new Capitol Hill food and drink ventures has announced a grand opening date.

Bonito Café y Mercadito will be ready with an Espresso Tónico for you as the doors open this month at E Olive Way and Melrose with a grand opening planned for Saturday, September 14th.

CHS reported in February on the plans from Daniel and Ismael Calderon to bring the Latino cafe and shopping experience to Capitol Hill after forging the Aqui Mercado events in Pioneer Square.

“The Mercadito part pays homage to our roots of Aqui Mercado,” Ismael told CHS earlier this year. ”Within our cafe obviously we’re going to sell coffee, but our focus is helping BIPOC small businesses to have an opportunity to showcase their product and talents in a storefront environment.” Continue reading →

Thieves ram stolen minivan into Capitol Hill’s The Reef in another smash and grab pot shop break-in

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Thanks to Lauri for her picture and report in the CHS Facebook Group

A pack of thieves swarmed inside Capitol Hill pot shop The Reef early Tuesday morning after ramming a stolen minivan into the E Olive Way building in another smash and grab burglary targeting the store.

Seattle Police were called to the shop at the intersection of E Olive Way and Denny just before 2:30 AM to a report that a KIA minivan had smashed into the store and multiple males seen entering the business through the broken windows.

According to East Precinct radio updates, three vehicles — a van and two dark colored sedans — were reported fleeing the scene. Police arrived to find only the KIA smashed in reverse into the front of the building. A check of vehicle records show that the KIA was recently reported stolen. Continue reading →

Laurel, a tiny bar coming to Capitol Hill, will pack in light, beauty, daytime coffee, neighborhood investors, love for a lost friend, and mom on E Olive Way

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Laurel’s E Olive Way bones (Image: @kateopatz)

Food and drink entrepreneur Kate Opatz is creating her latest project Laurel, “the smallest, prettiest cocktail bar,” on E Olive Way on Capitol Hill.

Formerly the home of Crumble & Flake Pâtisserie, Laurel will be transforming this very small space — not quite 500 square feet — into a fun and fresh cocktail bar.

Opatz is not new to opening and running bars on Capitol Hill. In fact, Laurel will be opening next door to another Opatz institution: Montana, the graffiti-filled and well-loved dive bar.

Despite this proximity, the new bar will host a completely different atmosphere. Laurel, named for Opatz’s mother and for the natural imagery it evokes, will be “light and beautiful.” Opatz plans to lean into feminine motifs, using plants, bold colorful tiles, and earthy tones.

“I love the feeling of a tiny bar, being packed into a pretty space. That kind of place just makes me happy,” Opatz said. Continue reading →