Business - Business News

POSTED: Wednesday, Jun. 24, 2009

Catering business to open Bellingham Bay facility

While Tom Kilpatrick enjoys looking out the window at the scenic areas around the Hilltop Restaurant, he's also a boating fan who enjoys gazing across Bellingham Bay. Now he'll get a chance to take in both views on a regular basis.

Tom and Barb Kilpatrick will take over a portion of the Bellingham Yacht Club facility in Squalicum Harbor on July 1 to create Windows on the Bay, an event center where they can host a variety of catered social and business gatherings. The company will use about 4,000 square feet of the building and be able to host events for between 50 and 200 people. Alcohol can be served if clients get a banquet permit, which allows them to control cost and selection.

Tom Kilpatrick said their Hilltop catering business had grown to a point where they wanted a separate facility, but they wanted a spot they could enjoy working.

"We originally came here as boaters and fell in love with the area, so the idea of working next to the water is great," Kilpatrick said. "I enjoy being able to look out the window and seeing the water and the country, so this is perfect."

Like nearly every other business, Kilpatrick said the catering industry is feeling the economic pressures of the recession. He's bullish on the future in Whatcom County, however, and made this decision keeping the long-term business strategy in mind.

"There are some events that are recession-proof; people are still going to have wedding and graduation parties," Kilpatrick said. "We didn't want to wait for the economy (to turn around)."

The plan is to have the upper level of the facility for elegant parties, while the lower level will be a bit more casual and used for events like business meetings. Having a home base for catering also will allow the company to expand its catering menu, he said.

The business name is a bit of inspiration from Windows on the World, a popular restaurant in the World Trade Center in New York City before the building was hit by terrorists on Sept. 11, 2001. The view he has now reminds him of that New York one.

"It's just amazing being able to look out at such a beautiful bay. It's one of the reasons I love Whatcom County," he said.

For details or to book an event, call (360) 220-0731. The company's Web site, windowsonthebay.us, should be ready next month.

UPDATE ON OPENINGS, CLOSINGS

There's been plenty of activity recently when it comes to businesses coming and going locally. First, an update on what's been closing:

In downtown Bellingham, Pescaderia Seafood and Back Porch Alley have recently closed, with the owners of each business putting them up for sale. Pescaderia moved to Railroad Avenue near Starbucks a little more than two years ago and sold fresh seafood. According to a sign on the door, inquiries about the business can be made by calling (360) 223-3048.

Back Porch Alley, which opened earlier this year on North State Street in the old Callaloo Caribbean Kitchen spot, shut down earlier this month. It has a "closed until further notice" sign as well as for sale signs. For details about the business, call Layne Southcott at (360) 305-4444.

On the opening side, Tully's has a "coming soon" sign at the Sehome Haggen store in the Sehome Shopping Center. There's also a liquor license application for a new restaurant, called Cancun Mexican Restaurant. It will be at 8874 Bender Road, Suite 107. The applicants are Tanya Kogan and Uriel Lopez.

One business that has been able to grow after closing a location is Sirena Gelato. The company closed its shop at Bellis Fair earlier this year, but since that time sales have been increasing at the Fairhaven location, said owner Fahri Ugurlu.

"We've been able to expand our wholesale business while sales at Fairhaven have picked up," Ugurlu said. "We opened Sirena in several locations in Bellingham, but Fairhaven was our first and it turned out to be the best location. The walk-around traffic we see in Fairhaven is important for this kind of business."