We’re excited to share the list of new awardees of the Tenant Improvement Program in 2024. Through the program, the 38 participants receive different support and funding based on business need and readiness. These small businesses are located throughout the city, include legacy businesses, and offer different services to the communities they serve. Discover these program participants in your neighborhood!
You can read more about the Tenant Improvement Program (previously Tenant Improvement Fund), what the different packages mean, and how the selection process works below.
Central District/First Hill
- Agelgil Ethiopian Restaurant, Central District
- Ethiopian restaurant in the Central District that hosts community events. Owner would like to add a bakery/café arm to their business and needs new equipment. (Equipment package; award amount: $50,000.)
- Brown Sugar Baking Company, Central District
- Black woman-owned business with a desire to maintain her small baking business while providing an incubator space for other entrepreneurs. Business owner seeks equipment and space upgrades to attract other businesses to share her space. (Health and Safety package; award amount: $100,000.)
- Earl’s, Central District
- African American legacy business and local cultural anchor is looking to install more visible signage in their new location, to guide their customers to them in an area that experienced huge changes. (Signage package; award amount: $15,000.)
- Gold Coast Ghal LLC, First Hill
- West African woman-owned business which hosts community events. Business owner will replace failing food equipment and purchase heating/cooling systems to maintain comfortable temperatures in the space. (Equipment package; award amount: $27,363)
- Metier Brewing, Central District
- Black majority-owned business started their flagship taproom in 2018 with a desire to create a space where people of color feel at home. They seek an accessible entry, electrical upgrades, and new equipment. (Health and Safety package; award amount: $50,000.)
- Wonder Coffee and Sports Bar, Central District
- Amhara family-owned business offering jazz nights and community events in the Central District for over 10 years. Business is replacing equipment they had since opening. (Equipment package; award amount: $50,000.)
Downtown (including Chinatown-International District and Pioneer Square)
- Cake House LLC, Chinatown-International District
- Legacy business of 30 years that specializes in Hong Kong baked goods. The business’ equipment is from when it opened its doors, and it will be replaced with this funding. (Equipment package; award amount: $50,000.)
- Cafe Paloma, Pioneer Square
- Turkish and Thai owned café that is 26 years old and an anchor for arts events in Pioneer Square. Faulty equipment needs replacement. (Equipment package; award amount: $35,000.)
- M and M Jewelry Studio LLC, Downtown
- Mexican woman-owned business which creates artisan jewelry and started in their basement. Their funding will purchase an engraving machine to add a new service offering to their business. (Equipment package; award amount: $50,000.)
- Panama Hotel, Japantown/International District
- Global landmark and “living museum,” the Panama Hotel is a cultural anchor in Japantown. Its steward since 1985, the owner provides tours to visitors and the public alike, and partners with many nonprofits, students, and cultural organizations to keep the history and present of the building alive. Funding will help restore historic wooden windows on one side of the building. (Health and Safety package; award amount: $100,000.)
- Screwdriver, Belltown
- Local bar and community-focused music venue. Owners co-host the Belltown Art Walk. The entrance to the venue is hard to find and goes through a dark alley; business owners would like to add more visible, locally produced signage to this area. (Signage package; award amount: $6,946.)
- Spring Roll House Deli, Chinatown-International District
- Family-owned Chinese Vietnamese multi-generational business serving Little Saigon for 20 years. Business owners are seeking replacement of old equipment. (Equipment package; award amount: $50,000.)
- Storica Studio, Downtown
- Puerto Rican woman-owned jewelry company seeking new equipment to move more of their production in-house. (Equipment package; award amount: $28,621.)
- St. Paul Medical Clinic, Chinatown-International District
- Vietnamese-owned medical clinic supports low-income seniors who live nearby in the International District. Their clients feel unsafe coming to the clinic, so the business owners are adding doors to the vestibule of their building and repairing their HVAC system and drywall. (Health and Safety package; award amount: $100,000.)
- Taswira, Pioneer Square
- Black woman-owned business, which opened the Pacific Northwest’s only African art gallery as a Seattle Restored participant. After a successful few years in previous space, owner moved into a more permanent space and would like to update plumbing and flooring as well as add a kitchenette. (Health and Safety package; award amount: $100,000.)
- Trichome, Chinatown-International District
- Filipino-owned retail shop in the Chinatown-International District that is hard for customers to find because of unclear signage. Funding will support neon and painted signs to help customers find the store. Business owner is working with a local sign painter and neon artist to create these. (Signage package; award amount: $14,948.)
- Wong Tung Seafood, Chinatown-International District
- Chinese woman-owned legacy seafood business will be able to replace live seafood tanks with funding. (Equipment package; award amount: $32,000.)
North Seattle
- Bella’s Beauty Studio, Ballard
- Pre-lease package: Vietnamese immigrant, woman-owned, and one-person business who rents a room in another salon seeks her own space to expand her menu of services. (Pre-lease package; consultant services only.)
- Curvy Cactus, Freemont
- Sister duo selling plus-size consignment clothing and hosting pop-up events. They’re seeking a permanent, fat-friendly space in Fremont to create a sense of community. (Pre-lease package; consultant services only.)
- Enat Ethiopian Restaurant LLC, Northgate
- Amhara and Oromo business owners serving Northgate for the past 27 years. Business owners need to replace their hood and fire suppression system. (Equipment package; award amount: $30,000.)
