Archive for the ‘Local Businesses’ Category
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Feb
17
Posted by James Lupori
AND THEN THERE WERE TWO!
Last October I wrote a post entitled “Kenmore Village – Squandering a Chance to Create a 21st Century City” in which I expressed my frustration about the way in which the Kenmore City Council and city leadership have essentially allowed Kenmore Village to become a ghost-town. Pardon me for being so blunt, but it’s a disgrace to see business after business vacate Kenmore Village whilst the City Council clings to the false hope that Urban Partners LLC will someday be developing this site. To add insult to injury the City of Kenmore is simultaneously building a new City Hall right across the street at great expense.
Kenmore Village is Down to Two Businesses!
On February 10th the owner of Grocery Outlet told me, officially, that she is moving her store to Kenmore Square at the beginning of April. This means that there will be two businesses left in the square: European Deli and Kenmore Fitness.
So What’s Next?
I’ve got to tell you, I drive past the new City Hall and the almost-empty twilight zone “formerly-known-as-the-Kenmore-Village” every day and I can’t help but wonder why it is that the citizens of Kenmore can’t see the uber-irony in all this.
I can tell you that there are a lot of business owners in Kenmore who feel that the City Council doesn’t care about business development. Some have pointed to their own dealings with the City and many have also pointed to the Kenmore Village as emblematic of a City Leadership that is unresponsive to the realities facing the business community. Everyone wants to know why the City is holding on to Urban Partners LLC WITHOUT A PLAN B!
The Kenmore City Council, Mayor and City Managers owe us an explanation regarding the current status of the Kenmore Village. I don’t think the City of Kenmore can afford to allow the structures in the village to sit empty. When will the City Council tell us what they’re going to do with this important asset? I highly recommend you all get on the phone, call the Mayor and council members and tell them that we want answers regarding the Kenmore Village.
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Feb
10
Posted by James Lupori
“Moving a Whole Store Is a HUGE Project”
Judy Bartlow's Guiding Principles of Success!
I was fortunate to finally catch up with Judy Bartlow, the Owner/Operator of Kenmore’s Grocery Outlet. She is one incredibly busy person and it was obvious that sitting her down for a chat was going to be a challenge. I had been trying to do and interview with her since before Christmas when the owner of Kenmore Square told me Grocery Outlet had signed a lease and was moving from its long-time location at Kenmore Village. Well, it’s now official. Grocery Outlet is moving. Judy told me the target date for opening the new store is April 8th. She also told me that planning and executing this move is a Herculean project.
The Current Location of Grocery Outlet at Kenmore Village
Grocery Outlet is moving from the Kenmore Village location.....to
The Future Home of Grocery Outlet at Kenmore Square
...to 7808 NE Bothell Way in Kenmore Village
Judy has been the Owner of Grocery Outlet since 2004 and as she reflected on her long career in the grocery/retail business, it was obvious that she’s one of those fortunate people who has found meaning and fulfilment through her work. She told me that being the owner of GO freed her from the “corporate life” and has allowed her to truly give back to her customers, community and employees. As is the case with so many business owners, Judy has spent a huge amount of time nurturing and training her staff to create a winning team of professionals. She feels as if her staff has created a family at GO and that they go about the business of operating a successful operation by sharing a “common conversation.”
A Nice Store with Great Values and Wide Variety of Merchandise
Judy explained that Grocery Outlet is unique in many ways. Unlike many grocery store chains, GO has a staff of buyers who spend a lot of time travelling the whole world in search of good values and unique products. She proudly stated that “we are master merchants.” As you walk the isles of GO you will not only find familiar name brand products but also a huge variety of items you won’t see at other stores: I noticed some very high quality Italian Olive Oil’s and interesting wines at good prices.
I asked Judy who the average GO shopper is. “We attract a wide range of shopper. Of course there are those looking for bargains who want a good deal; however, we find a lot of local residents shop at our store.” She also mentioned that she has a lot of “long term wine shoppers!”
I was mightily impressed with Judy and her Grocery Outlet. Her enthusiasm for her store, her employees, community and industry is infectious. She has spent a lot of time cultivating a great business and she has also given back to the City of Kenmore through a number of charitable events and programs (The Childhood Cancer Care Line, Easter Egg Hunt and a Feed a Family Program).
