Our office issued the 800th and final Storefront Repair Fund grant, surpassing a total investment of $1.6 million in small businesses for storefront damage repair and recovery. The last $2,000 grant was awarded to Casa Del Mariachi a beloved vegetarian restaurant in the Pinehurst neighborhood of North Seattle known for… [ Keep reading ]
Comfort food is exactly what it sounds like: Food that brings comfort. Duyen Nguyn, owner of Magnolia Pho in Mt. Baker, says her comfort food is pho. “For me, when I’m sick or when I go to school, I like to eat pho,” she explains. “You can eat it for… [ Keep reading ]
When working with small business owners, Michael Wells, small business advocate, leads with empathy. He owned an independent bookstore, so he understands the challenges and the joys of running a business. It’s because of that work, particularly his work advocating for businesses in the LGBTQ+ community, that the Puget Sound… [ Keep reading ]
Paul Nguyen grew up drinking boba. We’re talking about the real, authentic boba that originated in Taiwan. The co-owner of Hyson Boba, originally from Vietnam, moved to Seattle last year. He sampled boba shops around the city and quickly noticed a trend. “A lot of boba tea here is not… [ Keep reading ]
As Youn Chung restocks her Asian American food and lifestyle superette, Anyoung Super, she takes care to make sure every item is visible. She sees it as more than selling Asian American specialty goods; it’s a way to tell the stories about the people behind the products. “I get really… [ Keep reading ]
Brian Myers does more than own and operate Tabletop Village; he’s building a community within a community. He jokes that the Chinatown-International District shop is more like a community center supported by retail sales. “Having a community is different than trying to sell cards,” said Myers. “You can buy cards… [ Keep reading ]
Owning and operating a business is a lot of work. Beruck Tewolde is not only the owner of King’s Deli and Grocery in Madrona, he’s the only employee. “It has a lot of challenges,” he explains. “You have to work more. But if you work hard, you see the profit.”… [ Keep reading ]
The skills needed to be a cobbler include sewing, dying, and polishing. If you ask Shelly Luhman, it also requires skills beyond being able to mend a shoe. “You can’t be afraid to try new things and you can’t be afraid to get dirty,” says Luhman, the co-owner of Broadway… [ Keep reading ]
Gracie Santos Guce didn’t plan to turn her love of making pies into a business. It just happened. “It was an accident. People call me an accidental entrepreneur. Before the pandemic, I don’t think I ever baked a pie in my life,” says Guce, owner of grayseas pies. One day,… [ Keep reading ]
Seattle has a rich and deep history of Black and African-American communities and businesses. We’re proud to celebrate that history and highlight events in the community. You can learn about more events from the Department of Neighborhoods 2024 Guide to Black History Month Events in Seattle. In addition to supporting… [ Keep reading ]