- Garcias Video, Lake City
- Mexican-owned store offering cultural products and a support system to those far from home in Lake City for 26 years. Business owner needs to replace equipment which has been in use for decades. (Equipment package; award amount: $16,555.)
South Seattle (including Beacon Hill, Columbia City, and Othello)
- Afrik Grocery LLC, Columbia City
- Somali woman-owned business located in Rainier Vista supplies cultural foods to neighbors who don’t have access to transportation. The business’ current sign says the previous tenants’ name and needs to be replaced. (Signage package; award amount: $4,961.)
- Ashanti Mosby, Columbia City
- African art retail boutique whose owner hopes to host community events and create a space that “feels like home.” Funding is to install signage to make it easier for customers to find the space. (Signage package; award amount: $15,000.)
- Baltimore Barbershop Corporation, Hillman City
- Somali barbershop in Rainier Valley with strong community connections. Owner is looking to re-vamp their equipment to streamline services. (Equipment package; award amount: $25,000.)
- Bananas Grill LLC, Columbia City
- Somali-owned business in Rainier Vista became a community hub after 15 years. Owner is replacing equipment that is past its useful life. (Equipment package; award amount: $50,000.)
- Mawadda Cafe LLC, Othello
- Iraqi-owned business offering Halal foods in Graham area for over 17 years. Business owner seeks to add to the menu with new equipment and increase efficiency in the kitchen. (Equipment package; award amount: $25,892.)
- Mi Mi Bakery LLC, Beacon Hill
- Chinese Vietnamese woman-owned bakery that is 20 years old, which the current owner purchased from the previous owner when she was a staff member. New equipment will allow them to add additional menu offerings that the surrounding community requested. (Equipment package; award amount: $43,240.)
- Momona Cafe and Restaurant, Othello
- Eritrean woman-owned restaurant and legacy business in Othello that provides discounted food to those in need. Business needs to replace decades-old equipment. (Equipment package; award amount: $24,306.)
- Nacho Mama’s Fry Bread Café, Delridge
- Native woman-owned business with huge community impact and connections to the Delridge neighborhood. Owner was finally able to open this location after being in the food industry for over 30 years. Business needs new flooring and to replace old equipment. (Health and Safety package; award amount: $100,000.)
- Seeking Ferments, SODO
- Mexican/Filipina partners who create probiotic drinks like kombucha and support educational programs for other business owners. They are looking for support to change the use of a new, larger space they have found to fit their growing business. (Design Services package: consultant services only.)
- Smash Bros, Othello
- Cham business owner and Seattleite with legacy business who is shifting their menu to cater to new clientele. New equipment will increase efficiency and improve processes. (Equipment package; award amount: $50,000.)
- South Park Food Center, South Park
- Neighborhood grocery store whose owner is president of the Korean American Grocers Association of Washington State and organizes with fellow store owners. Their equipment is constantly breaking, and funding will allow them to replace it. (Equipment package; award amount: $50,000.)
- Umami Kushi, Rainier Beach
- Black-owned business had a desire to create a niche in Japanese food and culture for the community to enjoy. Business needs kitchen equipment and additional repair after a fire. (Health and Safety package; award amount: $100,000.)
- Washington State Capoeira Center, Mt. Baker
- Owner is the first and only South Asian capoeira master and offers extensive youth mentorship and sliding scale classes to nearby communities. After a plumbing leak in the building damaged the space, they need to rebuild to make it usable again. (Health and Safety package; award amount: $100,000.)
- Work and Play Lounge, Beacon Hill
- Black woman-owned business offers an inspiring work and play space for community to interact with each other outside of their racially divided boxes. They are seeking equipment including a HVAC system and kitchen upgrades. (Equipment package; award amount: $50,000.)
University District
- Investment Corp dba Boba Up, University District
- Chinese Indonesian woman-owned business seeking replacement of specialized boba tea equipment. (Equipment package; award amount: $22,000.)
- Off the Rez, University District
- Native woman-owned café located in the Burke Museum in the U District. They need to replace essential equipment. (Equipment package; award amount: $50,000.)
- Sweetpea’s Cakes, University District
- Black woman-owned bakery in the U District seeking to increase production and efficiency with a higher volume espresso machine and baking equipment. (Equipment package; award amount: $50,000.)
Additional background
In May 2024, our Community Wealth Building Team launched the second iteration of the Tenant Improvement Program with three program tracks: Emerge, Improve, and Expand. These tracks are divided into six different packages based on business need and readiness: Pre-lease, Design Services, Signage, Equipment, Health and Safety, and New Construction packages.
- The Emerge packages are adapted for businesses that are moving into a more permanent structure for the first time or found a space that needs a redesign to maximize its potential. This track doesn’t include cash funding.
- The Improve packages are adapted for businesses that need some assistance to either improve their business and/or offset expenses due to circumstances that could disrupt their growth potential.
- The Expand packages are adapted for businesses that have been successful and want to upscale by finding a larger, more permanent space or second location.
Businesses applied through the online portal. After eligibility review, OED staff did the first round of scoring for applicants. Our partner, Grow America, provided financial health and readiness evaluations. For the Health and Safety and New Construction projects, a community panel made up of diverse local entrepreneurs scored and prioritized our final project list.
For additional information, please feel free to reach out to oed_tiprogram@seattle.gov.