The City of Kenmore is lucky that Grocery Outlet is staying here as it is truly a jewel in our business community crown. Let’s send some good energy to Judy and her staff and wish them a smooth transition to the new location. This is exciting! Oh, did I mention that GO will be very close to my house!!! I can’t wait!
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Jan
26
Posted by James Lupori
Support Local Agriculture by Subscription Farming
Click on this picture to learn more about Growing Washington
When I last wrote about Growing Washington, they were in search of a new new farm! I’m happy to announce that they found a nice piece of land between Woodinville and Redmond:
15410 NE 124th St., Redmond, WA 98052
I would encourage you to visit the Growing Washington website and see for yourself how you can purchase locally grown, high quality produce and, at the same time, become a shareholder in the very farm your vegetables come from. This last year my wife and I ate like royalty for 18 glorious weeks. If you want to see a slide show of the food received, just click on the picture below:
Click on this picture to see what a share in GW is worth!
Also, if you’re a member of Face Book become a fan of Growing Washington!
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Jan
25
Posted by James Lupori
Some Excellent Priorities Identified
Last Wednesday I posted the first “official poll” on Kenmore Undressed in anticipation of the Kenmore City Council Retreat that convened this last weekend. I asked what the most important priorities are for the City of Kenmore in 2010. So far I’m pleased with the number of votes and the poll is still active for those of you who would like to add your two cents! Here’s what it looks like so far:
Click this picture to answer the poll!
Today I received a quick summary of the City Council’s retreat from Councilman Bob Hensel. It’s interesting to compare those priorities identified by the council and some of the issues I raised in the poll. Here’s Bob’s summary:
The top 5 are as follows,
1. The completion of the 522 project which will assist in attracting new businesses.
2. Working to reopen the CAWM pool at St Edwards as the council realizes the longer the pool stays closed the the more difficult it will be to reopen.
3. Economic development which includes implementing the plan put forward by the Citizens Advisory Committee and approved by the council last summer. Note that plan includes attracting new businesses, downtown,lakepoint, and more.
4. Completing a parks plan which provides for more active park space and and financing options.
5. Review of current police services and the contract with King County. The annexation of Finn Hill (unincorporated King County) to the city of Kirkland and other changes to services provided by King County in 2012 need to be addressed now.
This is only a brief synopsis of each priority, a lot of discussion went into getting to this point and there is a lot more meat on the bones of each priority.
I’d like to thank the City Council for some good brainstorming at their retreat. As a resident of Kenmore and a Real Estate Agent, I’m encouraged by the Council’s focus on business development while at the same time working to preserve Kenmore’s landmarks and natural resources. 2010 is going to be a challenging year. I sincerely hope some of you out there get involved in making Kenmore a 21st Century City.
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Dec
22
Posted by James Lupori
What’s Up With Kenmore Village?
I recently had yet another conversation with a local business owner here in Kenmore who expressed frustration with the City Council’s lack of transparency regarding the Kenmore Village. “The City Council isn’t telling us what they intend to do with Kenmore Village,” this owner said. “It seems to be a BIG SECRET!”
To be fair, earlier this month I had a telephone conversation with Mayor Baker and he expressed his own concerns about the Kenmore Village. The development of this property has been complicated because the current economic climate has put a monkey wrench in the plans to have Urban Partners LLC build a new village. The Mayor is well-aware that it could take years for this development to happen and he admitted that coming up with feasible solutions to the empty buildings and vacant lot has been difficult.
As we approach the end of 2009, I think it is imperative that the residents of Kenmore start thinking about the future of Kenmore Village. Allowing such a large city-owned, commercially valuable space to become virtually vacant is, simply put, NOT a good thing. It’s time that Kenmore residents start providing the City Council with some constructive ideas for the Kenmore Village.
Over the last several months I’ve received a number of good ideas (some of which I discussed with Mayor Baker). Below is a list of some interesting concepts. I’m positive that some of you have other concepts you’d like to present to the City Council. Please comment here or, better yet, pick up the phone and call the City Council members yourself. Here are a few ideas:
1) Create a satellite Campus space for Bastyr University which could include, classroom space, a retail store for alternative medicines, message therapy, even a vegetarian restaurant!
