Business

POSTED: Monday, Mar. 09, 2009

Flats snares another award for its wine collection

Rich and Yasmine McCudden have been listening to their customers, and that is paying dividends, not only in sales but also in awards.

The McCuddens’ restaurant, Flats Tapas Bar, was recently given the Restaurant of Distinction award by Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Flats is the only restaurant in Whatcom County on the national list of 355 restaurants. It’s the second year in a row the restaurant has received the distinction.

The Fairhaven restaurant serves more than 200 wines, something the McCuddens built up while talking to people about wine at the restaurant.

“The customers taught me this, not only the types of wine, but about pricing,” said Rich McCudden, noting that it always frustrated him to see a bottle of wine at a store that was significantly less expensive than what he had at a restaurant the night before.

The listening is also paying off in sales. In its four years of business, 2008 was the restaurant’s best in terms of gross sales. And business for the first part of 2009 is up, compared to the previous year.

McCudden said what helped was outside his control: When construction was completed around him, parking spaces opened up. Also, to his surprise, there was quite a bit of walk-in traffic during the snowstorms this winter.

“People from the neighborhood walked in during the snow, which is much different than previous years,” he said. “It’s really showed me that there are more people living in this area.”

McCudden believes that businesses that offer an escape for people tend to do well during tough economic times. Just like movies theaters have been popular during recessions, McCudden says he tries to do the same with his restaurant.

Tapas, which have roots in Spain, are snack-sized portions, giving customers plenty of choices of something to eat with beer or wine.

“I try to make this place feel like you’ve left Bellingham when you walk in,” McCudden said.

NEW BISTRO COMING TO BELLIS FAIR

Something that’s been missing inside Bellis Fair is a place to sit down, relax, and maybe catch part of the game on television or listen to live music while grabbing something to eat or drink. Genia Gaffaney plans on fixing that with her new business, Yolo Coffee Company & Bistro.

Gaffaney plans to start construction later this month and be open by June. The bistro will be near the play area close to Sears, where Picture Perfect Studios currently resides. The photography business is moving to a nearby space recently vacated by Uncle’s Games, which left earlier this month.

Along with coffee, the bistro will serve a variety of food for breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus beer and wine. Along with flat-screen televisions, the place will offer free Wi-Fi.

“Yolo will be a family-oriented, modern look that will give shoppers a chance to take a break and relax,” Gaffaney said. “We’re hoping to bring in local artists and musicians to give it a friendly feel.”

Gaffaney, who also owns Silver Safari in the Kohl’s wing of the mall, said she’s enjoyed running a business in Bellis Fair and likes the Sears/Target area because of the consistent traffic. She’ll be able to run both businesses with the help of her family, including her husband, Chad.

Yolo, by the way, is an acronym for You Only Live Once. Gaffaney said it’s her family’s mantra to make sure they do things they enjoy.

“Hopefully that’s something people will see when they walk into Yolo,” she said.

OTHER TIDBITS

There was an uptick in commercial permit activity in Bellingham last week as business owners and entrepreneurs start getting projects going:

• A permit application was filed to attach a 2,500-square-foot McDonald’s restaurant to the Shell convenience store at 2433 E. Bakerview Road, at the corner of Hannegan and Bakerview roads.

• A tenant improvement application has been filed for a new restaurant called Mi Casa at 505 32nd St., Suite 102, in a strip mall near The Keg.

• A tenant improvement permit has been issued for 1031 N. State St., Suite 110, for a new retail clothing and photography store.

• There is a new state liquor license application for a restaurant/catering business, Fork at Agate Bay, at 2530 North Shore Road. John and Gina Russell are the applicants.