2) A family activity center.
3) A hotel catering to Kenmore Air clients
4) A business incubator specializing in small-footprint manufacturing or high tech businesses
5) A “creative workspace” for small businesses which accommodate short-term leases
I would love to hear some other ideas.
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Dec
13
Posted by James Lupori
RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES END THE SEASON
Click here and link to Google Maps
We 21 Acre farm subscribers were informed this week that freezing temperatures finally got the best of the crops and the growing season is officially over. This was sad news as we have become accustomed to the weekly organic food boxes we’ve been receiving since this June. Shopping for produce at the grocery store is going to be a bummer.
VISITING THE FARM IN WOODINVILLE
The greenhouse at 21 Acres
This Thursday I was fortunate to visit the farm and speak with Erik Gibson-Snyder who is one of the key farmers at 21 Acres. We talked about some of the huge challenges that face small, organic farmers these days and what the future holds for “community supported agriculture.” Both Erik and I agree that we are fortunate to have some extremely productive farm land in King and Snohomish Counties. If local farms continue to market to the growing number of food-conscious families here in the area, the movement toward locally grown food will continue to expand.
A frostbitten strawberry field
Winter frost hammers the crops
I asked Eric how successful Growing Washington has done over the last couple of years. Basically, this year the farm broke-even financially. This was due, in large part, to the huge increase in the number of subscribes which went from 60 in 2008 to 220 this year! One of these days, Eric believes there will be 5000 subscribers which illustrates just how committed Growing Washington is to the production of good, local food.
Right now, Growing Washington is in search of new farmland and it looks as if there are some good prospects in the Issaquah area for next summer. So, stay tuned as I will be communicating with Growing Washington throughout the winter and spring to find out what next year is going to look like.
For those of you who don’t know what community supported agriculture (subscription farming) is, I encourage you to visit the Growing Washington website. Also, if you want to see what a season’s subscription buys, check out my blog post entitled: 18 Reasons to Get Involved in Community Supported Agriculture.
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Nov
23
Posted by James Lupori
Kenmore Village is Becoming a Ghost Town
The Current Occupancy of the Kenmore Village
Recently, it was announced that the WA State Liquor Store currently in the Kenmore Village was moving to a new location (near Safeway). This got me thinking hard about my post entitled “Kenmore Village, Squandering an Opportunity to Create a 21st Century City” in which I criticize the City Leaders for erecting an $18 Million city hall above Kenmore Village that is literally dying right across the street. With only 3 remaining businesses in the Kenmore Village, I think it’s high time to throw out a couple of my ideas in the hope that SOMEONE over at the City of Kenmore is paying attention. Here goes:
Start a “Creative Workspace”
Click on this picture to learn more about Creative Workspace!
My fellow blogger, Jim Warner, posted an interesting article about Creative Workspace in Lynnwood, WA. Creative Workspace is a fascinating business which combines several concepts: It offers space for a huge variety of businesses (under one roof) while at the same time provides very flexible lease terms so that merchants can afford to do business without the challenges of long-term leases. The building gives access to the tenants 24/7 in a secure environment. Currently, their website highlights 22 businesses. There is also another Creative Workspace in Renton, WA.
Business Incubators – Not a New Idea
Back in the mid 1990’s I visited a business incubator in Ellensburg, WA. At that time I thought it was an interesting idea; however, I didn’t think it would be something I would ever see again. Well, perhaps the time has come for the City of Kenmore to consider the idea of turning the Kenmore Village into a 21st Century business incubator. There’s no reason why the current Village could not integrate a nice looking public space while at the same time create a highly productive business core.
I did a little research and found that there are a number of incubators operating in Washington State today:
William Factory in Tacoma
Click on the picture to view the website!
APEL in Richland, WA
Click on the picture to view APEL's website!
Ellensburg Business Incubator in Ellensburg, WA
Click on the picture to view the website
No More Reports – It’s Time to Act!
On June 1st this year, the City of Kenmore’s Economic Development Committee produced a report entitled “Capitalizing on Kenmore’s Potential.” This 117 page report is fascinating reading and I encourage you all to sit down some evening and examine it. I would also like to take our City Council, the Mayor and the City Managers to task and ask what plans they have to implement some of the (good) recommendations in this report? What substantive steps are they taking to stop what appears to be a migration of businesses out of Kenmore? Are they going to attempt to attract high quality businesses that produce good-paying jobs or are we going to settle for more retail? I’d sincerely like to know what the City Leaders have in mind.
Click on the picture to view the report
I realize that it’s easier to propose ideas than to actually implement them; however, the City of Kenmore is at an interesting cross road. Recently, economists have been suggesting that 2010 will be a better year with a 3.5% growth rate. They have also indicated that employment will lag in spite of higher productivity. I am convinced that it’s time for Kenmore to seize this opportunity, set some specific objectives in terms of attracting high-value businesses to Kenmore and start utilizing Kenmore Village before it becomes nothing more than a useless eyesore. In this way, the city can take advantage of increased business investment AND create jobs in the process.
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Nov
21
Posted by James Lupori
Growing Vegetables Isn’t Just a Summer Thing
A Lot of Healthy Food Comes During Cold Weather
Thanksgiving is a holiday that celebrates food in a big way: Turkeys are big birds, the flavours and aromas from the kitchen are pungent and bold. The flavours of the traditional Thanksgiving dinner are deep and rich and memorable. For many people, turkey is one of the most exotic “meats” they eat all year. That’s why we Americans spend so much time and effort putting together this quintessential American feast. It’s no surprise that many of the foods traditionally used are cold-weather crops: potatoes (regular and sweet), squash, cranberries, brussel sprouts, rich pumpkin and fruit pies. What’s so nice is that all of these products are easily found right here in the Northwest. It’s time to reflect on just how lucky we are to live in a fertile part of the U.S. that produces so many good things to eat.
All of the items we received in our organic food box this week would easily integrate into your Thanksgiving dinner: parsnips, rutabagas, a mixture of potatoes (red, purple, fingerling), a HUGE head of cabbage (the cabbage in the picture must weigh 5lbs!), winter greens, the Delicata Winter squash and the pears and apples! All you need is the turkey, dressing and good company!
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Nov
14
Posted by James Lupori
So Healthy, It Hurts
This week we ordered: Ginger-Gold apples, Broccoli, Braising Mix, Carrots Scallions, Duck eggs, Kale and Bush Delicata winter squash. Here are some quick descriptions of this week’s bounty:
- Ginger-Gold Apples – Very floral, sweet and sour at the same time. Great with a strong cheese!
- Braising Mix – A mixture of kale, chard and collard greens, this is one of the healthiest things you can eat. In the grocery store, a good mix can cost $10.00 per pound!
- Carrots – The organic carrots we’ve been ordering have been SO good. One of my favorite snacks.
- Scallions – You’ll note that the scallions from the farm come with huge tops. I cut off about 1/2 the greens and freeze them to use in my soup stocks.
- Duck eggs – Larger than hen eggs, they taste precisely the same; however, they tend to be “tighter” than regular eggs. If you’re cooking these eggs over-easy, you need to spread out the whites or your eggs will be very runny.
- Bush Delicata Winter Squash – A big surprise this year. I’ve eaten a huge variety of winter squash over the years. Delicatas are rich in flavor and texture. They only need a touch of salt and butter and, YUM, they’re good. (Cut in half lengthwise, remove the seeds, brush with butter season with salt and bake at 350° for an hour……)
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Nov
07
Posted by James Lupori
The climate here in Puget Sound is mild enough that many vegetables are available well into the winter. Right now local farmers are harvesting winter squash, potatoes, beets, leeks and a huge variety of lettuces. Some vegetables such as kale and brussel sprouts become sweet and delectable in the Fall and Winter.
This week’s box from Growing Washington includes some tasty vegetables:
Lentils from Eastern Washington
A nice big batch of red potatoes
A huge bag of "braising mix" greens (kale, chard, beet greens, collards)
Apples and Plums
IAlso: Beets, fresh organic butter and free range hen eggs
This week I fully intend to make a nice lentil soup so stay tuned for the recipe.
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